Disk Operating System (DOS) in Computing - An Introduction

In the 21st century, with the latest technology and Android operating systems running on modern PCs, many people, especially newcomers, may not know what is DOS or what does DOS stands for? In this blog, I will introduce DOS. DOS, which stands for Disk Operating System.

History of DOS

The earliest computers used paper punch cards and magnetic tapes to store data and run programs. These systems had no disk drives or operating systems. In the late 1960s, IBM developed a new type of storage device called the floppy disk, which became widely used in the 1970s. However, these floppy disks were not yet practical for storing entire operating systems. In the mid-1970s, a team of programmers at Microsoft developed a disk operating system called MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) for the new IBM Personal Computer (PC), which was released in 1981. MS-DOS became the dominant operating system for PCs for many years.

In the late 1980s, Microsoft developed Windows, a graphical user interface (GUI) that ran on top of MS-DOS. Windows made it easier for users to interact with the computer using a mouse and menus rather than typing commands. With the release of Windows 95 GUI Operating System in 1995, Microsoft integrated the MS-DOS kernel into the operating system, making it no longer necessary to have a separate DOS installation.

Over time, other operating systems such as Apple's Mac OS and Linux gained popularity, and MS-DOS became less common. However, its legacy can still be seen in the command-line interfaces of modern operating systems such as Windows and macOS.

MS-DOS was a command-line operating system that required users to type in commands to perform tasks such as creating new files, copying files from one location to another or running programs. It was relatively simple to use but required some technical knowledge.

Some basic DOS commands you should know:

• DIR: This command displays a list of files and directories in the current directory.

• CD: This command changes the current directory.

• MD: This command creates a new directory.

• RD: This command removes a directory.

• COPY: This command copies a file from one location to another.

• DEL: This command deletes a file.

• TYPE: This command displays the contents of a text file.

To get comfortable with using DOS, you should practice using the commands listed above. Try navigating through directories, creating new directories, copying and deleting files, and displaying the contents of text files.

Once you are comfortable with the basic DOS commands, you can start exploring more advanced commands. Some examples include:

Command	Details
ASSOC	Displays or modifies file extension associations.
ATTRIB	Displays or changes file or directory attributes.
BREAK	Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
BCDEDIT	Sets properties in boot database to control boot loading.
CACLS	Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files.
CALL	Calls one batch program from another.
CD	Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHCP	Displays or sets the active code page number.
CHDIR	Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHKDSK	Checks the disk for errors, repair if possible and displays a status report.
CHKNTFS	Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.
CLS	Clears the screen.
CMD	Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter.
COLOR	Sets the default console foreground and background colors.
COMP	Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
COMPACT	Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions.
CONVERT	Converts FAT volumes to NTFS.  You cannot convert the current drive.
COPY	Copies one or more files to another location.
DATE	Displays or sets the date.
DEL	Deletes one or more files.
DIR	Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.
DISKPART	Displays or configures Disk Partition properties.
DOSKEY	Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates macros.
DRIVERQUERY	Displays current device driver status and properties.
ECHO	Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off.
EDIT	Opens a text editor for creating or modifying text files.
ENDLOCAL	Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file.
ERASE	Deletes one or more files.
EXIT	Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter).
FC	Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the differences between them.
FIND	Searches for a text string in a file or files.
FINDSTR	Searches for strings in files.
FOR	Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
FORMAT	Formats a disk or partition for use with Windows.
FSUTIL	Displays or configures the file system properties.
FTYPE	Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations.
GOTO	Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in a batch program.
GPRESULT	Displays Group Policy information for machine or user.
GRAFTABL	Enables Windows to display an extended character set in graphics mode.
HELP	Provides Help information for Windows commands.
ICACLS	Display, modify, backup, or restore ACLs for files and directories.
IF	Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
LABEL	Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
MD	Creates a new directory.
MKDIR	Creates a directory.
MKLINK	Creates Symbolic Links and Hard Links
MODE	Configures a system device.
MORE	Displays output one screen at a time.
MOVE	Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory.
OPENFILES	Displays files opened by remote users for a file share.
PATH	Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
PAUSE	Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message.
POPD	Restores the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD.
PRINT	Prints a text file.
PROMPT	Changes the Windows command prompt.
PUSHD	Saves the current directory then changes it.
RD	Removes a directory.
RECOVER	Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
REM	Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS.
REN	Renames a file or files.
RENAME	Renames a file or files.
REPLACE	Replaces files.
RMDIR	Removes a directory.
ROBOCOPY	Advanced utility to copy files and directory trees
SET	Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables.
SETLOCAL	Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file.
SC	Displays or configures services (background processes).
SCHTASKS	Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer.
SHIFT	Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch files.
SHUTDOWN	Allows proper local or remote shutdown of machine.
SORT	Sorts input.
START	Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
SUBST	Associates a path with a drive letter.
SYSTEMINFO	Displays machine specific properties and configuration.
TASKLIST	Displays all currently running tasks including services.
TASKKILL	Kill or stop a running process or application.
TIME	Displays or sets the system time.
TITLE	Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session.
TREE	Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path.
TYPE	Displays the contents of a text file.
VER	Displays the Windows version.
VERIFY	Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written correctly to a disk.
VOL	Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
XCOPY	Copies files and directory trees.
WMIC	Displays WMI information inside interactive command shell.

For more information on DOS command, type “HELP” command-name.

There are many more DOS Commands and online resources available for learning DOS, including tutorials, guides, and forums. You can use these resources to learn more about DOS commands and how to use them effectively.

DOS is an older operating system and is not commonly used today. However, learning DOS can be a valuable experience for understanding the history of computing and for gaining a deeper understanding of how operating systems work.

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