With every new release, Microsoft has added features to MS-DOS. MS-DOS 6.22 now contains more than 100 commands, providing configuration support and utilities for the large variety of computers that run MS-DOS. Many commands help you organize the files and subdirectories on your hard disk or enable you to configure your computer system to run more efficiently. Other commands enable you to automate routine tasks that you perform with your computer every day. DOS now includes commands that provide support for the various characters and conventions used in many countries other than the United States.
This command reference describes all the commands that Microsoft provides in the standard MS-DOS 6.22 package. Each command entry includes a description of the command's purpose, its syntax, notes and rules on how to use it, examples of its use, error messages and exit codes when applicable, and a “See Also” section that points you to additional information about using a particular command.
So that you can easily find the command you're looking for, the following lists group the various DOS commands by their functions and contain short descriptions of each command. Many commands have more than one function, so they may appear in more than one group. When you locate the command you want in these function lists, turn to the reference section for much more detailed information about a particular command. The reference section lists the commands in alphabetical order.
In the following function lists, the commands are divided into these categories:
Batch File Commands
CONFIG.SYSCommandsCONFIG.SYSDevice DriversDirectory Commands
Disk Commands
File Commands
Full-Screen DOS Applications
Help Commands
International Commands and Device Drivers
Memory and System Performance Commands
Miscellaneous Commands
Windows Applications
The following conventions have been used throughout this reference to make the command descriptions clear and accurate:
Bold | Required literal. Indicates an argument that is required and must be typed as part of the command. For example, the command name always appears in bold because it must be included when you issue the command. |
Italic | Optional placeholder. The placeholder holds the place for the actual name or value that you would type when you issue the command. In other words, you don't type the word filename, you replace filename with the actual name of a file. |
Bold italic | Required placeholder. Indicates a placeholder argument that is required. When you issue the command, you must substitute an appropriate value for an argument that appears in bold italic. |
Monospaced type | Optional literal. Indicates an optional argument that, if included, must be typed as shown. Switches often are optional literal arguments. |
The COPY command, for example, uses all four types of arguments in its syntax:
COPY source destination /V
COPYis a required literal, so it appears in bold. The command name always has to be typed exactly as it is shown, although you can add a drive and subdirectory path before the command when necessary.source is a required placeholder, so it appears in bold italic. In this case, you would enter the name of the file or files that you wanted to copy.
destinationis an optional placeholder, so it appears in regular italic. If you choose to omit this argument, a default value is assumed. As with all placeholders, if you include this argument, you replace the worddestinationwith the filename and path where you want to copy the files./Vis an optional literal, so it appears in regular text. Most switches are optional. If you want to include one, you must type it exactly as it is shown.
DOS is not usually sensitive to the case of the characters you use. Normally, you can type command lines in any mixture of upper- or lowercase characters. Some third-party utilities and a few DOS commands, however, do use case-sensitive parameters. When upper- or lowercase is significant in a command's syntax, it is noted in the text.
Pay particular attention to the punctuation used in syntax lines. DOS is often very picky about punctuation; if a semicolon is shown, a comma rarely will do the trick. Spaces are an exception: Where one space is shown, more than one space or tab usually is acceptable. The order of command arguments is usually somewhat flexible, with switches allowed either before or after filename arguments. Exceptions are noted in the text.
Every command line begins the same way—with the name of the command you want to run. Internal commands are located inside COMMAND.COM and are always available at the DOS prompt. External commands are files with .COM or .EXE extensions that are located on your disk. To run an external command, COMMAND.COM must be able to find the corresponding file on disk. The Setup program for DOS 6 places all the external commands in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. To help COMMAND.COM find external commands, Setup also adds or edits the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to include the C:DOS subdirectory. As long as the subdirectory in which the command is located is included in your DOS PATH, you can simply type the name of the command at the command line and COMMAND.COM finds the executable file. If you move any of the files or if you remove the C:DOS subdirectory from your DOS PATH, you have to specify the location of external commands by including the subdirectory in which they are located as part of the name of the command.
To help you quickly identify the function of a particular command, this command reference uses the following icons:
Filenames and pathnames for MS-DOS consist of a series of standard parts, and DOS makes certain assumptions when these parts are omitted. A fully qualified pathname consists of the following parts:
drive:path1path2... filename.ext
drive: | Represents the disk drive letter. |
path1, path2 | Represent the subdirectories. |
filename | Represents the one- to eight-character name of the file. |
.ext | Represents the optional extension to the filename. When included, the extension can be up to three characters in length. |
... | An ellipsis in a syntax line indicates that the preceding argument can be repeated one or more times. The spaces around the ellipsis are added here only for clarity. An actual pathname can never include any spaces. |
Note that a disk drive letter, when present, is always followed by a colon. The drive (with colon), all pathnames, and the filename are separated from each other by backslash characters (). The filename extension, when present, is always separated from the filename by a period.
If no drive is specified, the current disk drive is assumed. If no path is specified, the current subdirectory of that disk drive is used. Typically, commands that accept wildcard characters in their filename arguments default to “all files” if no filename is specified. Otherwise, no defaults are assumed for the filename portion.
In this command reference, the term filename refers to the one- to eight-character name of a file, either with or without a one- to three-character extension. The term pathname refers to the complete path to a file (the drive, subdirectory path, and filename).
DOS allows only certain characters to be included in the name of a file or subdirectory. All the letters A to Z, either upper- or lowercase, and the numbers 0 to 9 are allowed. In addition, the following punctuation characters are acceptable:
& ' @ ^ _ { } $ ! - # ( ) % ' ~
No other punctuation or special characters are permissible in a filename. (If you are using a non-USA code page, you may have additional legal filename characters, such as accented characters.)
Most of the illegal filename characters have a special meaning on the command line. Spaces, tabs, commas, and semicolons typically are used to separate arguments. The colon (:) indicates a disk drive letter, and the backslash () separates subdirectories or indicates the root directory. The greater-than (>), less-than (<), and pipe (|) characters are used for redirection and piping. Although percent signs (%) are legal, you should avoid using them in your filenames because this character indicates replaceable parameters and can lead to some confusing errors in batch files.
Tip
Consider using an underscore (_) or a hyphen (-) in file or subdirectory names in which you normally would use a space. This naming convention can help make your filenames more readable, as in MY_FILE.TXT.
DOS converts all pathname characters to uppercase before searching for the file, so you can enter pathnames in any combination of upper- and lowercase letters that suits you. MYFILE.TXT, myfile.txt, and MyFiLe.TxT all refer to the same file as far as DOS is concerned.
Although you are free to name your files anything you would like, a few filenames have special meaning to MS-DOS. They refer to specific devices attached to your computer system; when you use them on the command line in place of a filename, they always refer to that device, not a file on the disk.
| Name | Device That Name Refers To |
|---|---|
| NUL | The null device. This is your computer's equivalent of the Black Hole, which accepts (and ignores) anything written to it. |
| CON | The standard device for input and output. CON normally refers to the keyboard for input and the video display for output. |
| LPTx | The printer (parallel) ports. The x represents the port number, as in LPT1. |
| PRN | The primary printer port, normally the same as LPT1. |
| COMx | The serial ports. The x represents the port number, as in COM1. |
| AUX | The primary serial port, normally the same as COM1. |
In some cases, you are required to enter these names followed by a colon (:), as if you were referring to a disk drive. Normally, however, you just use them as though they refer to a file in the current directory. No matter what drive, path, or extension you include with these reserved names, they always refer to that device and never to a file on your disk. (In other words, you cannot have a file named PRN.TXT on your disk because this name always refers to the printer and not to a disk file.) If, however, you specify a drive or path that doesn't exist, you do receive an error message.
With certain commands, you can use wildcard characters in the
filename portion of a pathname argument to specify more than one file at
a time. You can use the question mark (?)
to match any single character and the asterisk (*)
to match multiple characters. Wildcards are never allowed in the drive
or subdirectory portions of a pathname.
A question mark (?) can be used to match any single character in a filename or extension. For example, typing MYFILE.T?T matches files named MYFILE.TXT and MYFILE.TOT but not MYFILE.TT or MYFILE.TXB. To match the latter, you have to specify MYFILE.T??. Notice that a question mark placed in the middle of the filename or extension matches any single character in that position, whereas a question mark placed at the end also matches zero characters.
An asterisk (*) matches zero or more characters from the position in which it is placed to the end of the filename or extension. For example, MY*.TXT matches MYFILE.TXT and MYHOUSE.TXT but not MYFILE.DOC or YOURFILE.TXT. Any characters following an asterisk in the filename, or following an asterisk in the extension, are ignored. In other words, typing MY*.TXT or MY*FILE.TXT gives you exactly the same result.
For most commands that accept wildcards, if you enter a filename with no extension, all extensions are matched. For example, MYFILE matches MYFILE, MYFILE.TXT, and MYFILE.DOC, whereas MY* matches MYHOUSE.TXT as well. If you type a period after the filename (for example, MYFILE. or MY*.), only files with no extension are matched.
You can use the greater-than redirection symbols (> and >>) on the command line to instruct DOS to take any output that normally would be written to the screen and send it somewhere else. These symbols are handy for sending the output of a command, such as DIR, to the printer (DIR > PRN) or to a file on disk (DIR > MYFILE.TXT). Using two greater-than signs (>>) tells DOS to append the output to the file specified (if it already exists) instead of overwriting the file as it normally would. For example,
DIR C:DOS > DIR_LIST.TXT
creates (or overwrites if it already exists) the file DIR_LIST.TXT in the current directory and fills it with a list of all the files in the C:DOS subdirectory. However, the command
DIR C:WIN >> DIR_LIST.TXT
appends (adds) a list of all the files in the C:WIN subdirectory to the end of the DIR_LIST.TXT file.
Notice that only the program output normally written to the screen is redirected. For example, the command
COPY MYFILE.TXT YOURFILE.TXT > COPYMSG.TXT
still copies MYFILE.TXT to YOURFILE.TXT, but the message 1 file(s) copied is written to the file COPYMSG.TXT.
In batch files, it is fairly common to redirect messages from commands such as COPY to the NUL device, as in the following:
COPY MYFILE.TXT YOURFILE.TXT > NUL
This technique can keep the onscreen clutter generated by a batch file to a minimum because anything written to the NUL device is essentially thrown away.
Programs normally expect input from the user to come from the keyboard. If you want to provide this input from a file instead of the keyboard, you can use the less-than redirection symbol (<) to redirect that program's input. DOS includes three commands specifically designed to use with input redirection: MORE, SORT, and FIND.
One common use for input redirection is with the MORE filter program. To display the contents of the file README.TXT one screen at a time, you type the following command:
MORE < README.TXT
To sort all the lines in a text file, you might use the SORT command like this:
SORT < UNSORTED.TXT > SORTED.TXT
This command sorts all the lines in UNSORTED.TXT into alphabetical order and writes the sorted output to SORTED.TXT. If you did not include the > SORTED.TXT argument, SORT would write the sorted lines to the display (standard output). If you forgot to redirect the input to the SORT command (that is, if you did not include the < UNSORTED.TXT argument), DOS would wait for you to type the input at the keyboard.
Occasionally, you find a use for input redirection when you are automating the input to a program. Many software patches distributed as batch files use this technique to redirect DEBUG's input to a text file to make changes to a program file. (Indeed, this is just what the SPATCH.BAT file on the DOS 6 distribution disk does.) Just remember that after the input to a program is redirected, control does not return to the keyboard until the program terminates. If you forget to put the keystrokes that exit the program at the end of your input file, you have to reboot your computer to regain control.
You can use the pipe character (|) on the command line to tell DOS to use the screen output from one program as the keyboard input to another. (The term pipe comes from the Unix operating system, which often uses this method to string together several programs to perform a particular job.) For the pipe character to work, the first program must write output to the screen that the second program expects to get from the keyboard.
In DOS, pipe characters are most often used with the TYPE and MORE commands to display a text file one screen at a time, as in the following:
TYPE README.TXT | MORE
You also can combine MORE with FIND to look at the results of a text search one screen at a time, as in this example:
FIND "Mr. Merryweather" BIGTEXT.TXT | MORE
DOS actually accomplishes piping by writing the output from the first program to a temporary file and then redirecting the input for the second program from that file. When the second program terminates, DOS deletes the temporary file. So, the preceding command accomplishes the same thing as the following three commands:
FIND "Mr. Merryweather" BIGTEXT.TXT > TEMP.TXT MORE < TEMP.TXT DEL TEMP.TXT
Using the pipe character saves you from having to type all three of these commands.
In a batch file, you can type a colon (:) in the first column of any line to indicate that the next eight characters on that line should be interpreted as a label. Any additional characters on the line after the label are ignored. Labels are used as the destination for GOTO statements in batch files.
To define a label, you must use a colon as the first character on the line. Not even a space or tab character can precede it.
Only the first eight characters of a label are significant, although the label can be as long as you like. Everything on the line after the eighth character of the label is ignored.
Although you can define the same label in more than one place in a batch file, the
GOTOcommand always jumps to the first occurrence.Labels and filenames share the same legal characters with the exception that labels cannot include percent signs (
%) or hyphens (-). Batch file labels can be typed in any mixture of upper- and lowercase characters.
GOTO SKIP_DEL DEL *.BAK :SKIP_DEL This text will be ignored
In this example, when DOS executes the line containing the GOTO SKIP_DEL command, DOS searches for the :SKIP_DEL label and continues execution with the line that follows it. The DEL *.BAK command is never executed.
You can use replaceable parameters to represent command-line arguments from within a batch file. DOS replaces these markers with their corresponding command-line arguments when the batch file is executed.
Ten replaceable parameters are available,
%0through%9.%0returns the name of the batch file as it was entered on the command line,%1returns the first argument on the command line,%2returns the second, and so on. Spaces, tabs, commas, and semicolons all are considered valid argument delimiters. To include a delimiter in a command-line argument, enclose the argument in double quotation marks.DOS can find replaceable parameters almost anywhere in a batch file, including within double quotation marks and embedded in words. For example, the filename
MY%1FILE.TXTis a perfectly legal filename for DOS; in a batch file, however, the%1embedded in the name is replaced with the first argument to the batch file. This can lead to some strange errors.If you want to include a percent sign in a batch file, write it twice. When DOS is parsing the file, it sees the two percent signs (
%%) and replaces them with a single percent sign (%). For example,%1is replaced with the first argument to the batch file, whereas%%1simply becomes%1.This rule explains why the variable markers in a
FORloop must be written as%%ain a batch file, but as%afrom the command line. In a batch file, DOS removes the doubled%%signs and replaces them with a single%before theFORcommand gets to see it. If you forget and use a single percent sign, DOS removes it and leaves only thea, which results in a syntax error.If you require more than nine arguments in your batch file, you can use the
SHIFTcommand to gain access to them.An empty parameter is replaced with nothing at all. In other words, if you enter
MY%2.TXTin your batch file and then forget to enter a second parameter when you run the batch file, DOS looks for the fileMY.TXT.
The following batch file displays a series of files one screen at a time:
:START IF "%1"=="" GOTO END IF NOT EXIST %1 GOTO END TYPE %1 | MORE SHIFT GOTO START :END
In the first IF statement, the %1 is replaced with the first argument to the batch file. As long as the argument exists, the statement is false and execution continues on the next line. The second IF statement checks to see whether this argument is a valid pathname. If the argument passes this check, execution finally passes to the TYPE command, which types the file to the screen through the MORE filter program. When TYPE finishes, SHIFT moves the arguments down one place, and the next line transfers execution back to the first line in the batch file. The loop continues until the batch file runs out of arguments or finds an invalid pathname.
Note
The preceding example isn't quite foolproof. If wildcards are included in the first argument to this batch file, it easily could pass both of the tests you perform with the IF commands. TYPE, however, cannot handle wildcards and would display the message Invalid filename or file not found rather than the files you specified.
With the addition of the %envir% syntax in MS-DOS 4.0, users finally had access to variables in batch files. Before executing a line in a batch file, DOS replaces every occurrence of %envir% with the contents of the corresponding environment variable. When combined with the capability of the SET command to create and destroy environment variables, this feature can be very powerful.
The name of the environment variable can be entered in upper- or lowercase characters, but it must be surrounded by percent signs (
%) to be recognized by DOS.DOS can find the variable placeholder almost anywhere in a batch file, including enclosed in double quotation marks or embedded within words. Any pair of percent signs enclosing characters is assumed to be an environment variable. (If the first character following the percent sign is a digit, DOS assumes you are referring to a replaceable parameter, not an environment variable.) The string
with values between 7% and 15% annuallywould tell DOS to search for an environment variable named “and 15”. When DOS failed to find such a variable, it would change the string to readwith values between 7 annually.If you want to include a percent sign in a batch file, write it twice. When DOS is parsing the file, it sees the two percent signs (
%%) and replaces them with a single one (%). For example,%PATH%is replaced with the contents of thePATHenvironment variable, whereas%%PATH%%becomes%PATH%.If no environment variable with that name exists, the
%envir%placeholder is replaced with an empty string.
To add a subdirectory to your PATH, execute a particular program, and then restore your original PATH, you might use a batch file like this:
SET OLDPATH=%PATH% PATH C:CADD;%PATH% C:CADDCADD.EXE %1 PATH %OLDPATH% SET OLDPATH=
The first line saves the current PATH setting in an environment variable named OLDPATH. Next, the subdirectory C:CADD is added to the PATH. In the third line, the program is executed, and a single command-line argument is passed to it if one exists. Finally, when the program terminates, PATH is set equal to OLDPATH and the OLDPATH variable is deleted.
You can easily run out of space in the environment while manipulating variables in batch files, especially if you are running them from a Shell program such as DOSSHELL. When this happens, DOS displays the message Out of environment space and then continues executing the batch file. To make the preceding example abort if not enough environment space is available, add an IF statement, as follows, to check whether OLDPATH was successfully created:
SET OLDPATH=%PATH% IF "%OLDPATH%"=="" GOTO ERROR PATH C:CADD;%PATH% C:CADDCADD.EXE %1 PATH %OLDPATH% SET OLDPATH= GOTO END :ERROR ECHO Can't start CADD - not enough environment space :END
Now CADD doesn't execute if not enough environment space is available to save OLDPATH. To increase the size of the environment, increase the size of the /E:size parameter specified in the SHELL= command in your CONFIG.SYS file.
If you are running batch files from within a Shell program such as DOSSHELL, increasing the /E:size parameter may not help. When DOS runs a program, it gives the program access to a copy of the current environment. This copy is only big enough to hold the environment variables that are currently defined and has very little free space in it. When you run a batch file from within a Shell program, a temporary copy of COMMAND.COM is loaded into memory, and a copy of the shrunken environment the Shell program was using is passed to it. With so little available space in the current environment, batch files often run out of environment space.
One technique to avoid Out of environment space error messages when you run batch files from a Shell program is to define a dummy variable in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file that simply takes up space, as shown in this example:
SET DUMMY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When you need space in the environment, simply delete the DUMMY variable, as follows, before you define any new variables that your batch file needs:
SET DUMMY= SET OLDPATH=%PATH%
When your batch file terminates, you return to your Shell program, and the copy of the environment that the batch file was using is discarded. Because the DUMMY variable is being thrown away, there is no reason to restore it before the batch file exits.
If you might run this batch file from the DOS prompt when your Shell program isn't running, include a SET statement, such as the following, that restores your DUMMY variable after you delete OLDPATH:
Normally, DOS echoes to the screen every line in a batch file before executing it. Although this capability can be handy when you are testing a new batch file, you usually want to use ECHO OFF to turn off the echo feature in a batch file you use every day. With the “at” sign (@), you can turn echo off for each line individually if you want to.
The
@symbol must be the first character on the line. Don't insert any spaces before or after it.The most common use of the
@symbol is with theECHO OFFcommand that begins most batch files. Because the echo feature is on when this command is executed, theECHO OFFcommand is echoed to the screen—unless you precede theECHO OFFcommand with an@symbol.Only the display of the command line that DOS executes is suppressed, not screen output generated by a command, which can be rather confusing to some users. To suppress the output generated by a command, you have to redirect the output of the command to the NUL device. For example,
@COPY MYFILE.TXT YOURFILE.TXT
does not echo the command line itself (
COPY MYFILE.TXT, and so on) to the screen, but still displays the message1 file(s) copiedthat is generated byCOPY. If, in addition, you redirect the screen output of theCOPYcommand to theNULdevice@COPY MYFILE.TXT YOURFILE.TXT > NUL
When DOS encounters a semicolon as the first character on a line in your CONFIG.SYS file, it ignores the contents of the rest of the line. Using a semicolon in this way is exactly the same as using the REM command. Inserting comments into your CONFIG.SYS file can help you remember what each line is for.
To mark a line in
CONFIG.SYSas a comment, you must add the semicolon (;) as the first character on the line. Do not precede it with any spaces.Note that this technique for creating a comment line works only in
CONFIG.SYS. To insert a comment in a batch file, you either have to useREMor define a dummy label line with a colon.If you find yourself continually commenting and uncommenting
DEVICE=lines in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, consider using the question mark (?) instead so that you can enable or disable that driver interactively each time you boot up. If you insert a question mark (?) between the command name and equal sign, DOS asks you before it executes a command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile.
Comments can help you keep track of what each line in your CONFIG.SYS file is for, as shown in the following:
; The old SCSI drive requires double buffering. ; Remember to remove this line when the new drive gets installed!!! DEVICE=C:DOSSMARTDRV.EXE /DOUBLE_BUFFER
DOS skips over all lines that start with a semicolon and executes only the DEVICE= line that loads SMARTDrive's double-buffering feature.
In CONFIG.SYS, if you put a question mark (?) between a command and the equal sign (=), DOS prompts you for confirmation before executing that command. This technique works for all CONFIG.SYS commands that use the command= form, including the SET command.
command | This parameter can be any CONFIG.SYS command that uses the command= format. |
settings | The settings used with the command specified (when you allow it to be run). |
Use the question mark (
?) for individual features you want to control. If you find yourself using more than one or two question marks in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, however, you might want to consider setting up a menu instead. You can easily get confused and select the wrong combination of drivers when you're enabling each line individually.The question mark (
?) must come between the command and the equal sign, with no spaces between it and the command name.Each line you have marked for confirmation is displayed followed by
[Y,N]?. EnterYto execute the line andNto skip it.Pressing the F8 key when DOS displays the
Starting MS-DOS...message causes DOS to prompt you for confirmation of every line in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, whether or not the line includes a question mark.DOS doesn't necessarily process the lines in
CONFIG.SYSin the order they appear in the file, which can be confusing when you receive a prompt for a line near the end of the file before being prompted for a line at the beginning. In general, DOS processes commands such asDOS=,FILES=, andBUFFERS=before it begins to load any of your device drivers. However, after DOS begins processing theDEVICE=(andDEVICEHIGH=) lines, it loads them in the order they appear in the file.
