MS-DOS commands”

MS-DOS and command line overview
Below is a listing of each of the MS-DOS commands currently listed on Computer Hope and a brief explanation of what each of the commands do. The below commands are all MS-DOS commands, which means not all the below commands will work in your version of MS-DOS and/or Windows command line. Clicking on the command will open the help page for that command with full details about it.
Command Description Type
ansi.sys
Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys. File
append
Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command. External

arp
Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices.
External

assign
Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter. External

assoc
View the file associations. Internal

at
Schedule a time to execute commands or programs. External

atmadm
Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.
Internal

attrib
Display and change file attributes. External

batch
Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file. Recovery

bootcfg
Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.ini Recovery

break
Enable / disable CTRL + C feature. Internal

cacls
View and modify file ACL's.
External

call
Calls a batch file from another batch file. Internal

cd
Changes directories. Internal

chcp
Supplement the International keyboard and character set information. External

chdir
Changes directories. Internal

chdsk
Check the hard disk drive running FAT for errors.
External

chkntfs
Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors.
External

choice
Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file. External

cls
Clears the screen. Internal

cmd
Opens the command interpreter.
color
Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window. Internal

command
Opens the command interpreter.
comp
Compares files. External

compact
Compresses and uncompress files. External

control
Open Control Panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt. External

convert
Convert FAT to NTFS.
External

copy
Copy one or more files to an alternate location. Internal

ctty
Change the computers input/output devices. Internal

date
View or change the systems date. Internal

debug
Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings. External

defrag
Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs. External

del
Deletes one or more files. Internal

delete
Recovery console command that deletes a file. Internal

deltree
Deletes one or more files and/or directories. External

dir
List the contents of one or more directory. Internal

disable
Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers. Recovery

diskcomp
Compare a disk with another disk. External

diskcopy
Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk. External

doskey
Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past. External

dosshell
A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users. External

drivparm
Enables overwrite of original device drivers. Internal

echo
Displays messages and enables and disables echo. Internal

edit
View and edit files. External

edlin
View and edit files. External

emm386
Load extended Memory Manager. External

ename
Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver. Recovery

endlocal
Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command.
Internal

erase
Erase files from computer. Internal

exit
Exit from the command interpreter. Internal

expand
Expand a Microsoft Windows file back to it's original format. External

extract
Extract files from the Microsoft Windows cabinets. External

fasthelp
Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them. External

fc
Compare files. External

fdisk
Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive. External

find
Search for text within a file. External

findstr
Searches for a string of text within a file. External

fixboot
Writes a new boot sector. Recovery

fixmbr
Writes a new boot record to a disk drive. Recovery

for
Boolean used in batch files. Internal

format
Command to erase and prepare a disk drive. External

ftp
Command to connect and operate on a FTP server.
External

ftype
Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations. Recovery

goto
Moves a batch file to a specific label or location. Internal

graftabl
Show extended characters in graphics mode. External

help
Display a listing of commands and brief explanation. External

if
Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing.
Internal

ifshlp.sys
32-bit file manager. External

ipconfig
Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values. External

keyb
Change layout of keyboard. External

label
Change the label of a disk drive. External

lh
Load a device driver in to high memory. Internal

listsvc
Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers. Recovery

loadfix
Load a program above the first 64k. External

loadhigh
Load a device driver in to high memory. Internal

lock
Lock the hard disk drive. Internal

logoff
Logoff the currently profile using the computer. External

logon
Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login. Recovery

map
Displays the device name of a drive. Recovery

md
Command to create a new directory. Internal

mem
Display memory on system. External

mkdir
Command to create a new directory. Internal

mode
Modify the port or display settings. External

more
Display one page at a time. External

move
Move one or more files from one directory to another directory. Internal

msav
Early Microsoft Virus scanner. External

msd
Diagnostics utility. External

msdex
Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM. External

nbtstat
Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT
External

net
Update, fix, or view the network or network settings External

netsh
Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS. External

netstat
Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information.
External

nlsfunc
Load country specific information. External

nslookup
Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network. External

path
View and modify the computers path location. Internal

pathping
View and locate locations of network latency. External

pause
Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command. Internal

ping
Test / send information to another network computer or network device. External

popd
Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command.
Internal

power
Conserve power with computer portables. External

print
Prints data to a printer port. External

prompt
View and change the MS-DOS prompt.
Internal

pushd
Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time. Internal

qbasic
Open the QBasic. External

rd
Removes an empty directory. Internal

ren
Renames a file or directory. Internal

rename
Renames a file or directory. Internal

rmdir
Removes an empty directory. Internal

route
View and configure windows network route tables. External

runas
Enables a user to run a program as a different user. External

scandisk
Run the scandisk utility. External

scanreg
Scan registry and recover registry from errors. External

set
Change one variable or string to another. Internal

setlocal
Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else. Internal

setver
Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs. External

share
Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities. External

shift
Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program. Internal

shutdown
Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt. External

smartdrv
Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory. External

sort
Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen. External

start
Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt. Internal

subst
Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter. External

switches
Remove add functions from MS-DOS. Internal

sys
Transfer system files to disk drive. External

telnet
Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt.
External

time
View or modify the system time. Internal

title
Change the title of their MS-DOS window. Internal

tracert
Visually view a network packets route across a network. External

tree
View a visual tree of the hard disk drive. External

type
Display the contents of a file. Internal

undelete
Undelete a file that has been deleted. External

unformat
Unformat a hard disk drive. External

unlock
Unlock a disk drive. Internal

ver
Display the version information. Internal

verify
Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly. Internal

vol
Displays the volume information about the designated drive. Internal

xcopy
Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another. External