Accessing MS-DOS from Windows 95/98/2000:

Go to the Start menu and click on Programs. Under the Programs submenu, you should find a selection named either MS-DOS Prompt or Command Prompt. This will open a DOS window that normally has a black background and a flashing command-line prompt. You can also access a DOS window from the Start menu Run command by typing command in the dialog box.

Normal Use of MS-DOS:

MS-DOS uses what is called a command-line interface. This interface requires that the user must type in a command word followed optionally by one or more "flags" and/or filenames, each separated by one or more spaces. The specific syntax of indiviual commands varies, depending upon the required information for each command.

Basic file manipulation commands:

Listing names of files in a directory:   dir Listing only the names of the files in a directory:   dir /w Display on the screen the contents of a file:   type filename Copy a file:   copy source destination Rename a file:   rename oldname newname Delete a file:   del filename Changing to a different drive:   driveLetter: Changing to a different directory:   cd newdirectory Create a new directory:   md newdirectoryname Remove an empty directory:   rd directoryname

Common Drive Naming Conventions in the A&S Labs:

Drive A: Local Floppy Disk Drive Drive C: Local Harddrive Drive D: ZIP Drive Drive E: CDROM Drive Drive H: Your home drive when you've logged into your Novell account. This is where you can store personal files that are available only to you while you're logged into your Novell account. Drive S: Your shared drive, which gives you access to software specified by your instructor for the current class(s) in which you're enrolled. Drive S is also where the TURNIN directory is located so you can submit your assignments for your instructor (this facility is not used by all instructors).

Links to Other MS-DOS related websites:

MS-DOS Help and Commands - http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm A Guide to the Syntax and Use of MS-DOS Commands - http://rharrell.home.texas.net/msdos.htm Essential DOS Commands and Concepts - http://www.Colorado.EDU/geography/gcraft/tips//doshelp.html

If you have any other specific commands or topics you think are needed to perform the basic DOS operations needed for this class, send me a note at donr@unt.edu and I'll add it.