To instruct DOS to prompt you before setting up a 1.4MB RAM disk in extended memory, place a question mark in the line that loads the RAMDRIVE.SYS driver as follows:
DEVICEHIGH?=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E
If MemMaker has optimized your CONFIG.SYS file, /L and /S switches may appear on the DEVICEHIGH line. Make sure you place the ? directly after the command name, as shown here, not before the equal sign:
DEVICEHIGH? /L:1,1200 /S =C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E
If you place the ? incorrectly in a CONFIG.SYS command, you will receive one of the following error messages when you reboot:
Bad command or parameter - ?= Error in CONFIG.SYS line #
or
Bad or Missing ? Error in CONFIG.SYS line #
Edit your CONFIG.SYS file and make sure that all your question marks (?) are placed directly after the name of the command, with no intervening spaces.
Defining blocks in CONFIG.SYS is part of the multiple configuration feature in DOS 6. By naming blocks of commands, you can choose which blocks to execute from a menu when you start your computer.
The name for a block can be up to 70 characters long and contain any legal filename characters. You cannot use spaces in block names, so you might want to consider using underscores (_) or hyphens (
-) to separate words and make your block names more readable. Upper- and lowercase characters are considered the same. The name must be surrounded by square brackets ([and]) and appear on a line by itself. Any commands that follow the block name are considered to be part of that block until the next[blockname]is encountered in the file.Blocks cannot be embedded inside each other. When DOS encounters another block name in the
CONFIG.SYSfile, it considers the preceding block to be complete.Any block never referred to by a
MENUITEM=line is never executed by DOS. Exceptions are the predefined block names[MENU]and[COMMON].The
[MENU]block defines entries for the main startup menu and should contain the configuration menu that you want DOS to display when the computer starts up. DOS always executes this block.Commands in a
[COMMON]block are always executed by DOS.[COMMON]also is the only block that you are allowed to define more than once in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. A[COMMON]block located before the[MENU]block is run before the startup menu is displayed. Similarly, a[COMMON]block located at the end of yourCONFIG.SYSfile is executed after all other blocks.Any commands that you include in
CONFIG.SYSbefore the first block name are considered to be part of a[COMMON]block. As far as DOS is concerned,CONFIG.SYSfiles that don't use multiple configuration features are simply one big[COMMON]block.Microsoft recommends that you include a
[COMMON]block command at the end of yourCONFIG.SYSfile, even if you don't need to place any commands in it. Many software installation programs modify yourCONFIG.SYSfile by adding to the end of the file the settings the software requires. With a[COMMON] block defined at the end, these added commands are run when you start your system; without[COMMONBLOCK], these added commands might never run at all.
Suppose that you want to set up a menu that enables you to choose among three basic configurations for your computer: Windows, DOS, and Maintenance. Begin by adding a menu block like this at the beginning of your CONFIG.SYS file with the predefined block name [MENU]:
[MENU] MENUITEM=WIN, Configure for Windows (Default) MENUITEM=DOS, Configure for MS-DOS MENUITEM=MAINT, Configure for File & Disk Maintenance
When these lines are included in your CONFIG.SYS file, DOS searches for blocks named [WIN], [DOS], and [MAINT]. You also might want to include a [COMMON] block that contains any commands that you always want executed, as in this example:
[COMMON] DEVICE=C:DOSSETVER.EXE DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM MIN=0 DOS=HIGH,UMB BREAK=ON FILES=50 DEVICE=C:DOSANSI.SYS SHELL=C:DOSCOMMAND.COM C:DOS/P /E:512 [WIN] BUFFERS=10 [DOS] BUFFERS=10 DEVICE=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E [MAINT] BUFFERS=30 DEVICE=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E [COMMON]
Include a [COMMON] block at the end of your CONFIG.SYS file. That way, any commands added to the file by software installation programs are executed, no matter what configuration you choose. Without the final [COMMON] block, any commands that are added to the end of the file are executed only when you choose the maintenance configuration because they are part of the [MAINT] block.
DOS displays a startup menu that looks something like this:
MS-DOS 6 Startup Menu ===================== 1. Configure for Windows (Default) 2. Configure for MS-DOS 3. Configure for File & Disk Maintenance Enter a choice: 1
Entering 1, 2, or 3 at this menu tells DOS to select the [WIN], [DOS], and [MAINT] blocks, respectively. DOS sets the CONFIG environment variable equal to the name of the configuration block you selected from the startup menu.
In this example, you might be able to better understand the small differences between these three configurations if you look at a few lines from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
IF "%CONFIG%"=="MAINT" GOTO SET_TEMP C:DOSSMARTDRV :SET_TEMP SET TEMP=C:TEMP SET TMP=C:TEMP IF NOT "%CONFIG%"=="WIN" GOTO THE_REST MD D:TEMP SET TEMP=D:TEMP SET TMP=D:TEMP :THE_REST
The SMARTDrive disk cache is loaded if you are using the DOS or Windows configurations, which is why so few DOS buffers are needed (BUFFERS=10). The Maintenance configuration does not have a disk cache, so the number of DOS buffers is set to 30.
Similarly, the Windows configuration doesn't use a RAM drive; therefore, the TEMP (and TMP) environment variables are set pointing to the C:TEMP subdirectory, instructing programs to create any temporary files they require in that subdirectory. When a RAM drive is present, temporary files are written to the RAM drive instead.
ANSI.SYS is a device driver that provides a subset of the commands defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for controlling video displays and keyboards. ANSI.SYS enables you to control cursor positioning, display colors, video modes, and keyboard mapping. To use it, you must load ANSI.SYS with a DEVICE= command in your CONFIG.SYS file. ANSI.SYS replaces the default CON driver provided by the MS-DOS kernel.
You can load
ANSI.SYSwith either the/Xor/Rswitch, but not both. These two functions are mutually exclusive.ANSI.SYSoccupies about 4KB of memory in your computer and can be loaded into upper memory with theDEVICEHIGHcommand.Note that all ANSI commands begin with the Escape character and are case sensitive. After it is loaded,
ANSI.SYSscans all text that is written to the screen, looking for commands.The
MODEcommand requiresANSI.SYSto be loaded in order to change the number of text lines displayed on your screen.MODEcan switch between color and monochrome adapters, however, withoutANSI.SYS.When it's loaded,
ANSI.SYSresets your screen colors to the default (white on black). If you've set screen colors with theMENUCOLOR=command, they are reset whenANSI.SYSloads into memory. If this is a problem, either insert an ANSI command into yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile to reset your screen colors or loadANSI.SYSfrom a[COMMON]block located before your[MENU]block inCONFIG.SYS.All ANSI commands begin with an Escape character (ASCII 27). When you press the Esc key at the DOS prompt, DOS interprets that as a request to cancel the current command line, so you cannot simply send ANSI commands from the command line by typing them. To get around this problem, people often use
PROMPTto send ANSI commands. Another alternative is to place the ANSI commands in a file and then copy the file to the console like this:COPY ANSI_CMD.TXT CON
Chapter 17, “Understanding ANSI.SYS,” provides a list of all the ANSI commands supported by
ANSI.SYS.
To use the PROMPT command to set your screen colors to blue on white, you would enter the following command:
PROMPT $e[34;47m$p$g
Some people like to create very elaborate DOS prompts with ANSI.SYS. For example, entering the command
PROMPT $e[s$e[H$d$e[0;68H$t$e[u"Good morning Mr. Phelps"$_$p$g
changes the DOS prompt to display the current date in the upper-left corner of the screen and the time in the upper-right corner; it also creates a two-line prompt that starts with Good morning Mr. Phelps and then has the familiar C:> on the following line. Notice that case is significant in ANSI commands, and the preceding command does not work if, for example, you type E rather than e.
You can use the APPEND command to set up a search path that enables DOS to find data files even if they're not in the current directory. The subdirectories in the APPEND path are appended to the current directory when DOS searches for data files. APPEND was developed so that programs requiring you to make their program directories current can be run from the subdirectory that contains their data files rather than the one that contains their program files.
To load APPEND into memory:
APPEND /X:onoff /E
or
APPEND path1;path2;... /X:onoff /PATH:onoff
To replace and/or set the appended directory search path:
APPEND path1;path2;... /X:onoff /PATH:onoff
To clear the appended directory search path:
APPEND ;
To display the current appended directory search path:
APPEND
The first time you run
APPEND, it loads itself into memory as a TSR program, occupying about 5KB of memory.APPENDdoes not remove itself from memory until you restart DOS.After you load
APPENDinto memory, do not specify the.EXEfile extension. At this point,APPENDis resident in memory and will not load more than once.You can use the
/Eswitches only when you first loadAPPENDinto memory, and you cannot specify any search paths on the same line. In other words, if you want theAPPENDpath to be stored in the environment, you have to run the command twice—once with/Eand then again to set your appended directory search path.To use the
/Xswitch, you must specify it in the line that loadsAPPENDinto memory. AfterAPPENDis loaded with this feature enabled, you can toggle it on and off by using/X:ONand/X:OFF.Each path you specify in the appended directory search path must be separated by a semicolon. Don't include any spaces between paths. The total length of the appended directory search path cannot exceed 127 characters.
When DOS looks for a data file, it first searches the current directory and then the appended directories in the order you specified them. If DOS encounters an invalid path, it skips that path without displaying any error messages.
Do not use
APPENDwhen running Microsoft Windows or Windows Setup.APPENDcan't change the environment being used by running applications, so the/Eswitch does not work with shell programs, such asDOSSHELL, XTree, or Norton Commander. To work with these types of programs,APPENDmust store the appended directory search path internally (in other words, don't specify/E).The
DIRcommand ignores the appended directory search path and never displays files from appended directories.APPENDignores any drive assignments made with theASSIGNcommand. To use both utilities, you must loadAPPENDinto memory before usingASSIGN; otherwise, an error message appears.DOS searches the appended directories when it opens files requested through Interrupt
21hfunctions0Fh(Open File),3Dh(Open File Handle), and23h(Get File Size). When/Xor/X:ONis specified, functions11h(Find First Entry),4Eh(Find First File), and4Bh(Execute Program) search the appended directories as well.
Caution
APPEND is intended for locating and reading files, but not for writing them. Any files written to disk are placed in the current subdirectory, no matter what subdirectory they originally were read from. This capability works out well for program overlay and help files, which are rarely written to, but can be very frustrating if APPEND starts scattering data files all over your hard disk.
The following line loads APPEND into memory, enables searching for executable files in appended directories, and stores the active APPEND path in the environment. This line assumes that the file APPEND.EXE is located in the C:DOS subdirectory:
C:DOSAPPEND /X /E
To instruct DOS to search the current directory, C:BIN, and C:BINOVR when opening data files, enter the following command:
APPEND C:BIN;C:BINOVR
When the program that needed data file path support terminates, disable APPEND by using the following command:
APPEND ;
APPEND/ASSIGN conflict
Error: You tried to load APPEND after reassigning disk drives with ASSIGN. Break any disk drive reassignments you may have set, load APPEND, and then reset your ASSIGN settings.
APPEND already installed
Warning: You attempted to load APPEND a second time. Try running the command again, making sure to enter APPEND and not APPEND.EXE on the command line.
Incorrect APPEND version
Error: You used a version of APPEND from a different version of DOS. Make sure that you do not use an APPEND version from the IBM local area network (LAN) program. The problem may be that the wrong version of APPEND is loading first from a subdirectory included in your DOS PATH.
No Append
Information: You typed APPEND to display the current appended directory path, and APPEND currently is inactive.
ASSIGN was a utility that enabled you to attach an alias drive letter to an existing drive. Microsoft no longer distributes ASSIGN in the standard DOS package and is encouraging everyone to begin using SUBST instead. ASSIGN is included on the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk.
You can use ASSIGN to create an alias of A: for your B: drive if you want to fool an installation program that runs only from drive A:. To accomplish this task with ASSIGN, you use the following command:
ASSIGN B = A
To do the same thing with SUBST, you enter the following command:
In a file's directory entry on disk, DOS stores information about the file's size, the date and time the file was last modified, and any attributes associated with that file. File attributes flag files that have to be backed up, control whether a file can be written to, and hide files from view. With ATTRIB, you can view or change the attributes associated with a particular file.
Use this syntax to display the attributes currently set for a file or group of files:
ATTRIB pathname /S
Use this syntax to set or clear attributes for a file or group of files:
ATTRIB +|- A +|-R +|-S +|-H pathname /S
If a file has either the hidden or system attribute set, you must clear that attribute before you can change any other attributes for the file. Otherwise, you are denied access to the file (see the following “Messages” section). If a single file has both the system and hidden attributes set, you must clear both attributes with a single
ATTRIBcommand to avoid being denied access to the file.Normally,
ATTRIBonly displays or alters the attributes of files. To change the attributes of a subdirectory, you must enter the full pathname for that subdirectory on the command line withATTRIB. You cannot use wildcards when you are specifying subdirectories.
Caution
Commas can make strange things happen with ATTRIB. If you include a comma in an ATTRIB command, as shown here, ATTRIB clears all the attributes for all the files in the current directory:
ATTRIB ,
If you also include the /S switch, as in the following example, ATTRIB clears the attributes of all the files on your hard disk, not just the ones below the current directory:
ATTRIB , /S
This problem has been confirmed by Microsoft and is present in DOS 5 versions of ATTRIB as well.
To display the attributes of all the .TXT files in the C:MYWORK subdirectory, you would enter the following:
ATTRIB C:MYWORK*.TXT
If you want to extend the search to include any subdirectories under the subdirectory, you would include the /S switch, as in the following:
ATTRIB C:MYWORK*.TXT /S
To set the archive bit on for all the files you found so that MSBACKUP will be sure to back them up the next time you run it, enter the following:
ATTRIB +A C:MYWORK*.TXT /S
To clear all the attributes of all the files in the root directory of drive C:, including the MS-DOS system files, enter the following:
ATTRIB -A -R -H -S C:*.*
To hide the C:SECRET subdirectory so that it no longer shows up in directory listings, enter the following:
ATTRIB +H C:SECRET
Not resetting hidden file Not resetting system file
Error: ATTRIB is unable to set or clear the attributes you've requested because the file has either the hidden or system attribute set. To get around this problem, clear the hidden or system attribute for that file first (for example, use ATTRIB -H -S); then retry the command.
The BACKUP utility has been around for quite a while. You could use it to back up files from your hard disk drive to a series of floppy disks. It created a special file on each backup disk, a file that could be read only by the RESTORE utility. RESTORE, however, would often refuse to restore files if anything went wrong with your disks. With MS-DOS 6.0, Microsoft began distributing the new MSBACKUP program. If you still want to use the old BACKUP utility, Microsoft has included it on the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk.
When DOS detects a Ctrl+Break (or Ctrl+C), it attempts to stop the program that is currently running. DOS checks for a Ctrl+Break after performing any screen, keyboard, or printer I/O operation. Turning BREAK ON or setting BREAK=ON in your CONFIG.SYS file instructs DOS to check for Ctrl+Break after performing disk I/O operations as well. This way, you can regain control more quickly when you are trying to stop disk-oriented DOS commands.
In CONFIG.SYS, to set extended Ctrl+Break checking on or off, use the following format:
BREAK=onoff
To turn extended Ctrl+Break checking on or off from the command line, use the following format:
BREAK onoff
onoff | Specifies whether you want extended Ctrl+Break checking to be turned on or off. The only legal values for the onoff parameter are ON and OFF. In the CONFIG.SYS form of this command, this parameter is required. If you omit the onoff parameter when you run BREAK from the command line, the current state of extended Ctrl+Break checking is displayed. |
When DOS starts, it sets extended Ctrl+Break checking off by default.
Set
BREAK=ONin yourCONFIG.SYSfile. The speed penalty is negligible, and if this setting saves just one file from a mistypedCOPYcommand, it is well worthwhile. Most long operations involve reading or writing to disk. IfBREAKis off, you may be unable to stop a lengthy process you would rather not wait for.In most cases, pressing Ctrl+C produces the same effect as pressing Ctrl+Break, but there is a subtle difference. The Ctrl+C key combination is passed through the keyboard buffer. If any other key is pressed before Ctrl+C, it is ignored until the program reads the keyboard. For example,
DIRstops if you press Ctrl+C, but not if you press the spacebar and then Ctrl+C. Ctrl+Break is passed directly to DOS without buffering and often gets a quicker response.In theory, turning on extended Ctrl+Break checking should slow down your system. In practice, any slowdown is so insignificant that you probably will never notice it.
Programs have complete control over what happens when a Ctrl+Break is detected. The default action is for the running program to be halted, but applications often disable Ctrl+Break so that you can save your work before exiting. Typically, short command-line utilities respond to Ctrl+Break, whereas most full-screen applications do not.
The state of the
BREAKflag can be changed by a running program. Programming etiquette dictates that when an application finishes running, it should reset all flags to their original states. Still, you may run across applications that forget to resetBREAK. If this causes problems, you can run the application from a batch file that restores theBREAKflag setting when the program terminates.
DOS stores any information read from or written to disk in memory buffers. With more buffers available, it is more likely that DOS already has in memory the data requested by a program. The BUFFERS= command enables you to fine-tune your system so that DOS can perform disk I/O as efficiently as possible. BUFFERS= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
number | The number of disk buffers DOS should use, from 1 to 99. The default value varies depending on the amount of memory in your computer. Normally, 15 is used for a computer with at least 512KB of RAM. |
read_ahead | The number of buffers in the secondary, read ahead cache. For DOS 5.0, this value could be from 1 to 8, with a default value of 1. In DOS 6.0, you can specify zero secondary cache buffers, and 0 is the default value. |
Each disk buffer uses approximately 532 bytes of memory. If DOS is loaded
HIGH, it attempts to locate these buffers in the HMA as well. About 48 buffers can fit in the HMA with DOS 6. If you have specified more buffers than can fit in the HMA, DOS loads them all into conventional memory.If you are using disk-caching software, such as
SMARTDRV.EXE, you might want to decrease the number of buffers that DOS uses. A dedicated disk cache is much more efficient at optimizing disk access time than the simple memory buffers that DOS uses, and having several DOS buffers can slow your system. In this situation, set the number of buffers fairly low—using only 15 or 20.Although the perfect setting for buffers can be found only through trial and error, a good place to start is to use half the size of your hard disk (in megabytes), adjusted to be in the range of 15 to 55. For example, if you have an 80MB drive, a good setting might be 40. With large drives, you may be tempted to specify a higher number of buffers, but under normal circumstances, using a number higher than 50 hurts rather than helps performance.
The secondary read-ahead buffer setting can give you a performance boost if you aren't running any other caching software. Because many programs read files sequentially, DOS can perform fewer disk accesses by reading in more information than was requested. The number of read-ahead buffers you specify is the amount of data that DOS reads from disk in addition to the data requested by a program.
Cache software, such as
SMARTDRV.EXE, usually includes much more sophisticated read-ahead capabilities than DOS can provide. If you are using any cache software, you should turn off this feature by letting DOS default to zero read-ahead buffers.
DOS=HIGH, FASTOPEN, FILES, HIMEM.SYS, and SMARTDRV.EXE
Chapter 19, “Configuring Your Computer”
You can use the CALL command to execute a second batch file and return control to the first batch file. CALL normally is used to replace the awkward COMMAND /C syntax that was required before DOS 3.3. CALL can be used to run any executable file, but there is no reason to use it for .COM or .EXE files because they return control automatically. If you execute a batch file from a batch file without using CALL, control is never returned.
drive:path. The drive and/or path to the batch file you want to execute. If no drive or path is specified, the DOS PATH is searched for filename.
filename. The filename of the batch file you want to execute. This argument is required and wildcards cannot be used. You are not required to enter the .BAT extension, but you can include it if you want to ensure that a batch file, rather than an executable file, is found.
parameters. Any parameters that you want passed to the batch file you are executing.
When you use the
CALLcommand to execute a batch file from within a batch file, control returns to the first batch file when the second one terminates. If you execute a batch file from within a batch file without theCALLcommand, control never returns to the first batch file.Any
parametersspecified are passed to the called batch file. You can access theseparametersfrom within the called batch file by using replaceable parameters (for example,%1) as usual.Avoid using redirection symbols (
<,>, and>>) or the pipe character (|) in theparametersyou pass to the batch file with theCALLcommand. DOS ignores any redirection operations you specify, which might cause some programs (such asMORE) to lock up or crash.Although the
CALLcommand is very similar to theCOMMAND /Ccommand, it has one significant difference:CALLdoesn't execute a temporary copy of the command interpreter, whereasCOMMAND /Cdoes. For this reason,CALLrequires less memory to use.If you use
CALLto call a program that returns an exit code, that exit code value will be available afterCALLreturns. Unfortunately, you can't set the exit code for a batch file, soCALLcan't return an exit code from a batch file you have executed. To return status information from a batch file executed with theCALLcommand, create an environment variable and set it equal to your return status. You then can test this environment variable in the calling batch file.A batch file executed with the
CALLcommand uses the same copy of the command interpreter that its parent is using; therefore, they share access to the same environment area. Any environment variables you set in the called batch file can be read by the parent batch file when it regains control. This is not true when you useCOMMAND /C. The environment of a batch file executed withCOMMAND /Cdisappears when the temporary copy of the command interpreter it is running under is removed from memory.If you are going to load any resident software from a called batch file, make sure you use
CALLrather thanCOMMAND /C. When you return fromCOMMAND /C, the temporary copy of the command interpreter is unloaded from memory. If you load any resident software while this temporary copy is running, the memory occupied by the temporary command interpreter remains unavailable until you reboot your computer. This “memory loss” doesn't happen with theCALLcommand because no temporary copy of the command interpreter is loaded.A batch file can call itself, but you must be careful to explicitly terminate the batch file at some point to avoid an endless loop. A batch file can be terminated by instructing the user to press Ctrl+Break at a
PAUSEor by executing another batch file (withoutCALL) at some point.Although executing a
.COMor.EXEfile with theCALLcommand is perfectly legal, there is little reason to do so. After a.COMor.EXEfile is executed, control returns to the batch file with or without using theCALLcommand. Executing theCALLcommand from the DOS prompt, although legal, is fairly useless unless it is part of aFOR-IN-DOloop.
To call a batch file from another batch file, simply include the name of the batch file in a CALL command, as shown in the following:
CALL OTHER.BAT
Note that you can omit the .BAT extension; however, if DOS locates an .EXE or .COM file named OTHER, it executes that program rather than your batch file. DOS searches the current directory as well as any subdirectories listed in your DOS PATH looking for OTHER.BAT. To save time by limiting DOS's search, you can specify the full pathname of the batch file.
Arguments can be passed to the called batch file. Suppose that you previously wrote a batch file named COPYDOC.BAT, which copied all the .DOC files in a subdirectory (%1) to a floppy disk (%2). The project you are working on is stored in five separate subdirectories, and you want to write a batch file, as shown in the following example, that runs COPYDOC once for each subdirectory:
@ECHO OFF CALL COPYDOC.BAT C:PROJECTWORK B: CALL COPYDOC.BAT C:PROJECTLTR B: CALL COPYDOC.BAT C:PROJECTEXPN B: CALL COPYDOC.BAT C:PROJECTRES B: CALL COPYDOC.BAT C:PROJECTOLD B: ECHO *** All Done ***
Each CALL command executes COPYDOC with different parameters, backing up all five of the C:PROJECT subdirectories. After all the copy commands are executed, the message *** All Done *** is displayed onscreen. If you execute the COPYDOC.BAT file without using CALL, the batch file is terminated after backing up one subdirectory because control never returns to this batch file from COPYDOC.BAT.
