MS DOS

1. Click start.
2. Click Run.
3. Type cmd or command and press enter.

Additional information about the difference between "cmd" and "command" can be found on document CHOOO395.

If you're attempting to get into a MS-DOS prompt to troubleshoot the computer, boot the computer into Safe Mode. Additional information about how to get into Safe Mode can be found on document CHSAFE.

Windows 2000 and XP users who are unable to boot the computer into Normal Windows mode or Safe mode, can also enter the recovery console to manage their computer from a prompt. Additional information about how to do this can be found on document CHOOO627.

Finally, if you are experiencing issues getting into Windows NT, 2000, or XP, it may be necessary to run troubleshooting steps from a MS-DOS prompt. It is recommended that the Network Administrator get into the MS-DOS prompt by using either a standard MS-DOS boot diskette (note: will not be able to access data using a standard MS-DOS bootable diskette) or the ERD diskettes created after the installation of Windows NT, or boot from the Windows XP CD.

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
chacp	Supplement the International keyboard and character set information.	External
chdir	Changes directories.	Internal
chdsk	Check the hard disk drive runningFAT 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
drivparn	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
listsve	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 xommand.	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