To eliminate the repetition in the preceding example, you can combine all five CALL commands into a single FOR-IN-DO loop, as shown in the following:
@ECHO OFF FOR %%A IN (WORK LTR EXPN RES OLD) DO CALL COPYDOC.BAT C:PROJECT\%%A B: ECHO *** All Done ***
Note that you can execute this FOR command from the command line, as long as you remember to substitute single percent signs for the double ones that are required in batch files, like this:
Batch file missing
Error: DOS attempted to read the next line from the batch file it was executing and was unable to find the file. This error can happen if you execute a batch file from a floppy disk and change disks before the batch file has finished. The batch file may have renamed or deleted itself, in which case you have to edit it to avoid this behavior.
Each disk drive has one subdirectory that is referred to as the current directory. When a pathname contains no subdirectories, DOS assumes the current directory for that drive is being referenced. The CD (or CHDIR) command enables you to display or change the current directory for a disk drive.
drive:path | The subdirectory (path) on a particular drive: that you want to make current. If only a path is specified, it becomes the current directory on the current drive. If only a drive: is specified, the name of the current subdirectory on that drive is displayed. If this parameter is omitted, the name of the current directory of the current drive is displayed. |
If a backslash (
) is the first (or only) character in a subdirectory path, it is considered an absolute path and is specified starting from the root directory. If the subdirectory path begins with a subdirectory name, it is considered a relative path, and the current directory is used as the starting point. A drive letter, followed by a colon, can precede either an absolute or relative path.Two periods (
..) represent the parent of the current directory. A common shorthand with theCDcommand is to switch to the parent directory by using aCD ..command. The “double-dot” can be used in any pathname, but it is more useful in relative pathnames than in absolute ones. Notice that the root directory has no parent; attempting to switch to the parent of the root directory (for example,CD ..) causes an error message to be displayed. (See the first item in the following “Messages” section.)Do not specify a filename with the
CD(orCHDIR) command; otherwise, DOS interprets the filename as a subdirectory name and displays an error message. (See the first item in the following “Messages” section.)You must include a colon after the drive letter; otherwise, DOS interprets the drive letter as a subdirectory name and displays an error message. (See the first item in the following “Messages” section.)
To change to the root directory of the current drive, enter CD (or CHDIR) followed by a backslash:
CD
To change to the parent or the current directory, enter CD followed by two periods:
CD ..
If the current directory was the root directory, switching to the parent directory with the preceding command causes an Invalid directory message to be displayed (because the root directory has no parent). (See the first item in the following “Messages” section.)
For the next set of examples, assume the following directory tree:
C:
DOS
TEMP
WIN
SYSTEM
WORK
STEVE
ALICE
Enter the following command to display the current directory on drive C:
CD C:
If you omit the C:, the current directory of the current drive is displayed. Assuming that drive C is the current drive, you enter the following command to change to the C:WORKSTEVE subdirectory:
CD WORKSTEVE
Then, if you want to change to the C:WORKALICE subdirectory, you can use either of the following two commands:
CD WORKALICE
or
CD ..ALICE
The second line uses the “double-dot” directory to specify a relative path to the new subdirectory. It is interpreted as “the subdirectory ALICE of the parent of the current directory.”
Relative pathnames can get very convoluted. If C:WORKALICE is the current drive and directory, and you want to change to the C:WINSYSTEM subdirectory, enter one of the following commands:
CD ....WINSYSTEM
or
CD ..STEVE....DOS..WINSYSTEM
The preceding examples can help you understand how DOS interprets relative pathnames, but using absolute pathnames is much easier when you want to move to a remote part of the subdirectory structure.
Invalid directory
Error: You have used the path argument to specify a directory that doesn't exist. Make sure that you entered the subdirectory path correctly and that you did not include a filename at the end of the path.
Invalid drive specified
DELTREE, MD (or MKDIR), MOVE, RD (or RMDIR), and TREE
“Changing the Current Directory with CHDIR (CD)” in Chapter 5
You use CHAIN in your CONFIG.SYS file to start another configuration file and process the commands in it.
The CHCP command is a systemwide, code-page (character-set) changer. CHCP simultaneously resets all affected devices to the changed font. MODE works in a similar manner but changes only one device at a time.
To change the current code page, use the following format:
CHCP codepage
To display the current code page, use the following format:
CHCP
codepage. A valid three-digit code-page number. See “International Country Codes” in Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS,” for a list of the code pages that MS-DOS supports.
Before using
CHCP, you must use theCOUNTRYcommand (to specify the location of the country-information file, normallyCOUNTRY.SYS), use theNLSFUNCcommand (to specify a location that overrides that of theCOUNTRYcommand), or placeCOUNTRY.SYSin the root directory of the current disk. Otherwise, DOS returns the messageCannot open specified country information file.Before using
CHCP, you must use theNLSFUNCcommand.When you select a code page, the new code page becomes the specified code page. If you include
CONFIG.SYSdirectives for devices that use code pages, such asDEVICE=DISPLAY.SYS,CHCPloads the correct code pages for the devices.You can access the
COUNTRY.SYSfile to get country information. If you do not specify the location ofCOUNTRY.SYSwhen you invokeNLSFUNC,COUNTRY.SYSmust exist in the current disk's root directory. Otherwise, DOS returns the messageCannot open specified country information file.
Code page nnn not prepared for device ddd
Error: CHCP could not select the code page nnn because of one of the following errors:
You did not use
MODEto prepare a code page for this device.An I/O error occurred while DOS was sending the new font information to the device.
The device is busy (for example, a printer is in use or offline).
The device does not support code-page switching.
Check to make sure that the command MODE CODEPAGE PREPARE was issued for the appropriate devices and the devices are online and ready. Then, try CHCP again.
Invalid code page
Error: CHCP could not select the code page because of one of the following errors:
You specified an invalid code page for the country.
You did not use the
MODEcommand to prepare a code page.
Be sure that you run NLSFUNC and use the command MODE CODEPAGE PREPARE to prepare the code page for the appropriate devices.
NLSFUNC not installed
Error: You attempted to change the code page but did not initiate NLSFUNC before using CHCP. If you plan to use code pages and have the correct directives in CONFIG.SYS, add NLSFUNC to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that the command is executed when you boot the computer.
COUNTRY=, MODE device CP, and NLSFUNC
Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS”
CHDIR is an alternative name for the CD command. For information on using the CD or CHDIR command, see the entry for CD earlier in this command reference.
The CHECK command checks a Stacker-compressed drive, produces a status report, and fixes any detected problems. The Stacker drive must be installed before using the CHECK command.
drive: | Indicates the Stacker drive to check. |
/b | Runs in batch file mode, suppressing pauses. |
/d | Displays detailed error and statistics report. |
/f | Fixes detected problems. |
/n | Prevents new save-header files from being created. |
/t | Skips the SmartPack sector check. |
/v | Displays the name of each file in every directory as the drive is checked. |
/wp | Checks and repairs any write-protected Stacker drives. |
/? | Displays the abbreviated online help. |
The CHKDSK command checks the directory and file allocation table (FAT) of the disk and reports disk and memory status. CHKDSK also can repair errors in the directories or the FAT.
You must direct
CHKDSKto repair the disk by using the/Fswitch.CHKDSKasks you to confirm that you want the repairs made before it proceeds.CHKDSKcannot process a directory in which you used theJOINcommand—that is, a second disk joined to a subdirectory.CHKDSKdoes not process a disk on which you used aSUBSTcommand.CHKDSKcannot process a disk drive on which you used theASSIGNcommand.CHKDSKcannot process a networked (shared) disk.Do not use
CHKDSKon disks that contain open files, or have another program running that may access the disk drive whileCHKDSKis running.(Not MS-DOS 6.2) After completing its normal checks on a DoubleSpace drive,
CHKDSKautomatically runsDBLSPACE /CHKDSKon the drive.
In MS-DOS 6.2,
CHKDSKnow displays numbers with embedded commas, making them much easier to read.CHKDSKdisplays the following information:Volume name and creation date (only disks with volume labels)
Volume serial number (if it exists)
Total disk space
Number of files and bytes used for hidden or system files
Number of files and bytes used for directories
Number of files and bytes used for user (normal) files
Bytes used by bad sectors (flawed disk space)
Bytes available on disk (free space)
Bytes of total conventional memory (RAM)
Bytes of available conventional memory
Tip
If you are using MS-DOS 6.2, Microsoft advises you to stop using the
CHKDSKcommand and use the new ScanDisk program instead. ScanDisk can identify and fix many more types of errors thanCHKDSK. If you use DoubleSpace, ScanDisk can identify and fix any errors it finds on your compressed drives as well.In DOS 4.0 and later,
CHKDSKalso reports the following information:Total bytes in each allocation unit
Total allocation units on the disk
Available allocation units on the disk (an allocation unit equates to a cluster)
CHKDSKchecks the directories and the FAT of a disk. The command also checks the amount of memory in the system and determines how much of that memory is free. If errors are found,CHKDSKreports them onscreen before making a status report.If lost clusters are found,
CHKDSKasks whether you want to repair them. You must typeYorN. If you typeY,CHKDSKshows a report onscreen as though the lost clusters were repaired. This report is only a simulation, however. To actually reclaim the lost clusters, you must issue a second command:CHKDSK /F.The
CHKDSKfilename checks to see whether the specified files are stored contiguously on the disk. DOS reports any noncontiguously stored files and how many different sections store the files. IfCHKDSKreports many noncontiguous files, you might want to runDEFRAGon the disk.CHKDSKdoes not check to see whether your files can be read, nor doesCHKDSKtest your disk to determine whether new bad spots have appeared.
All specified file(s) are contiguous
Information: The files you specified are stored in contiguous sectors on the disk. Disk performance for the files should be optimal.
filename
Allocation error, size adjusted
Warning: The filename has an invalid sector number in the FAT. The file was truncated by CHKDSK at the end of the last valid sector.
Check this file to verify that all information in the file is correct. If you find a problem, use your backup copy of the file. This message usually appears when the problem is in the FAT, not in the file. Your file probably is still good.
filename Contains xxx non-contiguous blocks
Information: filename is not stored continuously on the disk but in xxx number of pieces. This arrangement can diminish the performance of the disk. If you find that many files on a disk are stored in noncontiguous pieces, you might want to run DEFRAG.
directoryname
Convert directory to file (Y/N)?
Warning: directoryname contains so much bad information that the directory no longer is usable. If you type Y, CHKDSK converts the directory into a file so that you can use DEBUG or another tool to repair the directory. If you type N, no action is taken.
The first time you see this message, type N. Try to copy files from this directory to another disk and check the copied files to see whether they are usable. Then, rerun CHKDSK to convert the directory into a file and try to recover the rest of the files.
Errors found, F parameter not specified Corrections will not be written to the disk
Information: CHKDSK found an error. This message tells you that CHKDSK will go through the motions of repairing the disk but will not actually change the file because you did not use the /F switch.
filename
First allocation unit is invalid, entry truncated
Warning: filename's first entry in the FAT refers to a nonexistent portion of the disk. If you used the /F switch, the file becomes a zero-length file (truncated).
Try to copy this file to another floppy disk before CHKDSK truncates the file. You may not get a useful copy, however, and the original file will be lost.
. or .. Entry has a bad attribute or Entry has a bad size or Entry has a bad link
Warning: The link to the parent directory (..) or the current directory (.) has a problem. If you used the /F switch, CHKDSK attempts to repair the problem. Normally, this procedure is safe, and you do not risk losing files.
filename
Has invalid allocation unit, file truncated
Information and warning: Part of the chain of FAT entries for filename points to a nonexistent part of the disk. The /F switch truncates the file at its last valid sector. If you did not use the /F switch, DOS takes no corrective action. Try to copy this file to a different disk and then rerun CHKDSK with the /F switch. (You may lose part of the file.)
filename1 Is cross linked on allocation unit x filename2 Is cross linked on allocation unit x
Warning: Two files—filename1 and filename2—had entries in the FAT that point to the same area (cluster) of the disk. In other words, the two files believe that they own the same piece of the disk.
CHKDSK takes no action. To handle the problem, copy both files to another floppy disk, delete the files from the original disk, and edit the files as necessary. (The files may contain garbage.)
Insufficient room in root directory Erase files from root and repeat CHKDSK
Error: CHKDSK recovered so many “lost” clusters from the disk that the root directory is full. CHKDSK aborts at this point.
Examine the FILExxxx.CHK files. If you find nothing useful, delete them. Rerun CHKDSK with the /F switch to continue recovering lost clusters.
xxxxxxxxxx bytes disk space freed
Information: CHKDSK regained some disk space that was improperly marked as “in use.” xxxxxxxxxx tells you how many additional bytes are now available. To free this disk space, review and delete any FILExxxx.CHK file that does not contain useful information.
xxx lost allocation units found in yyy chains Convert lost chains to files (Y/N)?
Information: Although CHKDSK found xxx blocks of data allocated in the FAT, no file on the disk is using these blocks. The blocks are lost clusters, which CHKDSK normally can free if no other error or warning message appears.
If you use the /F switch and type Y, CHKDSK joins each set of lost chains into a file placed in the root directory of the disk. That file is called FILExxxx.CHK, in which xxxx is a consecutive number between 0000 and 9999. Examine this file and delete any clusters that contain no useful information.
If you use the /F switch and type N, CHKDSK simply frees the lost chains so that other files can reuse the disk space. No files are created. If you type Y and omit /F, CHKDSK displays the actions that you can take but takes no action itself.
The CHKSTATE.SYS device driver helps MemMaker optimize memory use on your computer. MemMaker requires this driver only while optimizing your system; it's not needed at any other time. You should not attempt to use this device driver yourself.
Very few details about CHKSTATE.SYS's operation are documented. It's loaded into memory by MemMaker with a DEVICE= line in your CONFIG.SYS file during the optimization process. Presumably, CHKSTATE.SYS communicates with MEMMAKER about the state of your computer, verifying that system integrity is not violated as different combinations of drivers are loaded. When optimization is complete, MemMaker removes this driver from the CONFIG.SYS file.
The CHOICE command suspends batch-file processing and prompts the user to make a choice before processing resumes. You can specify which keystrokes are accepted and what default choices are made if no keys are pressed.
/C:keys. Specifies which keys are displayed in the prompt. The colon (:) is optional. If /C is not specified, CHOICE acts as though you specified /C:YN.
/N Suppresses the key list and question mark that DOS normally adds to the prompt (see the first item in the following “Notes” section).
/S Enables case sensitivity for the keys. That is, if /S is specified, the uppercase key represents a different response from the lowercase key. If /S is not specified, the uppercase key is the same as the lowercase key.
/T:choice,seconds. Specifies a default key and the number of seconds to wait for the user to press a key before the default is used. The colon (:) is optional. choice must be one of the keys specified by /C:keys, and seconds must be from 0 to 99 (0 means no pause before choice is used).
prompt. Specifies the prompt line that is displayed to inform the user about the choice that has to be made. To the end of the prompt you specify, DOS adds a bracketed list of allowable keys and a question mark. Quotation marks (“) can be used around text, but you don't have to use them unless the prompt contains a switch character (/), redirection symbols, or trailing blank spaces. If no prompt is specified, DOS does not display any prompt at all.
When a
CHOICEcommand is executed, the user sees the command'sprompt, followed by a prompt. The prompt is a left bracket ([), followed by the first key in/C:keys, followed by a comma, followed by any other keys inkeys(separated by commas), followed by a right bracket (]), followed by a question mark (?)./C:YN, for example, produces the prompt[Y,N]?CHOICEreturns different exit code values to the batch file, depending on which of the keys in/C:keysis pressed in response to the prompt. Pressing the first key returns 1, pressing the second returns 2, and so on.If the user presses Ctrl+Break and then does not terminate the batch job, a value of
0is returned. If DOS detects an error, a value of255is returned.If the user presses a key that is not one of the keys in
/C:keys, the computer beeps.
To ask the user whether to continue with the batch file, issue the following commands:
CHOICE /C:YN "Yes to continue and No to exit " IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO EXIT
You then see the following line:
Yes to continue and No to exit [Y,N]?
Notice the trailing space at the end of the prompt text specified in the CHOICE command. CHOICE adds the [Y,N]? text to the end of the prompt you specify. Adding a trailing space to your prompt text can make the final prompt more readable onscreen.
To load the mouse driver from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file unless told otherwise within three seconds, issue the following commands:
CHOICE /C:YN /T:3,Y "Load the mouse driver " IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO NOMOUSE
To provide a menu of choices, enter the following:
@ECHO OFF CLS ECHO. ECHO F First action ECHO S Second action ECHO T Third action ECHO. CHOICE /C:FST "Choose an action " IF ERRORLEVEL 255 GOTO ERROR IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO THIRD IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO SECOND IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO FIRST :ERROR ECHO GOT AN ERROR OR BREAK GOTO END :THIRD ECHO PRESSED T GOTO END :SECOND ECHO PRESSED S GOTO END :FIRST ECHO PRESSED F GOTO END :END
The CLS command clears a text screen and returns the cursor to the upper-left corner. It's very useful for clearing away messages left by other commands or batch files. Normally, CLS is limited to clearing 25-line text mode screens, but if ANSI.SYS is loaded, CLS clears 43- and 50-line text modes as well.
This command clears all information from the screen and places the cursor at the home position in the upper-left corner.
This command affects only the active video display, not memory.
If you used the ANSI control codes to set the foreground and background, the color settings remain in effect.
If you did not set the foreground/background color, the screen reverts to light characters on a dark background.
CMOSCLK.SYS replaces the default DOS clock so that any request for the current date and time accesses this device driver instead of the DOS system clock.
PCM Plus uses CNFIGNAM.EXE to specify configuration parameters for a specified setup configuration. The PCM Plus setup utility adds CNFIGNAM to the CONFIG.SYS file.
This device driver must be loaded by a DEVICE= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file. It cannot be loaded high.
config_name | PCM Plus configuration to use. PCM Plus can have multiple setup configurations in the PCM.INI file. |
COMMAND invokes another copy of COMMAND.COM, the command processor. If you write complicated batch files, this command may be useful. Normally, a user gets involved with this command when setting up the SHELL= line in the CONFIG.SYS file.
COMMAND pathcttydevice /E:size /K filename /P /MSG /C string
In your CONFIG.SYS file, use the following format:
SHELL=drive:pathCOMMAND.COM pathcondevice /E:size /P /MSG
The string in the
/Coption is interpreted by the additional copy ofCOMMAND.COM, just as though you typed the string at the system level./Cmust be the last switch used in the line. Do not use the formCOMMAND/Cstring/P.You can exit from the second copy of the command processor by issuing the command
EXIT, unless you used the/Poption (permanent).If you issue the
/Pand/Cswitches together,/Pis ignored.Do not use the
/Kswitch in theSHELLcommand line in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. This switch can cause problems with applications and installation programs that alter yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile.
COMMANDoften is used with theSHELLdirective to enableCOMMAND.COMto reside in a subdirectory rather than in the root directory.You can use
COMMANDwith all versions of DOS to call a second batch file from an originating batch file. Suppose that a batch file namedBATCH1.BATcontains the following line:COMMAND /C BATCH2
BATCH1callsBATCH2.BAT.BATCH2.BATexecutes and, after completing the last line of the batch file, returns toBATCH1to complete the originating batch file. This method of calling a batch file is similar to theCALLbatch subcommand available in DOS version 3.3 and later.If you use DOS 5.0 or 6.0 with a floppy-disk–only system, you can specify the
/MSGswitch in theSHELLdirective ofCONFIG.SYS. This switch loads all error messages in memory. If an error occurs, you do not need a disk withCOMMAND.COMin the drive. (The switch uses an additional 1KB of RAM.)You can use the
/Kfilenameswitch to specify that the DOS prompt in Microsoft Windows should use a startup file other thanAUTOEXEC.BAT. Open theDOSPRMPT.PIFfile (using the PIF Editor) and type/Kfilenamein the Optional Parameters box.
You can use COMP to compare two sets of disk files of the same name and length. The FC command, which is discussed later in this command reference, provides many of the same capabilities as COMP. COMP is included on the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk, not in the standard DOS 6.0 package.
If you do not enter a filename, all files for that set, whether primary or secondary, are compared (which is the same as typing
*.*). However, only the files in the secondary set with names that match filenames in the primary set are compared.If you do not enter a drive, path, or filename,
COMPprompts you for the primary and secondary file sets to compare. Otherwise, the correct disks must be in the correct drive if you are comparing files on disks.COMPdoes not wait for you to insert disks if you use both primary and secondary filenames.After 10 mismatches (unequal comparisons) between the contents of two compared files,
COMPends the comparison and aborts.A more versatile utility for file comparison is
FC, discussed later in this command reference.COMPno longer is distributed with the standard DOS package.
Compare error at offset xxxxxxxx
Information: The files that you are comparing are not the same. The difference occurs at xxxxxxxx bytes from the start of the file. The number provided is in hexadecimal format, base 16. The values of the differing bytes in the files also are displayed in hexadecimal format.
Files are different sizes
Warning: You asked COMP to compare two files of different lengths. Because COMP compares only files of the same size, COMP skips the comparison.
10 Mismatches - ending compare
Warning: COMP found 10 mismatches between the two files you compared. COMP, therefore, assumes that no reason exists to continue, and the comparison is aborted.
CONFIG re-creates the STACKER.INI file. It searches for all the STACVOL files on all the Stacker drives, disables the current STACKER.INI file, and creates a new one.
You can use the COPY command to copy files between disk drives or between drives and devices. COPY enables you to keep or change the filenames and also enables you to combine (concatenate) files.
The syntax used to copy files from one place to another is very simple:
COPY source destination /V /Y /Y-
You can tell DOS what kinds of files you are copying by using the /A (ASCII) and /B (BINARY) parameters:
COPY /A /B source /A /B destination /A /B /V /Y /Y-
By adding plus signs, you can specify more than one source file and have them all combined (concatenated) into one destination file:
COPY /A /B source /A /B +source2 /A /B +... /A /B destination /A /B /V /Y /Y-
The /A and /B switches create different effects on the source and destination files. Normally, you don't have to specify these switches because DOS's default assumptions are correct.
For the source file:
/A | Treats the file as an ASCII (text) file. The command copies all the information in the file up to, but not including, the end-of-file marker (Ctrl+Z). Data after the end-of-file marker is ignored. This is the default for copy operations that combine multiple files. |
/B | Copies the entire file (based on size, as listed in the directory) as though the file were a program file (binary1). All end-of-file markers (Ctrl+Z) are treated as normal characters, and EOF characters are copied. This is the default for copy operations that do not combine multiple files. |
For the destination file:
Adhere to the following rules when you are copying files for which both the source and the destination are given:
These rules apply to the filename:
You must provide either a pathname or a filename. Wildcards are allowed in the source filename. If you do not provide a filename but provide a pathname for the source, DOS assumes
*.*.If you do not provide a destination filename, the copied file has the same name, creation date, and creation time as the source file.
You can substitute a device name for the complete source or destination name.
When you copy between disk drives,
COPYassumes that binary files are copied (as though you used the/Bswitch).When you copy to or from a device other than a disk drive,
COPYassumes that ASCII files are copied (as though you used the/Aswitch).An
/Aor/Bswitch overrides the default settings forCOPY.
Adhere to the following rules when you are copying files and only one file is specified:
The file specification you use (
d1:path1filename1.ext1) is the source. This specification must have one or both of these items:A valid filename. Wildcards are allowed.
A drive name, pathname, or both. If you provide only one name, that name must differ from the current drive name or pathname. If you provide both names, at least one name must differ from the current drive name or pathname.
The source cannot be a device name.
The destination is the current drive and current directory.
The copied files use the same names as the source files.
COPYassumes that binary files are copied (as though you used the/Bswitch).
Adhere to these rules when you concatenate files:
The destination file is the last file in the list unless you add a plus sign (
+) before that filename. If you do not specify a destination filename, the first source name becomes the destination name.If you do not provide a drive name, DOS uses the current drive.
If you do not provide a path, DOS uses the current directory.
These rules apply to source files:
You must provide a valid filename. Wildcards are allowed, but using them can be dangerous. If you do not provide a destination filename, DOS uses the first filename as the destination filename.
After the first filename, any additional source file specifications must be preceded by a plus sign (
+).
These rules apply to the destination file:
You can use only one destination file specification. If you provide a destination without wildcards, DOS uses that name for the destination file. If you provide a destination filename with wildcards, DOS uses the first source filename for the destination file.
If you do not provide a destination, DOS uses the first source file as the destination. The first file that matches the wildcard filename is used as the destination file if you used a wildcard as part of the first source filename, and the files to be joined are appended to the first source file.
The
COPYcommand, when run from the command line, now prompts you for confirmation before overwriting files. However, to avoid forcing you to rewrite all your batch files,COPYdoes not prompt you before overwriting a file when it is run from a batch file.If you don't like the way
COPYnow behaves, you can change it by defining an environment variable namedCOPYCMD. SettingCOPYCMDequal to/YforcesCOPYto act as it has in all previous versions of DOS, never prompting for confirmation before overwriting a file. If you setCOPYCMDequal to/-Y,COPYalways prompts for confirmation—even when it is run from within a batch file.The meanings of the
/Aand/Bswitches depend on their positions in the line. The/Aor/Bswitch affects the file that immediately precedes the switch and all files that follow the switch until DOS encounters another/Aor/Bswitch. When you use one of these switches before a filename, the switch affects all following files until DOS encounters another/Aor/Bswitch that contradicts the earlier switch.Use
XCOPYto copy zero-length files and all of a directory's files and subdirectories.To change the time and date of a file to the current time and date, enter the following command:
COPY /B filename.ext+,,You can create a text file by copying what you type to a file. To do so, use the following format:
COPY CON filename.extEverything you type is then copied to
filename.extuntil you press Ctrl+Z or F6.
Cannot do binary reads from a device
Error: If you specify a device name such as CON or COM1 as the source in a COPY command, you cannot include the /B switch. These devices operate in character mode only. Try the command again without specifying the /B switch.
Content of destination lost before copy
Error: You may see this message when you are combining files with the COPY command. If the destination file has the same name as any of the source files (except the first) that you've specified, COPY overwrites that source file before it has a chance to read it. When this message appears, at least one of your source files has been overwritten, and the file is gone for good. Be very careful combining files with the COPY command, especially if you are using wildcards in the source or destination parameters.
File cannot be copied onto itself
Error: COPY tried to copy a file onto itself. The destination file must have a different filename or be in a different subdirectory than the source file. Change the destination parameter you specified and try the COPY command again.
You can use the COUNTRY= command to instruct DOS to use certain country-specific conventions when it displays or accepts dates, times, numbers, currency, sort ordering, and case conversions. So that transitions from one set of conventions to another can be as painless for the user as possible, application programs are encouraged to use this country-specific information. You can use COUNTRY= only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
country_code | A three-digit number that indicates the country whose conventions you want to use. Typically, the number is the international long-distance telephone code for that country. (See Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS.”) |
code_ page | The code page (character set) to use for the country that you are specifying. If no code page is specified, the default code page for that country is used. You can switch between the default and alternative code pages by using MODE or CHCP. |
pathfilename | The full path and filename of the file that contains country-specific information; it is usually COUNTRY.SYS. If no filename is specified, COUNTRY= looks for COUNTRY.SYS in the root directory of the startup drive. |
COUNTRY=affects the following items:Date and time formats, both for display and input. DOS commands that use the country setting for date and time include
DATE,TIME,RESTORE,DIR,PROMPT, andXCOPY.The thousands separator and decimal character used in numbers. In the U.S., they are a comma and period, respectively (for example, 1,024.45).
The location and symbol used for currency.
Upper- to lowercase conversions. For each character set (code page), a table of case conversions is maintained by DOS.
Alphabetical sorting order for characters in the set. This allows accented characters to sort into their proper places.
The default country code is 001 (United States), code page 437, for versions of MS-DOS sold in the U.S.
Not all application programs are written to support the international features of DOS, and many ignore the
COUNTRY=settings.The MS-DOS distribution disks include a special version of
COUNTRY.SYSnamedCOUNTRY.ICE(COUNTRY.IC_ in its compressed form) that contains information supporting an Icelandic keyboard and character set. For details, see theREADME.TXTfile distributed with DOS 6.Microsoft has special versions of MS-DOS available for other languages and countries not listed in the country codes table, such as Arabic, Israel, Japan, Korea, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan.
It is often best to leave out the code page argument in the
COUNTRY=line and let DOS use the default code page. To do so, just type two commas before you enter the location and name of theCOUNTRY.SYSfile. (See the first example that follows.)
To set the country to France, insert the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
COUNTRY=033,,C:DOSCOUNTRY.SYS
Notice that two commas are used so that DOS selects the default code page, which in this case is code page 850. Later, you could change to code page 437 by using the CHCP command.
The following line sets the country to the United States with code page 437 active:
COUNTRY=001,437,C:DOSCOUNTRY.SYS
In the U.S., this example is almost the same as not using the COUNTRY= command at all, except that you now have the ability to switch to code page 850 if you want to.
MODE device CP, CHCP, NLSFUNC, and KEYB
Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS”
Despite the .SYS extension, COUNTRY.SYS is not a device driver. It is a file that contains country information—such as code page symbol sets—used by the COUNTRY= command. A similar file, containing information needed for an Icelandic configuration, is located in the file COUNTRY.ICE on the MS-DOS 6 distribution disks. (For details on setting up an Icelandic configuration, see the README.TXT file distributed with DOS 6.)
CPBACKUP makes a backup copy of data to disks, tape, or a network drive using full, incremental, differential, or unattended methods. Data can be compressed, encrypted, and checked for viruses as it is backed up.
CPBACKUP d: setname filespec... /date=mmddyy-mddyy /exattr=hsr /full|/inc| /sep|/copy|/fullerase|/dif /drive=tape |/drive=d:n /addr=base-i-d /rate=rate /no /r setupfilename|filespec /ecc|/noecc /save|/nosave /sf|/nonsf /mtask /? /video /video options
CPBDIR determines the number of disks and the correct order of a high-speed or medium-speed disk backup and gives information about how the backup was made.
CPSCHED activates CPSCHED.EXE, which is the memory-resident portion of the Scheduler program. The Scheduler program schedules other DOS programs to run automatically at a preset date and time.
The CRC command gives a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) number for a filename. This number uniquely identifies a file. CRC ensures that a file transfer has been completed without error. It also can be applied to disk copy operations, periodic checks for file corruption, and more.
The CREATE command creates an empty Stacker drive using available disk space or a RAM drive.
The CSCRIPT command-line tool starts the Windows Scripting Host. It runs batch files written in the Visual Basic Scripting Edition or JScript languages. These batch files can be used to automate common tasks or create macros.
/filename | Specifies the name of the VBScript or JScript file to run. |
//i | Sets interactive mode so that the user can respond to any prompts in the script. |
//b | Sets batch mode, which doesn't display errors or script prompts. |
//h:cscript and //h:wscript | Changes the default scripting host to cscript or wscript (the Windows version), respectively. |
//logo and //nologo | Displays the scripting host logo or suppresses it from displaying, respectively. |
//s | Saves the CSCRIPT command-line options for the current Windows user. |
//t:nn | Limits script running time to nn seconds. |
//? | Displays abbreviated online help. |
You can use the CTTY command to change the standard input and output devices to an auxiliary console or to change the input and output devices back from an auxiliary console to the keyboard and video display.
device | The device you want to use as the new standard input and output device. This name must refer to a valid DOS character device. Normally, CON is the standard input and output device, which allows you to enter standard input from the keyboard and view standard output on the display. This parameter is required. |
The device must be a character-oriented device capable of both input and output. DOS supplies several such devices, including AUX, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, CON, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, and PRN.
Typing a colon (
:) after the device name is optional. If you don't include adevicein the command line forCTTY, anInvalid devicemessage is displayed.CTTYdoes not affect any other form of redirected I/O or piping. For example, the<(redirect input symbol),>(redirect output symbol), and|(pipe-between-programs character) work as usual.The
CTTYcommand is designed so that you can use a terminal or teleprinter—rather than the normal keyboard and video display—for console input and output. This versatility has little effect on most PC users.To return control to the standard console, type
CTTY CONon the auxiliary console. If the auxiliary console isn't working or you don't have one connected to your computer, you must reboot to re-enable the standard console.The
CTTYcommand does not affect programs that input and output directly to hardware. Most major software applications fall into this category, so theCTTYcommand is rarely useful with them.COMMANDalso can be used to change the device that DOS uses for standard input and output.Do not attempt to reconfigure Windows with the
CTTYcommand. Windows can be configured to use devices other than the keyboard and video display, but not with theCTTYcommand.
CURSOR.EXE makes a large cursor that is easier to see on LCD screens. You can even change the blink rate.
In Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows 98, CVT.EXE converts a drive from FAT16 format to FAT32. The minimum drive size to convert to FAT32 is 512MB.
driveletter | The letter of the drive to be converted. |
/cvt32 | As a safety measure, this parameter must be included to convert a drive. It helps prevent unintentional conversions. |
When a drive has been converted to FAT32, Windows and DOS cannot convert it back. Some third-party utilities, such as PartitionMagic, can convert from FAT32 to FAT16. In DOS, the only way to do so is to reformat the drive, destroying all the data in the process.
If you use this drive with other operating systems that are not FAT32-compatible, they cannot read the converted drive.
DATAMON provides protection against accidental file deletion. You can choose from two options to track deleted files: Delete Tracker or Delete Sentry. Delete Tracker saves the name of each deleted file and a list of the cluster numbers it occupied in a hidden file called PCTRACKR.DEL. Delete Sentry saves each deleted file in a hidden directory called SENTRY.
/load | Loads the Data Monitor program using the options in the DATAMON.INI file. |
/low | Loads the Data Monitor program into conventional memory even if upper memory is available. |
/u | Removes the Data Monitor program from the computer's memory. |
/s | Indicates which tracking option is active in the Data Monitor program. |
/sentry+ | Activates the Delete Sentry option. |
/sentry- | Deactivates the Delete Sentry option. |
/tracker+ | Activates the Delete Tracker option. |
/tracker- | Deactivates the Delete Tracker option. |
/? | Displays the abbreviated online help. |
Either the Delete Sentry or Delete Tracker option can be used at a time. DATAMON has to be added with one of the options to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
To disable the option temporarily, use the following commands:
datamon /sentry- datamon /tracker-
DATAMON should be turned off before starting the Stacker compression program and before running Stacker uncompression.
The DATE command can display and set the current date for your computer. Normally, DOS and your computer's hardware keep the date set properly for you. If you don't have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, DOS prompts you to enter the current date each time your computer reboots.
mon-day-year
| The current date in a format consistent with the COUNTRY= setting in your CONFIG.SYS file. mon can be any number from 1 to 12. day can be any number from 1 to 31. year can be any number from 80 to 99 or from 1980 to 2099. In the United States, legal delimiters are the hyphen, period, or slash (/). If this parameter is omitted, the current date is displayed, and you are prompted to enter a new date.
|
The date entry and display correspond to the
COUNTRYsetting in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. If you are unsure of what format to use for the date, enter theDATEcommand with no parameters. DOS displays the current date in an appropriate format, and you can use it as a guide when entering a new date at the prompt.When you boot the computer, DOS issues the
DATEandTIMEcommands to set the system clock. If you placed anAUTOEXEC.BATfile on the boot disk, DOS does not display a prompt for the date or time. You can include theDATEorTIMEcommands in theAUTOEXEC.BATfile to have these functions set when DOS boots.Most computers contain a real-time clock running on a battery. The date should stay set properly as you turn your computer on and off, but it's a good idea to check the date occasionally.
When you create or update a file, DOS updates the directory using the current date in the computer. This date shows which copy is the latest revision of the file. Several DOS commands (such as
XCOPY) can use the date in selecting files.The day-of-year calendar uses the time-of-day clock. If you leave your system on overnight, the day advances by one at midnight. DOS makes appropriate calendar adjustments for leap years.
DBLSPACE starts the full-screen interface to the DoubleSpace disk-compression utility. DoubleSpace automatically compresses information on hard disks or floppy disks and configures many aspects of the compression process. Compression enables you to put more programs and information on a disk.
With switches and parameters, you can control each aspect of DoubleSpace from the DOS command line. The many combinations are covered in the sections that deal with specific DoubleSpace commands.
MS-DOS 6.2 brought a number of new features to DoubleSpace. DoubleSpace can now share the HMA with MS-DOS, thereby decreasing DoubleSpace's size in memory from 43KB to 33KB (or 37KB if the new automount feature is enabled). A DoubleGuard feature verifies the integrity of your data before writing it to disk. Also added is the Uncompress command, which enables you to uncompress a DoubleSpace drive easily. Finally, removable disks can now be automounted, enabling you to work with compressed floppy and cartridge disks from Windows.
The first time you use the
DBLSPACEcommand, DoubleSpace Setup starts. The setup program enables you to compress one or more hard disks and loadsDBLSPACE.BINinto memory. (DBLSPACE.BINis the device driver that provides access to compressed drives.) Subsequent uses of theDBLSPACEcommand start the full-screen interface. The full-screen interface and theDBLSPACEswitches and parameters give you control of all DoubleSpace operations.DoubleSpace creates a large hidden file, called a compressed volume file (CVF), on one of your drives, called the host drive, and presents that drive as a new drive, called a compressed drive. For example, you might make a CVF on your drive D that results in a compressed drive E; you and your programs then can use the files on the compressed drive without taking any special action.
CVF names use the format
DBLSPACE.xxx, wherexxxis a number (such as 000 or 001).
The DBLSPACE /AUTOMOUNT command enables or disables automatic mounting of removable drives such as floppy and cartridge disks. This command changes the automount settings saved in the DBLSPACE.INI file. The default setting is for DoubleSpace to automatically mount removable drives.
Automounting makes it possible for you to change compressed floppy and cartridge disks from Microsoft Windows. You cannot use the DBLSPACE /AUTOMOUNT command while Windows is running.
drives. The removable drives that you want DoubleSpace to automatically mount. Enter each drive letter—without a colon—and with no spaces in between. You also can specify 0 to disable automatic mounting or 1 to automatically mount all removable drives. The default setting is 1.
For the automount setting to take effect, you must restart your computer.
Specifying 0 decreases the size of DoubleSpace in memory by approximately 4KB.
The parameters you specify are written to the
AUTOMOUNT=line of theDBLSPACE.INIfile.
To enable automounting of only two floppy drives A and B, enter the following command:
DBLSPACE /AUTOMOUNT=AB
To disable automounting of all removable drives (and save a little memory), enter the following command:
DBLSPACE /CHKDSK checks the structure of a compressed drive. The command reports errors (such as lost clusters and cross-linked files) and can correct some errors. If you are running DOS 6.2, this command is not available; you should use the SCANDISK utility instead.
/F
| DoubleSpace attempts to repair any errors it finds rather than simply report them. |
drive:
| The letter of the compressed drive you want to check. The default is the current drive. |
DBLSPACE /COMPRESS compresses the files on an existing hard disk, floppy disk, or other removable disk, making more space available.
DBLSPACE /COMPRESS drive: /NEWDRIVE=host: /RESERVE=size /F
or
DBLSPACE /COM drive: /NEW=host: /RES=size /F
drive:
| The uncompressed (host) drive that you want to compress. |
/NEWDRIVE=host:
| The uncompressed (host) drive after compression. This parameter can be abbreviated to /NEW=host:. If you omit the /NEWDRIVE=host: parameter, DoubleSpace uses the next available drive letter. Enter DBLSPACE /LIST to see a list of drive assignments.
|
/RESERVE=size
| The amount of space (in megabytes) to be left uncompressed on the host drive. This parameter can be abbreviated to /RES=size. The default is 2MB for hard disks and 0 for floppy disks.
|
[ic:C9]/F
| DoubleSpace doesn't display the compression statistics screen when compression is complete but simply returns to the DOS command prompt. Use this switch when you are running DBLSPACE /COMPRESS from a batch file.
|
A drive must contain some free space before DoubleSpace can compress it. If you want to compress your boot drive, for example, it must have at least 1.2MB of free space. Other hard disks and floppy disks must have at least 1.1MB of free space (650KB for DOS 6.0).
DoubleSpace cannot compress 360KB floppy disks because they do not have enough free space.
A compressed floppy disk must be mounted before you can use it. (For more information, see the
DBLSPACE /MOUNTcommand.)If you want to read a compressed floppy disk on another computer, that computer must be running DoubleSpace as well.
Your system probably needs some uncompressed disk space because some files (such as Windows permanent swap files) do not work properly if you store them on a compressed drive.
To compress drive D so that the compressed part is known as D and the uncompressed (host) part is known as E, and contains 3MB of uncompressed free space, use the following:
DBLSPACE /CREATE, DBLSPACE /LIST, and DBLSPACE /MOUNT
DBLSPACE /CREATE creates a new compressed drive by using free space on an uncompressed drive. DBLSPACE /CREATE can be used only on nonremovable media, such as a hard drive.
DBLSPACE /CREATE drive: /NEWDRIVE=host: /RESERVE=size /SIZE=size
or
DBLSPACE /CR drive: /N=host: /RE=size /SI=size
The
DBLSPACE /CREATEcommand creates a compressed volume file (CVF) with the nameDBLSPACE.001on the drive specified with thedrive:parameter. If this file already exists, the 002 extension is added, and then the 003 extension is added, and so on.When you use the
DBLSPACE /CREATEcommand, unlike theDBLSPACE /COMPRESScommand, the letter with which you refer to the host drive does not change.You can use the
DBLSPACE /CREATEcommand to create additional CVF files on the host drive of a disk compressed with theDBLSPACE /COMPRESScommand. However, after you have created a CVF on a disk drive with theDBLSPACE /CREATEcommand, you cannot use theDBLSPACE /COMPRESScommand on that drive without first deleting the existing CVF files.DBLSPACE /COMPRESSreassigns the drive letter you will use when accessing the host drive; it cannot do so if the host drive contains compressed drives.You cannot use
DBLSPACE /CREATEon removable media such as floppy disk drives or cartridge hard drives. To compress a floppy disk or cartridge hard disk, use theDBLSPACE /COMPRESScommand.Microsoft recommends that you use
DBLSPACE /CREATErather thanDBLSPACE /COMPRESSto create a compressed drive on a RAM disk.Your system probably needs some uncompressed disk space because some files (such as Windows permanent swap files) do not work properly when you store them on a compressed drive.
To create a compressed drive that has the next available drive letter as its name and uses all the available free space on the uncompressed drive D, use the following:
DBLSPACE /CREATE D: /RESERVE=0
To create a new compressed drive F that uses 20MB of free space on the uncompressed drive D, enter this command:
DBLSPACE /COMPRESS, DBLSPACE /LIST, and DBLSPACE /MOUNT
DBLSPACE /DEFRAGMENT defragments a compressed drive by moving all the drive's free space to the end of the drive. This command enables you to get the maximum reduction in the size of the drive when you issue the DBLSPACE /SIZE command.
drive:
| Specifies the compressed drive that you want to defragment. The default is the current drive. |
/F
| Specifies that you would like the DoubleSpace drive defragmented more fully. |
Unlike defragmenting an uncompressed hard disk, defragmenting a DoubleSpace disk does not improve the disk's performance. Defragmenting only moves the free space to the end of the compressed drive so that
DBLSPACE /SIZEcan be most effective.You cannot tell how badly fragmented a compressed drive is before you decide to defragment it.
How long defragmenting takes depends on many factors, including the speed of your computer, the size of your compressed drive, and the speed of your disk drive. The process can take a long time—perhaps several hours.
You can stop the defragmentation process at any time by pressing Esc.
To thoroughly defragment a compressed drive, perform the following steps. First, correct any errors on the host and compressed drives by using the ScanDisk utility. Next, defragment the host drive by using the
DEFRAGcommand. Then, defragment the compressed drive by using theDBLSPACE /DEFRAGMENT /Fcommand. Finally, collect all the free space at the end of the compressed drive by entering theDBLSPACE /DEFRAGMENTcommand. (Don't specify the/Fswitch.)
The DBLSPACE /DELETE command unmounts a compressed drive and deletes its compressed volume file (CVF) from the host drive. If you simply want to delete all the files on a compressed drive, use the DBLSPACE /FORMAT command.
| The compressed drive that you want to delete. Note that you should specify the compressed drive, not the host drive. |
Deleting a compressed drive deletes all the files in that drive.
If you accidentally delete a compressed drive, you may be able to restore it by using
UNDELETEbecause a compressed drive is a file on one of your uncompressed disks (its host drive). The files corresponding to compressed drives are hidden and have names in the formatDBLSPACE.xxx, wherexxxis a number such as 000 or 001. If you can undelete the associated file, you can remount it by enteringDBLSPACE /MOUNT.DoubleSpace does not allow you to delete a compressed drive C.
DoubleGuard is a safety feature that monitors the integrity of the memory that DoubleSpace is using to minimize damage by a runaway program. This setting is stored on the DOUBLEGUARD= line in the DBLSPACE.INI file.
If DoubleGuard is enabled and memory corruption is detected, DoubleSpace halts your computer to minimize damage to data on the disk. DoubleGuard is enabled by default.
Disabling DoubleGuard (
/DOUBLEGUARD=0) may speed up your system a little but could lead to a loss of data if an errant program overwrites DoubleSpace's memory.You must restart your computer for this setting to take effect.
To turn on DoubleGuard integrity checking, enter the following command and reboot your computer:
DBLSPACE /DOUBLEGUARD=0
To turn on DoubleGuard integrity checking again, enter the following command and reboot your computer:
The DBLSPACE /FORMAT command deletes all the files and subdirectories on a compressed drive but leaves the drive itself intact. UNFORMAT cannot restore the files deleted with this command, so be careful when you use it. To delete the drive as well, use the DBLSPACE /DELETE command.
Note
DBLSPACE /FORMAT is a dangerous command. Formatting a compressed drive is a quick operation, and after you have given DoubleSpace the go-ahead, you cannot turn back. You cannot use the UNFORMAT command to recover a formatted compressed drive. Make absolutely sure you don't need anything on the drive before formatting it.
drive:
| The compressed drive that you want to format. Note that you should specify the compressed drive, not the host drive. |
The DBLSPACE /INFO command displays the following information about the specified compressed drive: its host drive, used and free space, actual and estimated compression ratio, and total size. DBLSPACE /INFO can be handy for monitoring the compression ratio on the drive.
The DBLSPACE /LIST command displays information about all the local drives connected to your computer, whether or not they are compressed drives. For each drive, the letter, type, free space, total size, and compressed volume file (CVF) filename are displayed. DBLSPACE /LIST can be handy for finding out the host drive for a compressed drive because the host drive is included in the CVF filename. DBLSPACE /LIST cannot display information about network or CD-ROM drives attached to your computer.
The DBLSPACE /MOUNT command associates a drive letter with a compressed volume file (CVF) so that you can access the files in the CVF as though they were on a disk. Normally, DoubleSpace mounts CVFs for you, so you must mount a CVF only if you have explicitly unmounted it or if the CVF is on a removable (floppy) disk.
=nnn
| Mounts the CVF named DBLSPACE.nnn on host:. This parameter can be abbreviated to /MO=nnn. If nnn is not specified, DBLSPACE.000 is assumed.
|
host:
| The uncompressed (host) drive containing the CVF that you want mounted. |
/NEWDRIVE=drive:
| If you are mounting a CVF file created with the /COMPRESS parameter (nnn=000), drive: specifies the drive letter you want to use for the host drive after the CVF is mounted. If you are mounting a CVF file created with the /CREATE parameter (nnn>000), drive: specifies the drive letter you want to use for the compressed drive after the CVF is mounted. This parameter can be abbreviated to /NEW=drive:. The default is the next available drive letter.
|
You cannot mount a compressed drive from Microsoft Windows. If you are running MS-DOS 6.2, you can get around this restriction by using the new automount feature, which works while Windows is running. If you are using MS-DOS 6.0, you must exit Windows before mounting a compressed floppy or removable cartridge disk.
DoubleSpace uses the estimated compression ratio to estimate how much free space a compressed drive contains. By using the DBLSPACE /RATIO command, you can change the estimated compression ratio that DoubleSpace is using for a compressed drive. You might want to change the estimated ratio if you are about to copy to the compressed drive files that differ significantly from those that already are on the drive.
=ratio
| Specifies the new estimated compression ratio from 1.0 to 16.0. ratio must be entered with one decimal place (for example, 2.0, not 2). The default is the actual compression ratio for the drive.
|
drive:
| Specifies the compressed drive for which you want to change the estimated compression ratio. DOS uses the current drive unless you specify /ALL. You cannot specify both drive: and /ALL.
|
/ALL
| Changes the estimated compression ratios for all mounted compressed drives. You cannot specify both drive: and /ALL.
|
The DBLSPACE /SIZE command changes the size of a compressed drive. You might want to make a compressed drive smaller if you need more free space on its host drive. Alternatively, you might want to make a compressed drive larger if its host drive has a great deal of free space.
=size
| The space (in megabytes) that the CVF on drive: should take up on its host (uncompressed) drive. You cannot specify both =size and /RESERVE=size. The default is to make the host drive as small as possible.
|
/RESERVE=size
| The space (in megabytes) to be left free on the host (uncompressed) drive after drive: is resized. This parameter can be abbreviated to /RES=size. You cannot specify both =size and /RESERVE=size. The default is to make the host drive as small as possible.
|
drive:
| The compressed drive that you want to make larger or smaller. |
To change the size of compressed drive E so that its CVF takes up 30MB on its host (uncompressed) drive, use the following:
DBLSPACE /SIZE=30 E:
To make compressed drive E as large as possible so that its host drive contains no uncompressed free space, enter the following:
DBLSPACE /SIZE /RESERVE=0 E:
Notice that when you specify the amount of space to reserve with the /RESERVE=0 parameter, you cannot specify a size with the /SIZE parameter.
The DBLSPACE /UNCOMPRESS command uncompresses a compressed DoubleSpace drive. If you uncompress all the compressed drives in your system, DoubleSpace removes itself from memory.
You should always back up all the files on a compressed drive before uncompresssing it. (If anything can go wrong, it will.)
You can uncompress a drive only if the files in the compressed drive will fit on the host drive in their uncompressed state.
If files in the root directories of both the host and compressed drives have the same names, DoubleSpace cannot uncompress the drive. When this happens, DoubleSpace displays an error message and saves to the
DBLSPACE.LOGfile a list of the duplicate files involved. After you have resolved all the duplicate root directory filenames by renaming, moving, or deleting the files listed inDBLSPACE.LOG, you can try to uncompress the drive again.After the last compressed drive in your system has been uncompressed, DoubleSpace removes
DBLSPACE.BINfrom memory. Removing this file can free 40KB to 50KB of memory in your system. The next time you mount a compressed volume file,DBLSPACE.BINmust be loaded back into memory before you can access the compressed drive.
The DBLSPACE /UNMOUNT command breaks the association between a drive letter and a compressed volume file (CVF), temporarily making a compressed drive unavailable.
drive:
| The compressed drive that you want to unmount. The default is the current drive. |
To allow DoubleSpace to perform its compression magic, DOS loads the DBLSPACE.BIN file into memory early in the boot process. Initially, DBLSPACE.BIN is placed at the top of conventional memory. The DBLSPACE.SYS device driver enables you to move DBLSPACE.BIN to its final location in conventional or upper memory. Moving DBLSPACE.BIN to upper memory can save as much as 43KB of conventional memory for your DOS programs to use. To move DBLSPACE.BIN, DBLSPACE.SYS must be loaded in a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
In MS-DOS 6.2, DoubleSpace can share the high memory area (HMA) with DOS, decreasing the size of DoubleSpace in upper or lower memory to 33KB or to 37KB if the automounting feature is enabled.
To relocate the DBLSPACE.BIN driver to the bottom of conventional memory, load the DBLSPACE.SYS device driver by using the DEVICE= command as follows:
DEVICE=drive:pathDBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE /NOHMA
To relocate the DBLSPACE.BIN driver into upper memory, load the DBLSPACE.SYS device driver by using the DEVICEHIGH= command like this:
DEVICEHIGH=drive:pathDBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE /NOHMA
drive:path
| Specifies the full path to the DBLSPACE.SYS file on your system. Setup places the DBLSPACE.SYS file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. If the full path to DBLSPACE.SYS isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive.
|
/MOVE
| Makes DBLSPACE.SYS move the DBLSPACE.BIN driver in memory. This parameter is required.
|
/NOHMA
| Prevents DoubleSpace from locating a portion of itself in the HMA with DOS. |
When
DBLSPACE.BINis first loaded into memory, it locates itself at the top of conventional memory. If you letDBLSPACE.BINremain in that position, a device driver that requires access to this area in memory may overwrite it, crashing your computer. If you are using DoubleSpace, you should always use theDBLSPACE.SYSdevice driver to relocateDBLSPACE.BINto a more permanent, safe location.To relocate
DBLSPACE.BINto the bottom of conventional memory, loadDBLSPACE.SYSby using theDEVICE=command. To relocateDBLSPACE.BINto upper memory, loadDBLSPACE.SYSby using theDEVICEHIGH=command. Note that you must specify the/MOVEparameter either way. If you do not load theDBLSPACE.SYSdriver,DBLSPACE.BINis moved to the bottom of conventional memory after all otherCONFIG.SYSprocessing is complete.Moving
DBLSPACE.BINto upper memory by usingDEVICEHIGH=frees approximately 43KB of conventional memory. If not enough room is available in upper memory,DBLSPACE.BINis moved to the bottom of conventional memory instead.(DOS 6.2 only) DoubleSpace can share the HMA with DOS, thereby decreasing the amount of upper or lower memory it requires to 33KB or to 37KB if the automounting feature is enabled. You can prevent DoubleSpace from loading into the HMA by using the
/NOHMAparameter.If DOS and DoubleSpace are sharing space in the HMA and you are using a disk cache (for example, SMARTDrive), you might want to decrease the
BUFFERS=setting to 10. With DoubleSpace in the HMA, there is room for about 10 buffers, so specifying more than this number may cause DOS to locate all its buffers in conventional memory instead.MemMaker optimizes the placement of
DBLSPACE.BINin memory if it finds theDBLSPACE.SYSdriver being loaded inCONFIG.SYS. Specifying the/Land/Soptions withDEVICEHIGH=causesDBLSPACE.SYSto moveDBLSPACE.BINto the specified region(s). Therefore, to MemMaker, optimization for this device driver works just like any other.Unlike most device drivers,
DBLSPACE.SYSdoesn't remain in memory. After it has movedDBLSPACE.BINinto upper or lower memory, it unloads itself. Therefore, you can installDBLSPACE.SYSmore than once in yourCONFIG.SYSfile without wasting memory. DoubleSpace may insert more than oneDEVICE=DBLSPACE.SYSstatement in yourCONFIG.SYSfile to avoid certain problems with network device drivers.You should load
DBLSPACE.SYSbefore loadingINTERLNK.EXEin yourCONFIG.SYSfile. If you loadINTERLNK.EXEfirst, you might not be able to access all the drives on the client computer. In general,INTERLNK.EXEshould be the last block device driver loaded inCONFIG.SYS.If
DBLSPACE.BINis relocated after certain network drivers are loaded in memory, your system may begin rebooting when certainDBLSPACEcommands are run. If this happens, make sure that the device line forDBLSPACE.SYScomes before all network drivers loaded fromCONFIG.SYS.The placement of the
DEVICE=DBLSPACE.SYSline in yourCONFIG.SYSfile may affect the drive letters used in your system. In general, to allow device drivers to allocate letters that follow the physical drives in the system, load them before theDBLSPACE.SYSdriver. AfterDBLSPACE.BINhas been moved, it allocates extra drive letters for host drives. Any device drivers loaded after this are assigned drive letters that follow DoubleSpace's drive letters.
Caution
Having drive letters change simply because you added a device driver to your CONFIG.SYS file can result in time-consuming chores. Batch files often have to be edited to reflect the new drive letters. All references to drives that have changed must be corrected in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Microsoft Windows is sensitive to drive letter changes, and some Windows applications will fail if they are suddenly located on a different drive.
Before you add or rearrange DEVICE= lines in your CONFIG.SYS file, think through the changes you may be making to drive letter assignments. You often can accomplish what you need without changing drive letter assignments.
The following lines install a RAM disk and relocate the DBLSPACE.BIN driver in upper memory if enough space is available:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSDBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE
Because the RAM drive was loaded before DBLSPACE.BIN was moved, RAMDRIVE.SYS allocates drive letters before DoubleSpace. In a typical system with one or two floppy drives and a hard disk (with a CVF), the RAM drive would be D, and DoubleSpace, which normally saves four letters for later use, would use I as the host drive for C.
In the next example, the order is reversed, and the DEVICE= command is used to relocate DBLSPACE.BIN to the bottom of conventional memory instead of upper memory:
DEVICE=C:DOSDBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E
This time, DoubleSpace uses H for the host drive, and the RAM drive will become drive I.
Converts a DoubleSpace- or SuperStor/DS-compressed removable or unmounted disk to a Stacker drive.
DCONVERT source target /c compressed-volume-name /g compressed-volume-name stacvol-filename /m /?
source
| Indicates the name of the DBL/DRVSPACE to convert.
|
| target | Indicates the name of the STACVOL file to create when using the /g switch.
|
/c compressed-volume-name
| Converts the named compressed DoubleSpace volume to the new Stacker format. |
/g compressed-volume-name
| Generates a STACVOL file in the new format by copying stacvol-filename the named compressed volume as a Stacker volume.
|
/m
| Use with either /c or /g on a monochrome monitor.
|
/?
| Displays the abbreviated online help. |
DCONVERT needs some working space on a disk to convert it, as much as 1MB depending on the situation. If it runs out of space and a WRITE ERROR is displayed, use /g instead to make a converted copy of the compressed volume file on a different disk. Then, use COPY to transfer the resulting STACVOL file to the disk needed.
The attributes of the original file must be changed in order to delete it.
The DEBUG utility tests and edits programs. You can use DEBUG to view and change the state of your computer at the hardware level. Be very careful when using DEBUG because, with just a few keystrokes, you can wipe out your hard drive, destroy files, disable your mouse, lock up the keyboard, and cause all sorts of nasty problems. However, you can also learn a lot about your computer by poking around with DEBUG. This program is a programmer's tool and is rarely used by anyone else.
pathname
| The program file that you would like DEBUG to load into memory. If this parameter is omitted, DEBUG starts with no file loaded.
|
parameters
| Any parameters that you want to pass to the program file you specified with the pathname parameter. You cannot specify parameters if you do not specify pathname. This parameter is useful only if you are loading program files that accept arguments on their command line.
|
The
DEBUGutility enables you to load a program into memory and then edit, test, and save the edited program back to the disk. You also can useDEBUGto create small assembly language programs.Most people come in contact with
DEBUGonly when they are given explicit instructions on patching a particular file. In most cases, this involves creating a text file and then redirecting the input toDEBUG. TheSPATCH.BATfile on the DOS 6 distribution disks uses this technique to patch (change) the WindowsSWAPFILE.EXEprogram.Details on using the
DEBUGprogram are beyond the scope of this book. If you want to learn about usingDEBUG, check the MS-DOS online help system or the DOS 6 Technical Reference manual.
Files become fragmented because of the way MS-DOS stores them on the disk. If parts of a single file are scattered over the disk, your disk drive requires more time to find and load all the pieces into memory. DEFRAG rearranges the files on your disk so that each is located in a series of contiguous clusters. Rearranging the files this way makes file access more efficient.
ERRORLEVEL Value
| Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Disk was defragmented successfully |
| 1 | An internal error occurred |
| 2 | No free clusters (DEFRAG requires at least one)
|
| 3 | Operation halted by the user (Ctrl+C) |
| 4 | Operation halted by a general error |
| 5 | Operation halted by a disk read error |
| 6 | Operation halted by a disk write error |
| 7 | Operation halted by an error in the FAT; use CHKDSK /F
|
| 8 | Operation halted by a memory allocation error |
| 9 | Not enough free memory to defragment this disk |
DOS starts
DEFRAGin interactive mode if you omit one or more required parameters from the command line.DEFRAGtakes over the entire screen to show what it is doing.By default,
DEFRAGis loaded into upper memory if enough memory is free.Do not use
DEFRAGto optimize network drives or drives created withINTERLNK.If you are using
FASTOPENwhen you defragment, specifyDEFRAG /Bso that out-of-date buffers kept byFASTOPENare not used after the defragmenting operation.Do not run
DEFRAGwhen any other program is running, including Microsoft Windows. If you have any programs resident in memory that might try to access the disk being defragmented, you should disable or remove them from memory before runningDEFRAG. An exception is theSMARTDRVdisk cache. (You don't have to remove it becauseDEFRAGdisables it for you automatically.) If a program accesses a disk while it is being defragmented, data may be lost.It is a good idea to run a utility such as
CHKDSKorSCANDISKbefore runningDEFRAGto correct any logical errors on the drive before defragmenting its files.
The DEL command deletes one or more files from the drive and directory you specify. ERASE is an alternative name for this command. Many times, you can restore an accidentally deleted file by using the UNDELETE command—if you use the command soon enough.
pathname
| The file or files that you want to delete. If no drive is specified, the current drive is used. If no subdirectory path is specified, the current subdirectory is used. If only a path (with or without a drive) is specified, all files (*.*) are assumed. Wildcards are allowed.
|
/P
| DOS prompts you before deleting each file. This can make it easier to delete a group of files that are difficult to specify with wildcards. |
If you provide a drive name, pathname, or both, and specify either
*.*or no name for the filename, theDELcommand prepares to delete all the files in the specified directory. Before it deletes them, DOS displays the following message:All files in directory will be deleted. Are you sure (Y/N)?
If you type
Y, DOS erases all files in the specified directory (but not in the subdirectories). If you typeN, no files are erased.If you specify the
/Pparameter,DELprompts you before deleting each file by displaying a line such as the following:MYFILE.TXT Delete (Y/N)?
If you type
Y, DOS erases the file. If you typeN, the file is skipped.You may be able to recover an erased file by using the special DOS 5.0 and 6.0
UNDELETEutility program. UseUNDELETEimmediately after accidentally erasing a file.The DOS
RECOVERutility does not recover erased files.RECOVERis designed only to repair a file that contains bad sectors or that has a bad directory entry.
Access denied
Error: You attempted to erase a file that is marked as read-only or that is being used by another program or computer and is temporarily marked as read-only. If the file that you intend to erase has the read-only, system, or hidden attribute set, use the ATTRIB command to turn off these attributes before attempting to erase the file again.
DELOLDOS deletes from the hard disk all files from a previous version of DOS after a DOS 5.0 or 6.0 installation.
/B
| Forces DELOLDOS to use black-and-white screen mode. You might want to use this switch if you have an LCD display screen or a one-color monitor attached to a CGA adapter.
|
When you upgrade to DOS 5.0 or 6.0, the old version of DOS is preserved in part on your hard disk in the directory
OLD_DOS.1and on the Uninstall disks that the DOS Setup program creates. After you are sure that the upgrade works correctly and is compatible with the programs that you normally use, you can delete the old DOS from the hard disk, thereby freeing additional storage space.After you start
DELOLDOS, you can exit without deleting the old version of DOS by pressing any key exceptY.Be sure that all your programs are compatible with the new DOS before you delete the old version.
After running
DELOLDOS, you cannot use the Uninstall disks created by DOS 5.0 or 6.0 Setup to restore your previous DOS version.After
DELOLDOSdeletes the previous version of DOS from your disk, it deletes itself. It really is a one-shot utility.
DELPURGE.EXE permanently deletes deleted files being saved by DELWATCH.
DELWATCH is a TSR that monitors file deletions on a drive and saves information about them to allow the UNDELETE command to function in restoring deleted files.
DELWATCH /MPmemtype /MRmemtype /MBX- /U drive:.. /B:nnn /E:ext... /F:nnn|All /MBmemtype /0:ext... /D /S /H /HI /HD
By using DELTREE, you can delete an entire branch of your subdirectory tree. Unlike RD (or RMDIR), DELTREE deletes subdirectories that contain files. Because you can delete so many files so quickly with this command, you should always be careful when using it.
drive:
| Specifies the drive that contains the subdirectory you want to delete. |
path
| Specifies the subdirectory to be deleted. All subdirectories and files contained in the specified subdirectory are deleted as well. You are allowed to use wildcards in the path parameter, but you must use extreme caution if you do.
|
/Y
| Suppresses prompting for permission to delete each directory specified by path. Do not use this switch. A typographical error could wipe out too many files.
|
This command deletes all files, including hidden, read-only, and system files.
DOS prompts you for permission to delete each directory specified by
path, unless you specify/Y.
The DEVICE= command loads device drivers into conventional memory. Through the use of installable device drivers, DOS can be expanded to support many features and devices that aren't supported in the DOS kernel. Installation programs often add device drivers to your CONFIG.SYS file for you. DEVICE= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
drive:path
| Although this parameter is optional, you should always include the full drive and path to the device driver file. If you omit it, the device driver file is assumed to be in the root directory of the startup drive. |
filename
| The full filename, with extension, of the device driver to be loaded. Although many device drivers use a SYS extension, this isn't assumed, and the driver file's extension must always be specified. No wildcards are allowed. This parameter is required.
|
parameters
| Any parameters that the device driver may require are included after its name. DOS passes these parameters directly to the driver when it is loaded into memory. Some device drivers use case-sensitive or position-sensitive parameters. See the instructions provided with the device driver for details. |
If MS-DOS cannot find the specified device driver file, it displays a
Bad or missing filenamemessage and continues processingCONFIG.SYS. (See the first message in the “Messages” section for theDEVICE=command.)Device drivers are often sensitive to the order in which they are loaded. DOS executes each
DEVICE=orDEVICEHIGH=command in the order in which it appears inCONFIG.SYS.The following device drivers are provided with MS-DOS:
ANSI.SYS CHKSTATE.SYS* DBLSPACE.SYS DISPLAY.SYS DRIVER.SYS EGA.SYS EMM386.EXE HIMEM.SYS INTERLNK.EXE POWER.EXE PRINTER.SYS** RAMDRIVE.SYS SETVER.EXE SMARTDRV.EXE SMARTDRV.SYS***
*CHKSTATE.SYS is used by MemMaker and shouldn't be installed in your CONFIG.SYS file.
**PRINTER.SYS is not distributed with DOS 6 but is available on the supplemental disk.
***SMARTDRV.SYS was replaced by SMARTDRV.EXE in MS-DOS version 6.
All the device drivers in this list can be installed with the DEVICE= command.
Caution
DOS 6 includes two files with the SYS extension that are not device drivers: COUNTRY. SYS and KEYBOARD.SYS. If you attempt to load these files by using the DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= commands, your computer may lock up, forcing you to reboot. COUNTRY.SYS and KEYBOARD.SYS are data files used by COUNTRY= and KEYB, respectively.
You cannot load normal executable files into memory by using the
DEVICE=command. EnteringCHKDSK.EXEor evenDOSKEY.COMon aDEVICE=line generates an error message (see the first message in the “Messages” section) or lock up your computer. Device drivers are in a special format, and only files conforming to that format can be successfully loaded with theDEVICE=command. If an executable program can be loaded during the processing of theCONFIG.SYSfile (not all can), it can be placed in memory by theINSTALL=command.External commands that load in a
DEVICE=command line and run from the DOS prompt as well (such asEMM386,INTERLNK,POWER, andSETVER) are hybrid files that conform to both formats. When loaded from aDEVICE=command inCONFIG.SYS, the device driver portion of the file is loaded into memory. Executing the same command from the DOS prompt runs the executable portion of the file, which typically sets operating parameters or displays the status of the device driver already in memory.
Normally, the following two DEVICE= lines appear in CONFIG.SYS somewhere near the beginning of the file:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM MIN=0 DOS=HIGH,UMB
The DEVICE= lines load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE into memory, and provide the services necessary for DOS to load into the HMA with the DOS=HIGH,UMB command. Note that the DEVICE= line for HIMEM.SYS must appear before the line for EMM386.EXE because EMM386 requires memory provided by HIMEM to operate.
Bad or missing filename Error in CONFIG.SYS line number
Warning: DOS displays this message if it can't find the file you specified in the DEVICE=, DEVICEHIGH=, or INSTALL= command in your CONFIG.SYS file. filename is the name of the file that DOS was looking for, and number is the line in CONFIG.SYS where the command is located. Edit the line so that the path and filename are correct and then restart your computer.
Unrecognized command in CONFIG.SYS
Error in CONFIG.SYS line number
Warning: A line in your CONFIG.SYS file contains an illegal command. Usually, this message indicates that you have mistyped the name of a CONFIG.SYS command or have placed the ? in an illegal position.
With the DEVICEHIGH= command, DOS can load device drivers into upper memory space, saving conventional memory for your application programs. To do so, DOS must have a UMB provider, such as EMM386, available. Also, the driver must be small enough to fit into the available UMB space. If DOS cannot load a driver specified with the DEVICEHIGH= command into upper memory, it loads the driver into conventional memory instead. Not all device drivers can run in upper memory. DEVICEHIGH= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
Caution
Before you begin inserting DEVICEHIGH= commands in CONFIG.SYS, you should have a bootable floppy disk available. That way, you can always start DOS from a floppy disk if changes you make in CONFIG.SYS prevent DOS from booting. Alternatively, with DOS 6, you can press the F5 (Clean boot) key to bypass CONFIG.SYS completely or F8 (Interactive) to choose which lines in CONFIG.SYS to execute when problems arise.
In its simplest form, which follows, the DEVICEHIGH= command works just like the DEVICE= command:
DEVICEHIGH=drive:pathfilename parameters
(DOS 6 only) DEVICEHIGH= has two additional switches that MemMaker uses to specify the placement and size of the device driver in memory:
DEVICE /L:region,min;region,min;... /S =drive:pathfilename parameters
The following alternative syntax is used with DOS 5. Although the following is supported under DOS 6, you are advised to switch to the new syntax whenever possible:
DEVICE SIZE=hexsize drive:pathfilename parameters
Before using the
DEVICEHIGH=command, you must install a UMB provider and then execute aDOS=UMBcommand. Typically, this means that you must loadHIMEM.SYSandEMM386.EXEwith UMB support enabled and then specifyDOS=UMB(orDOS=HIGH,UMB) before using theDEVICEHIGH=command.Caution
You must install a UMB provider and add the
DOS=UMBcommand before using theDEVICEHIGH=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. That way, you can always start DOS from a floppy disk if changes you make inCONFIG.SYSprevent DOS from booting. Alternatively, with DOS 6, you can press the F5 (Clean) and F8 (Interactive) boot keys to bypass completely or choose which lines inCONFIG.SYSto execute when problems arise.Caution
If you use other memory managers, such as
386MAX,BLUEMAX,QEMM, orCEMM, use their versions ofDEVICEHIGH=andLOADHIGHmay be better than using the ones DOS provides. Sometimes, simply specifyingDOS=UMBis a mistake. Follow the instructions and recommendations that came with the product you purchased.If DOS is unable to load the device driver into upper memory, it loads the driver into conventional memory instead. No error messages are displayed when this happens. To see what device drivers have been loaded into upper memory, use the
MEM /Ccommand.If MS-DOS cannot find the specified device driver file, it displays a
Bad or missing filenamemessage and continues processingCONFIG.SYS. (See the first message in theDEVICEHIGH=command's “Messages” section.)Device drivers are often sensitive to the order in which they are loaded. DOS executes each
DEVICE=orDEVICEHIGH=command in the order in which it appears inCONFIG.SYS.The following device drivers provided with MS-DOS can be loaded into UMB space with the
DEVICEHIGH=command:ANSI.SYS DBLSPACE.SYS DISPLAY.SYS DRIVER.SYS EGA.SYS PRINTER.SYS* RAMDRIVE.SYS SETVER.EXE
*
PRINTER.SYSis not distributed with DOS 6 but is available on the supplemental disk.INTERLNK.EXE,POWER.EXE, andSMARTDRV.EXEall use UMB space automatically if it is available, so you don't need to load them with aDEVICEHIGH=command.CHKSTATE.SYSis best left for MemMaker to handle.HIMEM.SYSandEMM386.EXEminimize their use of conventional memory when they load.Caution
DOS 6 includes two files with the
.SYSextension that are not device drivers:COUNTRY.SYSandKEYBOARD.SYS. If you attempt to load these files with theDEVICE=orDEVICEHIGH=command, your computer may lock up, forcing you to reboot.COUNTRY.SYSandKEYBOARD.SYSare data files used byCOUNTRY=andKEYB, respectively.MemMaker can optimize your
CONFIG.SYSfile for you, insertingDEVICEHIGH=andLOADHIGHcommands as needed to load as many device drivers and resident programs into upper memory space as possible. MemMaker also takes care of specifying the correct parameters forEMM386.EXE, ensuring that you have the maximum amount of UMB space available. This can be a big timesaver.Before you start optimizing memory in your system, look at the resident software you're loading to see whether you need it all. For instance, the setup program for DOS 6 installs
SETVER.EXEwhether or not you use any software that needs to be fooled into working with DOS 6. The cardinal rule is Less is More. Fewer drivers and TSRs mean fewer complicated interactions and fewer problems with load orders and “RAM cram.” Look for the balance of features and free memory that enables you to use your system efficiently. Trim your system to the essentials and then let MemMaker optimize it.By default, DOS loads a driver into the largest free UMB and makes the other UMBs available to that driver. The
/Lswitch can be used to fine-tune your configuration by forcing small drivers to be loaded into small UMBs. However, loading a driver with the/Lswitch gives the driver access to only the UMB specified. Therefore, if the driver requires more than one UMB, you must specify multiple regions by using the/Lswitch (for example,/L:1;2). To see how a driver uses memory and get a better idea of what values to use with the/Lswitch, use theMEM /Mdriver_namecommand.MEMcan be an enormous help when you're trying to understand memory usage in your computer. If you redirect the output ofMEMto a file with the line/C > MEM_USE.TXT
and then load that file into
EDIT, you can page back and forth throughMEM's report. With the informationMEMsupplies, you can easily see how your computer's memory has been divided and which drivers and TSRs are responsible for your “RAM cram” problems.DOS doesn't load a driver in a UMB if the UMB is smaller than the driver's load size. (Usually, the device driver's file size is equal to its load size.) If the driver requires more memory to run, you must specify one or more
minparameters, which are the sizes of the UMBs that the driver requires when it runs. This procedure forces DOS to load the driver into a larger than normal UMB. Specifyminin bytes after the correspondingregionparameter, with a comma between (for example,/L:1,4096;2,512).
Before you can use the DEVICEHIGH= command to load device drivers into upper memory, UMB space must be available to DOS. The following lines set the stage for using DEVICEHIGH= on a typical 80386 or 80486 computer system:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM DOS=HIGH,UMB
First, the DEVICE= lines load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE into memory. These drivers provide the services necessary for the DOS=HIGH,UMB command, which comes next. Without these three lines at the beginning of your CONFIG.SYS file, the DEVICEHIGH= and LOADHIGH commands cannot access upper memory, so they use conventional memory instead. Note that the DEVICE= line for HIMEM.SYS must come before the line for EMM386.EXE because EMM386 requires memory provided by HIMEM. Neither of these device drivers can be loaded with the DEVICEHIGH= command, but both drivers do attempt to minimize their impact on conventional memory when they load.
Now that everything is ready, use the DEVICEHIGH= command to load device drivers into upper memory just as you would use the DEVICE= command to load them into conventional memory. For instance, the following lines load the ANSI.SYS and SETVER.EXE device drivers into UMBs:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSANSI.SYS DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSSETVER.EXE
When MemMaker optimizes your CONFIG.SYS file for you, the DEVICEHIGH= command lines start looking more complicated with the inclusion of the /L and /S switches:
DEVICEHIGH /L:1,4096 /S=C:DOSANSI.SYS DEVICEHIGH /L:1,1024 /S=C:DOSSETVER.EXE
At this point, if you want DOS to prompt you before loading ANSI.SYS and SETVER.EXE, add question marks directly after DEVICEHIGH on each command line:
DEVICEHIGH? /L:1,4096 /S=C:DOSANSI.SYS DEVICEHIGH? /L:1,1024 /S=C:DOSSETVER.EXE
Note that making these drivers optional defeats the purpose of optimizing their placement in memory, but it does clearly show that the question mark must be placed directly after the command name, not with the equal sign.
Bad or missing filename Error in CONFIG.SYS line number
Warning: DOS displays this message if it can't find the file you specified in a DEVICE=, DEVICEHIGH=, or INSTALL= command in your CONFIG.SYS file. filename is the name of the file that DOS is looking for, and number is the line in CONFIG.SYS where the command is located. Edit the line so that the path and filename are correct and then restart your computer.
Unrecognized command in CONFIG.SYS
Error in CONFIG.SYS line number
Warning: A line in your CONFIG.SYS file contains an illegal command. Usually, this message indicates that you have mistyped the name of a CONFIG.SYS command or have placed ? in an illegal position.
DEVICE=, DOS=, EMM386.EXE, HIMEM.SYS, LH or LOADHIGH, MEM, and MEMMAKER
“Loading Device Drivers and TSRs into Upper Memory” in Chapter 19
The DEVLOAD command can be used outside CONFIG.SYS to load some device drivers that should usually be loaded in CONFIG.SYS. Not all device drives can be loaded from the command line with this command.
The DIR command displays information about files on your disks. It is one of the most commonly used DOS commands. DIR is very handy for trying out complicated pathnames with wildcards to see whether they match the files you wanted.
DIRnow displays numbers with embedded commas, making them much easier to read.By default, the list displayed by the
DIRcommand includes the following information:Volume label and serial number
One directory or filename per line
File size (in bytes)
Date and time of the last modification
Number of files listed
Total bytes listed
Number of available bytes remaining on the disk
When more than one
sortordervalue is specified, the filenames are sorted from the left value to the right value.You cannot use the
DIRcommand for a drive in which you used theASSIGNorJOINcommand. You must break the assignment before you view the directory for a drive in which you usedASSIGN. You cannot use theDIRcommand on the guest disk drive involved in aJOINcommand.DIRdoes not report statistics for disk drives in which you used theASSIGNorJOINcommand. For disk drives in which you usedJOIN,DIRreports the free space of the host disk drive (the disk drive to which the second disk drive is joined) but does not report the total of the two disk drives. You can removeASSIGNorJOINfrom the drive to find its amount of free space.In DOS 5.0 or 6.0, you can use
SET DIRCMDto setDIRswitches in theAUTOEXEC.BATfile. If you wantDIRto display files and directories a page at a time, enter the following command in yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile:SET DIRCMD=/P
To override the preset switch, use the following format:
DIR /-P
To view the options set with the
DIRCMDvariable, type the following command:SET
SET
Appendix B, “DOS Environment Variables,” and “Searching for Files with the DIR Command” in Chapter 8
DISKCOMP compares two floppy disks on a track-for-track, sector-for-sector basis to see whether their contents are identical.
source:
| Indicates the source drive to use for the comparison. If this parameter is omitted, the current drive is used. The source drive must be a DOS floppy disk drive.
|
destination:
| Indicates the destination drive to use for the comparison. If this parameter is omitted, the current drive is used. The destination drive must be a DOS floppy disk drive and can be the same as the source drive.
|
/1
| Compares only the first side of the floppy disk, even if the disk or disk drive is double-sided. |
/8
| Compares only eight sectors per track, even if the first disk has a different number of sectors per track. |
ERRORLEVEL Value
| Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Disks are the same (success) |
| 1 | Disks are not the same |
| 2 | Operation halted by the user (Ctrl+C) |
| 3 | Operation halted by a fatal disk error |
| 4 | Operation halted by an internal error |
If you provide only one valid floppy drive name, DOS uses the current drive for the comparison.
If
source:anddestination:are the same,DISKCOMPprompts you when disks must be swapped.Compare only compatible floppy disks formatted with the same number of tracks, sectors, and sides. Other types of comparisons will fail or give misleading results.
Do not use
DISKCOMPfor a network drive or a drive in which you used theASSIGN,JOIN, orSUBSTcommand.Two disks containing the same files do not compare the same with
DISKCOMPif the information in the files is arranged differently. For that reason,DISKCOMPis useful only when you're comparing floppy disks that were duplicated with theDISKCOPYcommand.
Compare error on Track track, side side
Warning: The disks you are comparing are different at the indicated track and side. DISKCOMP does not specify which sectors are different. If you just used DISKCOPY on these disks and DOS reported no problem, the second disk probably has a flaw. Reformat the disk and try DISKCOPY again. Otherwise, assume that the disks are different.
Compare OK
Information: DISKCOMP compared the two floppy disks and found that they match.
Drive types or diskette types not compatible
or
Incompatible disks
Error: The disk drives are of different types (3 1/2- or 5 1/4-inch disks), or the floppy disks are different. The first disk was successfully read on both sides. DOS noticed the discrepancy when it tried to read the second disk.
Unrecoverable read error on drive x Track track, side side
Warning: DOS made four attempts to read the data from the floppy disk in the specified drive. The error is on the indicated track and side. If drive x is the disk that holds the destination (copied) disk, the copy probably is bad. (The disk has a hard, or unrecoverable, read error.) If drive x holds the original disk, a flaw existed when the disk was formatted, or a flaw developed during use.
Run CHKDSK on the original disk and look for the line bytes in bad sectors. Even if this line is displayed, the original disk and copy may be good. (The bad sectors may not be used by any of the files on the disk.) When you format a disk, FORMAT detects bad sectors and “hides” them. DISKCOMP, however, does not check for bad sectors; it tries to compare the tracks, even if bad sectors exist. For safety's sake, retire the original disk soon.
Invalid drive specification Specified drive does not exist or is non-removable
Error: One (or both) of the specified drives does not exist or is a hard disk. This error can result if you specify only one drive to DISKCOMP and the current drive is a hard disk.
DISKCOPY copies the contents of one floppy disk to another on a track-for-track basis, making an exact copy. DISKCOPY works only with floppy disks.
source:
| Indicates the source drive to use for the copy. If this parameter is omitted, the current drive is used. The source drive must be a DOS floppy disk drive.
|
destination:
| Indicates the destination drive on which the copy will be made. If this parameter is omitted, the current drive is used. The destination drive must be a DOS floppy disk drive and can be the same as the source drive.
|
/1
| Compares only the first side of the floppy disk, even if the disk or disk drive is double-sided. |
/8
| (DOS 1.0 to 5.0 only) Compares only eight sectors per track, even if the first disk has a different number of sectors per track. |
/V
| Verifies that the copy is correct by reading back all information written to the destination disk. This verification slows the copy process. The /V switch is similar to VERIFY set ON.
|
ERRORLEVEL Value
| Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Diskcopy operation successful
|
| 1 | Operation halted by a nonfatal disk read/write error |
| 2 | Operation halted by the user (Ctrl+C) |
| 3 | Operation halted by a fatal disk error |
| 4 | Operation halted by an internal error |
DISKCOPYnow uses the directory that theTEMPenvironment variable points to if it runs out of memory while reading the source disk. Therefore, if you make single drive copies (for example,DISKCOPY A: A:), you no longer have to swap disks two or three times to make those copies. As long as your hard drive has enough space,DISKCOPYreads the entire source disk before asking for the destination disk.The source and destination disk drives must be floppy disk drives—not hard or networked disk drives, RAM disks, or disk drives in which you used the
JOINorSUBSTcommand. Defaulting to or specifying a nonreal source or destination disk drive causes DOS to return an error message and abort the copy operation.If you do not provide a source disk drive name,
DISKCOPYuses the default disk drive. If you provide an improper source disk drive,DISKCOPYissues an error message and aborts.If your system has a single floppy disk drive and you provide only one valid floppy disk drive name, DOS uses that drive as both the source and destination disk drive for the copy. If your system uses two floppy disk drives and you provide only one valid disk drive name, DOS displays the
Invalid drive specification errormessage.DISKCOPYdestroys any information recorded on the destination disk. Do not use as the destination disk one that contains information you want to keep.To ensure that the copy is correct, run
DISKCOMPon the two disks.DISKCOPYignores the effects of anASSIGNcommand.DISKCOPYrecognizes unformatted destination disks and automatically formats them as part of the copying process.Write-protecting the source disk is important when you use only one floppy disk drive to make a copy of a disk. DOS periodically prompts you to change the disk. You cannot damage a write-protected source disk if you inadvertently insert that disk when DOS asks for the destination disk.
When you use
DISKCOPY, DOS reads into memory as much information as possible from the source disk. DOS then copies this information to the destination disk and reads the next batch of information from the source disk. The more free memory is available, the less time you need to copy a disk.DISKCOPYcopies whatever level of file fragmentation is on the source disk to the destination disk. To avert this problem, you might want to runDEFRAGon the source disk before copying it or useFORMATon the destination disk and then useXCOPYto copy files to it.
Drive types or diskette types not compatible
Error: The drive types or disk capacities that you tried to use are different and cannot handle the operation, or the destination disk is the wrong capacity. DOS read the first disk, but the drive specified as the destination is not the right type. DISKCOPY cannot create a high-density copy in a double- or single-density disk drive, or a double-sided copy in a single-sided disk drive. Additionally, most high-density drives cannot make a high-density copy using double-density disks.
Read error on drive d: Write error on drive d:
Warning: DISKCOPY cannot accurately read or write the disk in drive d. The disk is not properly inserted, the source disk is not formatted (or is a non-DOS disk), or the drive door is open. Check these possibilities.
SOURCE diskette bad or incompatible TARGET diskette bad or incompatible
Warning: DISKCOPY detected errors while reading the source disk (first message) or writing to the destination, or target, disk (second message). Bad sectors may exist on either disk, or the disk may be in the wrong type of drive.
Determine whether either floppy disk has bad sectors. If so, do not use DISKCOPY on either disk. If the source disk is bad, use COPY *.* to copy files from the source disk. If the destination disk is bad, try a different disk or try to reformat the disk and then use DISKCOPY.
Invalid drive specification Specified drive does not exist or is non-removable
Error: One or both of the two specified drives do not exist or are hard disks.
DISKMAP.EXE creates a backup FAT that may aid UNDELETE in restoring deleted files. It is not as reliable as DELWATCH, but it uses less memory.
DISKOPT.EXE optimizes drive performance by defragmenting files and free space and organizing files in a directory in contiguous space.
The DISPLAY.SYS device driver adds international code page switching to the DOS console device. When combined with the other international utilities that DOS provides, it enables you to display one of six international character sets (code pages) on your EGA, VGA, or LCD screen. DISPLAY.SYS must be loaded in a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
DEVICE=drive:pathDISPLAY.SYS CON:=(type,hard_cp,num_cp) DEVICEHIGH=drive:pathDISPLAY.SYS CON:=(type,hard_cp,num_cp)
To specify the number of subfonts that the display hardware can support, use the following format:
DEVICE=drive:pathDISPLAY.SYS CON:=(type,hard_cp,(num_cp,subfonts)) DEVICEHIGH=drive:pathDISPLAY.SYS CON:=(type,hard_cp,(num_cp,subfonts))
drive:path
| Specifies the full path to the DISPLAY.SYS file on your system. Setup places the DISPLAY.SYS file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. If the full path to DISPLAY.SYS isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive.
| |||
CON:=
| Specifies that the CON device is being described. The colon is optional, but the parameter itself is required. | |||
type
| Indicates the type of display being used. It must be one of the type codes from the following display type table. This parameter must be enclosed in parentheses. | |||
| Display Type | type
| num_cp
| subfonts
| |
| Color Graphics Adapter | CGA
| 0 | 0 | |
| Monochrome Display Adapter | MONO
| 0 | 0 | |
| EGA, VGA, or Super VGA | EGA
| 0 to 6 | 2 | |
| IBM PC Convertible LCD | LCD
| 0 to 1 | 1 | |
Note that although CGA and MONO display types are allowed, neither of these displays supports code page switching. Loading DISPLAY.SYS for a CGA or MDA display is a waste of memory.
| ||||
hard_cp
| Specifies the hardware code page built into the display, normally 437 in the United States. As long as you specify this parameter, you can always switch back to the default hardware code page built into your display adapter. See Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS,” for a list of the code pages that MS-DOS supports. | |||
num_cp
| Specifies the number of software code pages to allow space for in mem ory. Valid values for num_cp are shown in the previous display type table. If this parameter is omitted, a default value of 1 is used. Specifying 0 reserves no memory for display code pages, which effectively disables code page switching.
| |||
subfonts
| Indicates the number of subfonts that your display hardware supports for each code page. The default values for this parameter are shown in the previous display type table. If subfonts is specified, it and the num_cp parameter must be enclosed in a second set of parentheses.
| |||
Load the
DISPLAY.SYSdriver after any other device drivers that affect the DOS console device. For instance, you should loadDISPLAY.SYSafter you loadANSI.SYSin yourCONFIG.SYSfile. Otherwise, the other console driver is likely to disableDISPLAY.SYS.When
DISPLAY.SYSis loaded, it reserves memory for itself and fornum_cpcode pages.DISPLAY.SYSitself uses about 5KB of memory, the first code page adds 13KB, and each additional code page requires about another 10KB. In total,DISPLAY.SYSneeds 18KB of RAM for one code page, 28KB of RAM for two code pages, and so on.If you do not specify the hardware code page that the display supports, you cannot switch back to it after you activate an alternative software code page. For this reason, you should always specify a value for
hard_cp.Although you are allowed to specify
num_cpequal to zero, doing so defeats the purpose of loadingDISPLAY.SYS. With no additional code pages in memory, you can't switch to a different one, which is the only reason for usingDISPLAY.SYSin the first place. CGA and MDA displays do not support code page switching, so the maximumnum_cpyou can specify for these displays is zero, which once again is a pointless configuration.To display a software code page, you need to perform a number of additional steps. You use the
MODEcommand to prepare and load the code page information into the memory set aside byDISPLAY.SYS. Then, you can useMODEto select the display code page, or you can loadNLSFUNCand use theCHCPcommand to change the active code page for all your devices at once. Additionally, you might want to add theCOUNTRY=command to yourCONFIG.SYSfile to make case conversion and sort order information available.The
KEYButility provides code page support for the input side of the DOS console device. By usingKEYB, you can remap your keyboard to conform with various international conventions.PRINTER.SYSperforms a similar function for certain IBM printers that support code page switching. It is available on the DOS 6 Supplemental disk.
The following line enables an EGA or a VGA display, which uses hardware code page 437, to load and switch to an alternative code page:
DEVICE=C:DOSDISPLAY.SYS CON:=(EGA,437,1)
If you want to load DISPLAY.SYS into upper memory with room for two code pages, use the following line:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSDISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,437,2)
Notice that you can use the CON= or the CON:= format. Two subfonts are available in both of these examples because a display type of EGA defaults to two subfonts.
If you have an IBM Convertible LCD display that uses hardware code page 865 (Nordic) and you want to enable code page switching on it, add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:DOSDISPLAY.SYS CON=(LCD,865,1)
Only one subfont is available because that is the default (and maximum) for LCD displays.
CHCP, COUNTRY=, MODE device CP, NLSFUNC, and PRINTER.SYS
Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS”
The DOS= command offers two options that enable you to adjust the way DOS loads and uses upper memory. If you specify DOS=HIGH, DOS attempts to load itself into the high memory area (HMA). The DOS=UMB command enables DOS to load resident programs into upper memory blocks (UMBs) with the DEVICEHIGH= and LOADHIGH commands. DOS= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
high_low
| Specifies whether DOS should attempt to load itself in the high memory area (DOS=HIGH) or in conventional memory (DOS=LOW). To load HIGH, DOS requires an extended memory (XMS) manager such as HIMEM.SYS. The default value is LOW.
|
umb_noumb
| Specifies whether DOS should manage upper memory blocks created by a UMB provider such as EMM386.EXE (DOS=UMB) or not (DOS=NOUMB). The default value is NOUMB.
|
If you include a
DOS=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, you must include at least one parameter with it. To include more than one parameter, separate them with commas (for example,DOS=HIGH,UMB).Although you can enter more than one
DOS=line in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, it's better not to do so. In general, if the combination of parameters specified with more than oneDOS=line would be legal on the firstDOS=line in the file, you are okay. Sometimes you can specifyDOS=UMBafter using theDEVICEHIGH=command, but you should avoid doing so when possible. All the load order interactions are too confusing and aren't guaranteed to remain the same from one version of DOS to the next. Use oneDOS=line, located directly after the line that loads your memory manager software.You must load
HIMEM.SYS(or another extended memory manager) before specifyingDOS=HIGHin yourCONFIG.SYSfile. DOS loads itself into the HMA after all otherCONFIG.SYSprocessing is complete. If the HMA is unavailable or in use at that time, DOS displays an error message (see the first message in the “Messages” section) and loads itself into conventional memory. The HMA is not available on 8088 and 8086 processors, but is available on 80286 computers withA20line support and at least 1MB of RAM.To allow DOS to load resident programs into upper memory blocks, you must load a UMB provider (such as
EMM386.EXE) and specifyDOS=UMBin yourCONFIG.SYSfile. No error message is displayed if DOS is unable to access the upper memory blocks.
A typical entry for DOS= in your CONFIG.SYS file follows:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM DOS=HIGH,UMB
This entry loads DOS into the HMA and enables the use of the LOADHIGH and DEVICEHIGH= commands. Note that HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE must be loaded before the DOS=HIGH,UMB command. The following series of commands uses an alternative syntax to do the same thing:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM DOS=HIGH DOS=UMB
Because you can split the DOS=HIGH and DOS=UMB commands, you may be tempted to add other commands between them. The following series of commands is legal, but you should avoid chaotic arrangements like this in your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DOS=HIGH FILES=50 BUFFERS=20 DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM LASTDRIVE=Z SWITCHES=/W DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSANSI.SYS DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS DOS=UMB
The use of DEVICEHIGH= before the DOS=UMB command is misleading. Also, if a future version of DOS executes the UMB portion of the DOS= command with the first DOS=HIGH line, UMB support may not be present yet, and the command could fail without displaying an error message. Although this particular series of commands seems to work, other arrangements and commands may cause problems. Because you gain nothing from this type of arrangement, avoid it. Use one DOS= line in your CONFIG.SYS file, located directly after the lines that load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE, and insert blank lines to make logical groups of commands stand out, as shown here:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM DOS=HIGH,UMB BUFFERS=20 FILES=50 LASTDRIVE=Z SWITCHES=/W DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSANSI.SYS DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS
You probably will agree that this example is much easier to read and understand than the one before it.
HMA not available: Loading DOS low
Warning: You specified DOS=HIGH, but DOS was unable to load into the HMA. Typically, it cannot load into this area because the DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS line in your CONFIG.SYS file is not present or is after the DOS=HIGH line. Less likely causes are that the HMA is already in use or that HIMEM was unable to gain control of the A20 line.
DEVICEHIGH=, EMM386.EXE, HIMEM.SYS, and LH (or LOADHIGH)
Chapter 19, “Configuring Your Computer”
DOSBOOK starts the full-screen help utility and online documentation for DR DOS. Normally, you would just enter DOSBOOK at the command line and choose from topics in the menu system. However, you can jump directly to topics using the following syntax.
DOSDATA loads the system tables into upper memory or conventional memory.
DOSDOCK enables mobile computer users to use hot or warm docking. The command specified must be any DOS executable format (for example, .EXE, .COM, or .BAT files).
DOSDOCK loads and remains resident waiting for a DOCK or UNDOCK event. You can set the DOCK or UNDOCK environment variable in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file by using the SET command. DOSDOCK can run the SET DOCK= or SET UNDOCK= command only when no other applications, including Windows, are running.
DOSKEY enhances the usability of the DOS command line. It adds standard editing capabilities and the capability to recall recently used command lines. It also has fairly extensive macro capabilities, with which you can create command aliases or fast batch files. When DOSKEY is first run, it loads itself into memory and remains there until you reboot your computer.
DOSKEY /REINSTALL /BUFSIZE=size /MACROS /HISTORY /INSERT /OVERSTRIKE macroname=text ...
or
DOSKEY /REINSTALL /BUFSIZE=size /M /H /INSERT /OVERSTRIKE macroname=text ...
Ordinarily, DOS remembers the last command you typed at the command line. With
DOSKEY, however, DOS can store a history of commands in memory. The number of commands retained in memory depends on the size of the buffer (normally 512 bytes). When the buffer is full,DOSKEYeliminates the oldest command to make room for the new command. The buffer contains macros and the history of commands.You can press several keys to recall a command in the history. In addition, you can use many keys and key combinations to edit a command on the command line. These keys and their functions are listed in Appendix D,“DOS and DOS Utility Programs' Keyboard Commands.”
DOSKEYenables you to create macros. A macro, like a batch file, performs one or more DOS commands assigned to a specific name. After you type the name of a macro and press Enter, the macro executes the commands assigned to the macro name. When you create a macro, you can use the following special symbols:When you create a macro, you can include any valid DOS command, including the name of a batch file. You can start a batch file from a macro, but you cannot start a macro from a batch file.
With DOSKEY installed, you can easily turn the last few DOS commands that you typed into a batch file. Simply ask DOSKEY to display the contents of the command-line history buffer and redirect the output to a file as follows:
DOSKEY /HISTORY > MYHIST.BAT
Next, load MYHIST.BAT into an ASCII editor such as EDIT and remove any command lines that you don't need.
To define a macro, enter the name of the macro followed by the commands you want executed. Separate the macro name from the commands with an equal sign. For example, the following creates a macro named CDD that changes the current drive and current directory:
DOSKEY CDD=$1: $T CD $2
After the CDD macro is defined, you could enter the following command at the DOS prompt to make drive D the current drive and MYSTUFF the current directory on drive D:
C:>CDD D MYSTUFF
When the preceding command is executed, the CDD macro runs and executes the following DOS commands:
Cannot change BUFSIZE
Error: You cannot change the DOSKEY buffer unless you also use the /REINSTALL switch, which clears the buffer.
Insufficient memory to store macro. Use the DOSKEY command with the /BUFSIZE switch to increase available memory.
Warning: Your DOSKEY macros have filled the total space set aside for them. You must enlarge the memory area for macros (the default is 512 bytes) by using the BUFSIZE switch (and the /REINSTALL switch) before you can enter any new macros. Using REINSTALL clears the buffer.
Invalid macro definition
Error: You entered an illegal character or command with DOSKEY or attempted to create a DOSKEY macro with an illegal definition. This message appears, for example, if you use a GOTO command in a DOSKEY macro. Correct any errors and carefully retype the macro.
Chapter 18, “Mastering DOSKEY and Macros” and Appendix D, “DOS and DOS Utility Programs' Keyboard Commands”
The DOSSHELL command starts the DOS Shell program, which is a full-screen graphical shell program that provides an alternative to using the traditional DOS command line. DOSSHELL is not included in the standard DOS 6.22 package but is available on the DOS 6.22 Supplemental disk.
/B
| Starts the DOS Shell in black-and-white mode rather than in color. | |||
/T:screen
| Displays the DOS Shell in text mode, using the resolution described by screen. (See the screen table below.) You cannot specify /T:screen with /G:screen.
| |||
/G:screen
| Displays the DOS Shell in graphics mode, using the resolution described by screen. (See the following table.) You cannot specify /G:screen with /T:screen.
| |||
| Switch | Monochrome or CGA | EGA | VGA | |
/T:L
| 25 lines | 25 lines | 25 lines | |
/T:M
| 43 lines | 43 lines | ||
/T:M1
| 43 lines | 43 lines | ||
/T:M2
| 43 lines | 50 lines | ||
/T:H
| 43 lines | 43 lines | ||
/T:H1
| 43 lines | 43 lines | ||
/T:H2
| 43 lines | 50 lines | ||
/G:L
| 25 lines | 25 lines | 25 lines | |
/G:M
| 43 lines | 30 lines | ||
/G:M1
| 43 lines | 30 lines | ||
/G:M2
| 43 lines | 34 lines | ||
/G:H
| 43 lines | 43 lines | ||
/G:H1
| 43 lines | 43 lines | ||
/G:H2
| 43 lines | 60 lines | ||
When you start the DOS Shell without parameters, it uses the display and color settings from the last time
DOSSHELLwas run. To use a different display mode, specify a/T:screenor/G:screenparameter when you start the program. DOS Shell records these settings in theDOSSHELL.INIfile.At least 384KB of free conventional memory are required to start the DOS Shell.
Each time you start the DOS Shell, it searches the disk for directories and files to display up-to-date listings in file and tree windows. If you have a large hard disk or a complicated directory structure, this search may take a few seconds.
Do not start Microsoft Windows from the DOS Shell. If you need to run both programs, start Microsoft Windows first and then run the DOS Shell from Windows.
Your
DOSSHELLsettings are preserved in yourDOSSHELL.INIfile. The DOS 6.0 installation does not overwrite or modify this file if it exists, which may produce inconsistencies on your system (references toBACKUPrather than toMSBACKUP, for example). You can avoid these inconsistencies by renamingDOSSHELL.INIbefore you install DOS 6.0 and then manually editing changes from the renamedDOSSHELL.INIinto the newDOSSHELL.INI.When the DOS 6.0 Setup program installs
DOSSHELL, it expands one of three files (CGA.IN_ for CGA monitors,EGA.IN_ for EGA and VGA monitors, orMONO.IN_ for monochrome monitors) from the DOS 6.0 distribution disks and renames itDOSSHELL.INI. To restore your DOS Shell configuration to its defaults, you can expand one of these three files (by usingEXPAND) and replace your present copy ofDOSSHELL.INIwith it.By defining an environment variable named
DOSSHELL, you can specify where you would likeDOSSHELL.INIto be located. For instance, to store theDOSSHELL.INIfile in theC:DOSMSDOSDATAsubdirectory, you could add the followingSETcommand to yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile.SET DOSSHELL=C:DOSMSDOSDATA
If no environment variable named
DOSSHELLis defined, DOS Shell searches for its settings file in the directory that containsDOSSHELL.EXE. IfDOSSHELL.INIcannot be found, a new one is created.DOS Shell creates any temporary files, including task swapping files, in the subdirectory pointed to by the
TEMPenvironment variable if it is defined. IfTEMPisn't defined, temporary files are created in the subdirectory that containsDOSSHELL.EXE.If you are running
POWER, the clock displayed in the DOS Shell program may slow down or stop completely. DOS Shell uses a timer to update the onscreen clock, andPOWERslows down the timer. Note that only the onscreen clock displayed by DOS Shell is affected. The MS-DOS system clock continues to reflect the correct time.In DOS 4.0, DOS Shell was started by a batch file that recorded all the configuration information needed to run DOS Shell on your system. This version of the DOS Shell was very different from later versions, and most of the information presented here doesn't apply to it.
To start the DOS Shell in the default screen mode, enter the following:
DOSSHELL
To start the DOS Shell in black-and-white mode, enter the following:
DOSSHELL /B
Use this command if you have a black-and-white monitor or a laptop or notebook computer with an LCD screen.
Not enough memory to run DOSSHELL
Error: Not enough conventional memory is available to start DOSSHELL. The DOS Shell program requires 384KB of free conventional RAM to load into memory. You may have too many resident programs (TSRs) loaded into memory, in which case you should attempt to remove any that you don't need. You may be trying to start DOSSHELL from a secondary copy of the command processor launched from another program, in which case you should type EXIT to return to your program, quit the program, and then run DOSSHELL.
Not enough free conventional memory to run program
or
Not enough free extended memory to run program
Either of these messages can appear when you try to start a program from the DOS Shell without sufficient available memory. Remove TSRs from memory to free conventional memory. If you are short of extended memory, use MEM /C to see what programs are using extended memory in your computer. Often you can make more extended memory available by decreasing the size of your SMARTDRV disk cache or by allocating less memory to use as expanded memory with EMM386.
Unable to run specified program. Too many tasks running.
Error: You have already opened the maximum number of tasks for your configuration. Close one or more of the open tasks.
Unable to run specified program.
Error: The program that you tried to start cannot be started correctly. You may have specified the program name incorrectly.
You cannot quit MS-DOS Shell with programs in the Active Task List; quit those programs first.
Error: You tried to exit the DOS Shell while at least one program was switched. Exit the switched program and then quit the DOS Shell.
Chapter 4, “Using the DOS Shell”
DPMI temporarily loads or unloads DOS Protected Mode Interface support for the EMM memory manager. DPMI is normally handled through a switch on the EMM386 drive in the CONFIG.SYS file. This enables you to unload or load it from the command line.
DPMS.EXE allows most of the Stacker driver to be stored in extended memory, freeing conventional and upper memory for other programs.
DPMS requires at least a 386 computer with more than 1MB of RAM and a memory manager that provides Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI) services.
DPMS does not work unless the DPMS.EXE file is stored on the hard disk and referenced by a DEVICE= line in the CONFIG.SYS file.
Examining the CONFIG.SYS file and messages shown when the computer is started helps determine whether DPMS is used.
Stacker Setup automatically uses DPMS when possible. However, if STACKER.INI contains an /EMS, /UM, or /-DPMS switch, Stacker does not use DPMS. Stacker Setup adds the EMS switch only if DPMS cannot be used and if a large drive (more than 400MB) is compressed.
To use EMS, delete any switches that enable DPMS. Using expanded memory (EMS) requires a special memory manager, such as EMM386.
The DRIVER.SYS device driver can be used to create an additional drive letter for a floppy disk drive or set the characteristics of a floppy disk drive. For instance, if an external floppy drive is attached to your computer, you can use DRIVER.SYS (or DRIVPARM=) to tell DOS to assign a drive letter to the drive. A more common use is to create a new drive letter— perhaps one with different characteristics—for a drive.
DEVICE=drive:pathDRIVER.SYS /D:num /C /F:type /H:heads /S:sectors /T:tracks
or
DEVICEHIGH=drive:pathDRIVER.SYS /D:num /C /F:type /H:heads /S:sectors /T:tracks
DOS assigns drive letters in a specific order. A and B always refer to the first one or two floppy drives in the system. If the system has a hard disk, the primary partition is assigned the letter C. Next, any remaining hard disk partitions are assigned letters. After that, each DOS-accessible block device driver listed in
CONFIG.SYSis assigned a letter on a first-come, first-served basis. (If DoubleSpace is loaded, it modifies this assignment order by skipping four letters and then working backward. SeeDBLSPACEfor more information.)For instance, if you have two floppy drives and one hard disk (with a single partition) and you include a single
DRIVER.SYSline in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, the letter D would be assigned.DRIVER.SYSdisplays a message informing you of the letter assigned when it is installed. (See the first message in the “Messages” section.)Most newer floppy disk drives can signal the computer when their drive door has been opened. Because opening the door implies that the disk in the drive may have been changed, this feature is referred to as change line support. Unless you are installing a 360KB 5 1/4-inch disk drive, the chances are good that your new floppy drive has change line support built in. Specifying the
/Cparameter can speed up DOS access to the drive.MS-DOS 6 seems to have problems recognizing that the medium in a drive has changed when the medium does not have a volume serial number. Disks most likely to not have serial numbers are ones formatted by DOS versions before 4.0, preformatted disks, and disks formatted with some third-party utilities. This is a good reason to make sure that the hardware change line is working for your disk drive. If DOS is unaware that you have changed the disk in a floppy disk drive, it may write the wrong file allocation table (FAT) to the disk, destroying any data that was previously stored on it.
If you specify the
/F:typeparameter, you can omit the/H:heads,/S:sectors, and/T:tracksparameters, and vice versa. You can use any combination of these parameters; the last ones entered have precedence.Many times, the
DRIVER.SYSdevice driver is simpler and more flexible to use thanDRIVPARM=, although both often achieve the same results. They can both configure logical drives, but onlyDRIVER.SYScan create a new one.DRIVPARM=, however, uses no additional memory in your system.You cannot use
DRIVER.SYSto reconfigure an existing drive to support a format it was not made for. For instance,DRIVER.SYScannot be used to allow an older 360KB 5 1/2-inch disk drive to read the newer 1.2MB disks.DRIVER.SYScan instruct DOS to make use of only the capabilities that both DOS and the drive support.
Suppose that your system has two 5 1/4-inch disk drives and a hard disk. To configure an external 1.44MB 3 1/2-inch floppy disk drive that you have attached to your system, enter a line such as the following in your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:DOSDRIVER.SYS /D:2 /F:7
After loading, DRIVER.SYS displays the following message: Loaded External Disk Driver for Drive D.
Or, if your system has a single 1.44MB 3 1/2-inch floppy and a hard drive, you might want to create an alias for the floppy drive so that you can format 720KB disks without specifying any switches for FORMAT. To create a 720KB alias for it, you might enter the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSDRIVER.SYS /D:0 /F:2
As far as DOS is concerned, drive D refers to a 720KB 3 1/2-inch floppy drive. Drives A and B are unchanged and refer to a 1.44MB 3 1/2-inch floppy drive. All three drive letters refer to the same physical drive, but D has different characteristics from A and B.
DRIVPARM is an advanced command that defines the characteristics of an existing block device, such as a disk drive, and associates a drive letter with it. Normally, you use this command only when instructed to do so by the manufacturer of the drive you are installing. DRIVPARM= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
In many cases, the
DRIVER.SYSdevice driver is simpler and more flexible to use thanDRIVPARM=, although both often achieve the same results. They can both configure logical drives, but onlyDRIVER.SYScan create a new one. However,DRIVPARM=uses no additional memory in your system.In most cases, the
DRIVPARM=line should come immediately after the line that loads the device driver for the drive you are configuring. Normally, the instructions for installing the drive's device driver tell you which parameters to use withDRIVPARM=. An exception occurs when you are adding support for a 3 1/2-inch floppy drive attached to a standard floppy controller, which requires no device driver.Most newer floppy disk drives can signal the computer when their drive door has been opened. Because opening the door implies that the disk in the drive may have been changed, this feature is referred to as change line support. Unless you are installing a 360KB 5 1/4-inch disk drive, the chances are good that your new floppy drive has change line support built in. Specifying the
/Cparameter can speed up DOS access to the drive.MS-DOS 6 seems to have problems recognizing that the medium in a drive has changed when the medium does not have a volume serial number. Disks most likely to not have serial numbers are ones formatted by DOS versions before 4.0, preformatted disks, and disks formatted with some third-party utilities. This is a good reason to make sure that the hardware change line is working for your disk drive. If DOS is unaware that you have changed the disk in a floppy disk drive, it may write the wrong file allocation table (FAT) to the disk, destroying any data that was previously stored on it.
Do not use
DRIVPARM=unless the installation instructions for the hardware or software you are installing in your system tells you to do so. Normally,DRIVPARM=can be used only to support additions to your system rather than reconfigure existing hardware or software.You cannot use
DRIVER.SYSto reconfigure an existing drive to support a format it was not made for. For instance,DRIVER.SYScannot be used to allow an older 360KB 5 1/2-inch disk drive to read the newer 1.2MB disks.DRIVER.SYScan instruct DOS to make use of only the capabilities that both DOS and the drive support.
Probably the most common use of the DRIVPARM= command is to create a drive letter for a 3 1/2-inch floppy disk drive that is not supported by the ROM BIOS in that computer. The following line defines the 3 1/2-inch 1.44MB floppy disk drive as drive D (3), using the default values for heads, sectors, and tracks:
DRIVPARM=/D:3 /F:7 /I
If the floppy disk drive were the second one in your system and supported only 720KB media, you would use the following line:
DRIVPARM=/D:1 /I
Note that you can omit the /F:2 because, in this case, the default value is correct. If you run the preceding command on a system in which the second floppy drive is a 1.44MB 3 1/2-inch drive, you can read only 720KB disks; you cannot read 1.44MB disks.
The DRMOUSE driver detects a serial or PS2 mouse and loads support for it.
DRVLOCK locks or unlocks the specified drive or socket. When used to lock a drive, it secures the medium. When used to lock a socket, it prevents PCMCIA PC Card removal.
DYNALOAD enables you to dynamically load a device driver from the DOS command prompt.
To load the device driver into low memory, use the following syntax:
DYNALOAD device_driver parm1 parm2 ... /?]
To load the device driver into high memory, use the following syntax:
LOADHIGH DYNALOAD device_driver parm1 parm2 ... /?]
device_driver
| Specifies the drive, path, and filename of the device driver to be loaded. |
parm1 parm2 ....
| Specifies any command-line parameters required by the device driver for proper execution. |
/?
| Displays the abbreviated online help. |
DYNALOAD cannot be run in a Windows Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) when task swapping is active or when DESQview is active.
DYNALOAD works with the following DOS device drivers:
The E command starts the PC DOS E Editor, a full-screen editor used to create, edit, save, and print ASCII text files.
drive:pathfilename
| Specifies the drive, directory, and file to edit. Multiple files can be edited at one time. Each file requires its drive and path specification. |
/q
| Turns off the display of the Loading... message.
|
/b
| Displays files in browse (read-only) mode. |
/s
| Uses EMS (or hardfile if no EMS is available) to edit files too large for conventional memory. |
/d
| Forces a file to be loaded from disk. |
/i
| Opens the STACKER.INI file for editing.
|
/c
| Opens the CONFIG.SYS file for editing.
|
/a
| Opens the AUTOEXEC.BAT file for editing.
|
/dm
| Disables the mouse. |
/80
| Enables 80-column, 16-color text video (CGA/EGA/MCGA/VGA/SVGA/XGA). |
/132
| Enables 132-column, 16-color text video (XGA). Using this switch disables the mouse. |
=filename
| Specifies use of the same path as last specified at the DOS command prompt or “same as current file's” at the editor command line. |
/?
| Displays the abbreviated online help. |
The ECHO command has two functions. First, you can use it to display messages onscreen from a batch file. Second, you can use ECHO to control whether DOS displays onscreen each command line from the batch file before executing the command line.
To display a message, use the following format:
ECHO message
To turn on or off the display of commands and other batch-command messages, use the following format:
ECHO onoff
To see the status of ECHO, use the following format:
ECHO
message
| Specifies the text of the message to be displayed onscreen. |
onoff
| Specifies whether or not each command line in the batch file is displayed before being executed. ECHO ON turns on the display of command lines. ECHO OFF turns off the display of command lines. Note that this setting has no effect on the output generated by a command, only on the display of the command line that DOS is about to execute.
|
Setting
ECHO ONorOFFcontrols only the display of command lines from the batch file before they are executed. It has no effect on the output generated by a DOS command. The message generated by thePAUSEcommand,Press any key to continue..., and the message generated by theCOPYcommand,1 file(s) copied, are examples of output generated by a command. They are not suppressed byECHO OFF.When
ECHOisON, DOS displays each command line before executing it. This capability can be handy when you are debugging a batch file. After the batch file is working correctly, you generally want to include anECHO OFFcommand at the beginning of the batch file to suppress echoing command lines. UsingECHO OFFcan speed up the batch file a little as well.You can suppress the display of a single batch file line by typing
@as the first character in the line. The command itself is executed, but the command line is not displayed. For example, when you type the line@ECHO OFF, the command lineECHO OFFis not displayed, but theECHOflag is set toOFF.To display a blank line onscreen, enter the command
ECHOfollowed by a period (with no intervening spaces) in your batch file. This is a special use for theECHOcommand and can make your batch file screen output more attractive and readable.You cannot display pipe characters (
|) or redirection symbols (<or>) in anECHOmessage. Redirection symbols are intercepted by the parser and are acted on.DOS starts every batch file with
ECHO ON. TheECHOsetting (ONorOFF) remains in effect until DOS completes batch processing or encounters anotherECHO ONorECHO OFFcommand. If one batch file invokes another, theECHOsetting from the first batch file remains in effect. When DOS returns control to the command line,ECHOis restored to theONstate.If you issue an
ECHO OFFcommand at the DOS prompt, the DOS prompt is not displayed. You can still see the commands you are entering, however. To restore the DOS prompt, enterECHO ON.You can use
ECHOto send ANSI commands to your screen. IfANSI.SYSis active in memory and the message displayed byECHOcontains legal ANSI commands, they are acted on rather than displayed. You can use this technique to display very complex, multicolored screens from a batch file. To enter ANSI commands into your batch file, you need an editor that enables you to enter Escape characters (ASCII 27) into the text.To suppress the output of a command, use I/O redirection to the null device (NUL). For example, to suppress the
1 file(s) copiedmessage generated by theCOPYcommand, use the following format:COPY file1.ext file2.ext > NUL
The command output is sent to the null device instead of to the console, so it is not displayed onscreen.
Caution
If you redirect the output of a program that is going to remain resident in memory (TSR), you may waste one of the file handles that DOS has available for programs to use. When you redirect the output of a program to the NUL device, the NUL device is assigned a file handle that isn't released until the program terminates. In the case of resident programs, this file handle often remains unavailable until you restart DOS. This can cause problems if you are in the habit of suppressing the output of resident programs loaded in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Batch files commonly begin with the following line:
@ECHO OFF
This command turns ECHO OFF at the beginning of the batch file, and the at sign (@) tells DOS not to display the ECHO OFF command itself. If you start a batch file with this command, no unnecessary screen output is displayed.
Another very common use for ECHO is to explain the inclusion of a PAUSE command in a batch file. For example, to instruct the user to insert a particular floppy disk in drive B, include the following lines in a batch file:
ECHO Insert the Working Backup disk in drive B: ECHO. ECHO Press Ctrl-Break to abort the backup, or PAUSE
Assuming that ECHO is OFF when these commands are executed, the following messages are displayed:
Insert the Working Backup disk in drive B: Press Ctrl-Break to abort the backup, or Press any key to continue...
Note that the PAUSE message is anticipated in the ECHO messages. If you use the CHOICE command instead, you can control all the text that is displayed onscreen.
To display a menu, you can use ECHO to display a screenful of messages. Then, you can let the user pick an item from the list by using the CHOICE command, as the following lines demonstrate:
@ECHO OFF CLS ECHO. ECHO F First action ECHO S Second action ECHO T Third action ECHO. CHOICE /C:FST "Choose an action "
The CLS command is often used with ECHO to control the amount of distracting information that is left behind on the screen by other commands. Note that the ECHO. (ECHO period) command is used to display blank lines. (Blank lines included in a batch file are ignored by DOS and are not displayed onscreen.)
The EDIT command activates the DOS full-screen ASCII text-file editor. EDIT is very handy for writing batch files or making changes to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file. Although limited to working on one file at a time, EDIT offers block copy and move operations as well as search and replace features. EDIT uses the editor built into QBASIC.EXE; so to use EDIT, QBASIC.EXE must be in one of the subdirectories listed in your PATH variable.
Chapter 15, “Using the DOS Editor”
EDLIN is an old-fashioned, line-oriented text editor that is much more awkward to use than EDIT. If you have anything else to use for editing ASCII text files, you probably should avoid using EDLIN. The only good thing about EDLIN is that the program file is small. EDLIN is no longer distributed with the standard DOS package but is available on the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk. Instructions for using EDLIN are in the COMMANDS.TXT file included on the Supplemental Disk.
Because of the way EGA display adapters are made, they present certain problems for task-switching software. EGA.SYS attempts to solve these problems. If you have an EGA display and use the task-switching functions of the DOS Shell program, you need to load EGA.SYS. You must load EGA.SYS in either a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
drive:path
| The full path to the EGA.SYS file on your system. Setup places the EGA.SYS file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. If the full path to EGA.SYS isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive.
|
You can use
EGA.SYSonly if your system uses an EGA display. With any other type of display,EGA.SYSdoes not load into memory.In addition to being required by the task swapper in DOS Shell,
EGA.SYSmay be required by Microsoft Windows. Third-party task-switching software often requires the assistance ofEGA.SYSor a similar driver that it provides. You can have (and need) only oneEGA.SYStype driver loaded at a time.If you have an EGA display and you use the Microsoft Mouse driver, you may be able to save some memory by loading
EGA.SYSbefore loading your mouse driver into memory. Many of the functions inEGA.SYSare duplicated in the Microsoft Mouse driver, and if it finds EGA support already in place, the mouse driver doesn't load those functions.
To load the EGA.SYS device driver into upper memory, you might add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file:
The EJECT command ejects the medium from a drive. If no drive is specified, the medium is ejected from the current drive.
The EMM386 command enables you to control the use of expanded memory (EMS) and upper memory blocks (UMBs) in a computer with an 80386SX or higher CPU. Before you can run EMM386 from the DOS command line, you must load the EMM386.EXE device driver into memory by adding a DEVICE= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file. After the EMM386.EXE device driver is loaded into memory, you can use EMM386 from the DOS command line to view the status of EMS and UMB memory and turn various features on and off.
onoffauto
| Enables EMM386.EXE (ON), disables it (OFF), or enables it to provide expanded memory and upper memory block support only when a program requests it (AUTO). The default is ON.
|
W=onoff
| Enables (W=ON) or disables (W=OFF) support for the Weitek coprocessor. The default is W=OFF.
|
Before you can use
EMM386.EXEfrom the command line, you must installEMM386as a device driver inCONFIG.SYS.Entering
EMM386with no parameters causes a status report of EMS and UMB memory use to be displayed.EMM386honors a request to be turned off only when no EMS or UMB memory is in use. In other words, you can't use theOFFparameter if you are loading any programs into upper memory.The high memory area (HMA) must be available to enable a Weitek coprocessor. If DOS is loaded into HMA by a
DOS=HIGHstatement in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, you might not be able to enable the Weitek coprocessor.
The EMM386.EXE device driver can convert extended memory (XMS) into LIM 4.0–compatible expanded memory (EMS) on a computer with an 80386SX or higher CPU. EMM386.EXE can also create upper memory blocks (UMBs), which DOS can use to load other device drivers and programs into when you add the DEVICEHIGH= and LOADHIGH commands, respectively. EMM386.EXE requires that an XMS-compatible memory manager, such as HIMEM.SYS, be present before EMM386.EXE will load into memory. EMM386.EXE must be loaded in a DEVICE= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
DEVICE=drive:pathEMM386.EXE onoffauto ramval MIN=size W=onoff Ms FRAME=xxxx /Pyyyy /Pn=yyyy X=mmmm-nnnn I=mmmm-nnnn B=zzzz L=xmsmem A=regs H=hhh D=nnn RAM=mmmm-nnnn NOEMS NOVCPI HIGHSCAN VERBOSE WIN=mmmm-nnnn NOHI ROM=mmmm-nnnn NOMOVEXBDA ALTBOOT
drive:path
| Specifies the full path to the EMM386.EXE file on your system. By default, Setup places the EMM386.EXE file in the C:DOS subdirectory. If the full path to EMM386.EXE isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive.
| ||||
onoffauto
| Enables EMM386.EXE (ON), disables it (OFF), or enables it to provide expanded memory and upper memory block support only when a program requests it (AUTO). The default is ON.
| ||||
ramval
| Represents the maximum amount of RAM, in kilobytes, to be assigned as EMS 4.0/Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI) memory. Enter a value ranging from 64 to 32768 or the amount of extended memory available when EMM386.EXE is loaded. Any number that you enter is rounded down to the nearest multiple of 16. The default is 0 if NOEMS is specified. Otherwise, all available extended memory is used as EMS/VCPI memory.
| ||||
MIN=size
| (DOS 6 and later) Specifies the minimum amount of RAM (in kilobytes) that EMM386 is guaranteed to provide. Enter a value ranging from 0 to the value of ramval. The default is 0 if NOEMS is specified; otherwise, it is 256. If size is greater than ramval, size is used.
| ||||
W=onoff
| Enables (W=ON) or disables (W=OFF) support for the Weitek coprocessor. The default is W=OFF.
| ||||
Ms
| Indicates the beginning address of the EMS page frame. s is a number that represents the beginning address. You cannot combine the Ms parameter with the /FRAME=xxxx or /Pyyyy parameters. The numbers and associated hexadecimal addresses are as follows:
| ||||
| Ms | Memory Address | Ms | Memory Address | ||
| M1 | C000 | M8 | DC00 | ||
| M2 | C400 | M9 | E000 | ||
| M3 | C800 | M10[*] | 8000 | ||
| Ms | Memory Address | Ms | Memory Address | ||
| M4 | CC00 | M11[*] | 8400 | ||
| M5 | D000 | M12[*] | 8800 | ||
| M6 | D400 | M13[*] | 8C00 | ||
FRAME=xxxx
| Specifies a hexadecimal address from 8000 through 9000, and C000 through E000 in increments of 400 hexadecimal or NONE. The latter disables the page frame and may cause programs that require expanded memory to fail. You cannot combine the FRAME=xxxx parameter with the Ms or /Pyyyy parameters.
| ||||
/Pyyyy
| Specifies a hexadecimal address from 8000 through 9000, and C000 through E000 in increments of 400 hexadecimal. You cannot combine the /Pyyyy parameter with the Ms or FRAME=xxxx parameters.
| ||||
Pn=yyyy
| Defines an address for a page segment. n represents the page and can have a value of 0 through 255. yyyy is a hexadecimal address from 8000 through 9000, and C000 through E000 in increments of 400 hexadecimal. To remain compatible with EMS 3.2, P0 through P3 must be contiguous addresses. You cannot specify P0 through P3 with this option if you use the Ms, FRAME=xxxx, or /Pyyyy parameters.
| ||||
X=mmmm-nnnn
| Specifies a range of memory that should not be used for an EMS page frame or UMB space. mmmm and nnnn can have values ranging from A000H through FFFFH and are rounded down to the nearest 4KB boundary. The X switch overrides the I switch if their ranges overlap.
| ||||
I=mmmm-nnnn
| Specifies a range of memory that can be used for an EMS page frame or UMB space. mmmm and nnnn can have values ranging from A000H through FFFFH and are rounded down to the nearest 4KB boundary. The X switch overrides the I switch if their ranges overlap.
| ||||
B=zzzz
| Indicates the lowest address to use for bank switching (swapping of 16KB pages). zzzz can have a value from 1000H through 4000H. The default is 4000H.
| ||||
L=xmsmem
| Specifies the number of kilobytes that must remain as extended memory instead of being converted to EMS memory. The default is 0. For 1MB of memory to remain as extended memory, use L=1024.
| ||||
A=regs
| Allocates the number of fast alternative register sets that EMM386.EXE may use (for multitasking). regs can have a value from 0 through 254. The default is 7. Each alternative register set adds about 200 bytes to the size of EMM386.EXE in memory.
| ||||
H=hhh
| Enables you to change the number of handles EMM386.EXE can use. hhh can have a value from 2 to 255. The default is 64.
| ||||
D=nnn
| Specifies the amount of memory (in kilobytes) reserved for DMA (buffered direct-memory access). This value should cover the largest nonfloppy transfer. nnn can have a value from 16 through 256. The default is 32.
| ||||
RAM=mmmm-nnnn
| Specifies a range of memory to be used for UMBs. If you specify RAM without a value, EMM386.EXE allocates all available extended memory, an EMS page frame is established in upper memory, and all remaining upper memory space is converted to UMBs.
| ||||
NOEMS
| Specifies that access to UMBs be provided, but not for expanded memory; that is, an EMS page frame is prohibited. | ||||
NOVCPI
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Disables support for VCPI applications. Must be used with NOEMS, in which case ramval and MIN are ignored.
| ||||
HIGHSCAN
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Causes EMM386.EXE to be more aggressive in scanning upper memory for UMBs. Your computer may stop responding if you use this switch.
| ||||
VERBOSE
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Directs EMM386.EXE to display status and error messages when DOS boots. This switch can be abbreviated as V. (You can also get status and error messages by holding down the Alt key while DOS boots.)
| ||||
V
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Same as VERBOSE (see preceding entry).
| ||||
WIN=mmmm-nnnn
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Reserves the specified memory address range for Microsoft Windows and prevents EMM386.EXE from using that area of memory. mmmm and nnnn can have values ranging from A000H through FFFFH and are rounded down to the nearest 4KB boundary. The X switch overrides the WIN switch if their ranges overlap. The WIN switch overrides the RAM, ROM, and I switches if their ranges overlap.
| ||||
NOHI
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Prevents EMM386.EXE from loading any part of itself into upper memory. Normally, EMM386.EXE uses about 5KB of upper memory for itself. Specifying this switch makes more UMB space available but increases the size of EMM386.EXE in conventional memory.
| ||||
ROM=mmmm-nnnn
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Specifies a range of memory for shadow RAM, which is read-only memory (ROM) copied into faster RAM. mmmm and nnnn can have values ranging from A000H through FFFFH and are rounded down to the nearest 4KB boundary.
| ||||
NOMOVEXBDA
| (DOS 6.0 and later) Prevents EMM386.EXE from moving the extended BIOS data from conventional memory to upper memory.
| ||||
ALTBOOT
| (DOS 6 and later) Directs EMM386.EXE to use a different method of restarting your computer when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Specify this parameter only if your computer stops responding or exhibits other unusual behavior when EMM386.EXE is loaded into memory and you press Ctrl+Alt+Del.
| ||||
[*] Use only in computers with at least 512KB of memory. | |||||
EMM386.EXEworks only on 80386, 80386SX, and higher systems.HIMEM.SYSmust be installed as a device driver inCONFIG.SYSbeforeEMM386.EXE.You cannot use the
DEVICEHIGH=command to loadEMM386.EXEinto memory.EMM386.EXEis required to provide the UMBs that theDEVICEHIGH=command loads device drivers into.EMM386.EXEdoes attempt to minimize its impact on conventional memory when it loads, using only about 3KB in most cases. To preventEMM386.EXEfrom loading parts of itself into upper memory, specify theNOHIparameter.To create UMBs, you must include the
RAMorNOEMSparameters, and you must include at leastDOS=UMBinCONFIG.SYS.Before you can use
EMM386from the command line, you must installEMM386.EXEas a device driver inCONFIG.SYS.Any
DEVICEHIGH=commands inCONFIG.SYSmust come after theDEVICE=HIMEM.SYSandDEVICE=EMM386.EXE RAM(orNOEMS) commands.When
EMM386.EXEis used with Microsoft Windows 3.1, theI,X,NOEMS,Ms,FRAME, andPyyyyswitches override theEMMINCLUDE,EMMEXCLUDE, andEMMPAGEFRAMEsettings in the WindowsSYSTEM.INIfile.SMARTDRVdouble-buffering may be required beforeDEVICEHIGH=commands, which load installable device drivers that use expanded memory.When
EMM386.EXEis not supplying expanded memory, non–VCPI-compliant programs can run (for example, Microsoft Windows 3.0 in Standard mode).The high memory area (HMA) must be available to enable a Weitek coprocessor. If DOS is loaded into HMA by a
DOS=HIGHstatement in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, you might not be able to enable the Weitek coprocessor.
ERASE is an alternative name for the DEL command. For information on using the DEL or ERASE command, see the entry for DEL in this command reference.
ERAQ is an alternative command for the DR DOS DELQ command. See the detailed description under DELQ.
The EXE2BIN command changes appropriately formatted .EXE files to .BIN or .COM files. EXE2BIN is a programmer's utility; it is provided as a courtesy for those who have compilers that cannot create a memory-image file directly. Most people never find an occasion to use this program. EXE2BIN is included with the DOS 6.0 Supplemental Disk, not in the standard DOS 6.0 package.
exe_file
| The .EXE file to be converted into a memory image file. If no drive is specified, the current drive is assumed. If no subdirectory path is specified, the current subdirectory is assumed. A filename is required, but if you don't specify an extension, .EXE is assumed. Wildcards are not allowed.
|
binary_file
| The name of the memory image file to be created. If no drive is specified, the current drive is assumed. If no subdirectory path is specified, the current subdirectory is assumed. If no filename is specified, the filename designated in exe_file is used. If no extension is specified, a .BIN extension is added.
|
EXE2BINis a programming utility that converts.EXE(executable) program files to.COMor.BIN(memory-image) files. The resulting program consumes less disk space and loads slightly faster. Unless you use a compiler-based programming language, you probably will never use this command.Before
EXE2BINconverts an.EXEfile to memory-image format, a number of requirements have to be met. In most cases, a program has to be written with this transformation in mind. You cannot convert the typical.EXEprogram file by usingEXE2BIN.
You can use EXIT to remove a temporary copy of COMMAND.COM from memory. Typically, you use this command to return to an application program that gives you access to the DOS prompt while it's running. EXIT can remove only temporary copies of COMMAND.COM; it cannot accidentally remove the permanent copy that is loaded when your computer starts up.
EXIThas no effect on a copy ofCOMMAND.COMloaded with the/Pswitch. Normally, you loadCOMMAND.COMwith the/Pswitch only in theSHELL=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. Any additional copies that you run (from a batch file, for example) can be removed from memory with theEXITcommand.EXITis used to close a DOS window in Microsoft Windows. It terminates the temporary copy ofCOMMAND.COMthat Windows launched to create the DOS window.
You can use the EXPAND command to copy a compressed, unusable file from the DOS distribution disks to an uncompressed, usable form.
source1
| The name of the compressed source file. If no drive is provided, the current drive is assumed. If no subdirectory path is provided, the current subdirectory is assumed. If this parameter is omitted, you are prompted for the source and destination. Wildcards are not allowed. |
source2
| Additional compressed source files. You can designate as many as can fit in the 127-character limit for a DOS command line. You cannot specify additional source parameters without also specifying a destination parameter.
|
destination
| If only one source file is specified, destination can be the full name and location of the destination file, with normal default assumptions. If more than one source file is specified, only a drive and/or path can be specified for the destination. If destination is omitted, DOS prompts you for the name and location to use for expanded files.
|
You can use
EXPANDto decompress files from the DOS distribution disks only.If you specify more than one compressed file, you can specify only a destination drive or path (not a filename).
If you don't specify a compressed file or a destination,
EXPANDprompts you for the missing information.If you use
EXPANDon a file that is not compressed, an error message appears (see the first item in the following “Messages” section). Despite the error message, the file is still copied to the destination; it just isn't expanded.
Files stored on the original DOS 5.0 and 6.0 disks are compressed files. This compression enables more data to be stored on fewer disks. Before you can use a file on these disks, however, you must decompress the file.
When you use
SETUPto install DOS, the files are decompressed as they are transferred to the subdirectory you chose to install DOS into. If you delete a file accidentally or if a file becomes corrupted, you must retrieve the file again from the original DOS disk.EXPANDtransfers the file and decompresses it in the process. ConsiderEXPANDto be a kind of “one-way”COPYcommand.Refer to the file
PACKING.LSTfor a list of which files are included on each of the DOS distribution disks. Microsoft marks the compressed files by replacing the last letter of the extension with an underscore (_). Setup copies thePACKING.LSTfile into yourDOSsubdirectory when it installs MS-DOS 6.
To expand MOVE.EXE from DOS distribution disk #1 to the C:DOS subdirectory, enter the following line:
EXPAND A:MOVE.EX_ C:DOSMOVE.EXE
EXTRACT extracts files from compressed cabinet, or .CAB, files. Microsoft uses .CAB files to compress all the installation files for Windows 95 and Windows 98.
EXTRACT /Y /A /D|/E /L drive:path cabinet filename ... EXTRACT /Y source newname EXTRACT /Y /C source destination
The FASTHELP command provides a brief description and the syntax of a DOS command. This is the same help you get by including the /? switch when you issue a DOS command.
command
| The DOS command for which you want help. If you do not provide a command name, DOS provides short, one-line descriptions of all DOS commands. |
FASTOPEN keeps directory information in memory so that DOS can quickly find and open the files you use most. FASTOPEN remains in memory (TSR), so be careful not to run it more than once. If you use FASTOPEN, you should add it to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
drive:
| Specifies the name of the drive for which directory information should be held in memory. |
=num
| Specifies the number of directory entries to be held in memory (10 to 999). The default is 48. The equal sign is optional. |
...
| Specifies the number of additional drive:=num parameters you need.
|
/X
| Tells DOS to use expanded memory to store the information buffered by FASTOPEN.
|
You must specify the name of at least one drive for which entries are to be kept in memory. The drive cannot be a floppy drive.
You can use
FASTOPENfor up to 24 nonfloppy drives, for a total of 999 files. In the command line, simply type the additional drive names, separated by spaces.Do not use
FASTOPENfrom the DOS Shell or when you are running Windows or a disk defragmentation program, such asDEFRAG.If you provide
nnn, the value must be between 10 and 999, inclusive. The minimum value forFASTOPENis 10, or the maximum level of your deepest directory plus 1—whichever is greater.You cannot run more than one copy of
FASTOPEN. If you want to changeFASTOPENsettings, you must reboot your computer.Each
FASTOPENentry you specify increases the size ofFASTOPENby approximately 48 bytes.
FASTOPENworks by keeping directory information in memory. Because disk buffers already hold FAT information,FASTOPENenables DOS to search memory for a file or subdirectory entry, to locate the corresponding FAT entry quickly, and to open the file. If you have many files and useFASTOPENeffectively, you can increase DOS's performance.As is true of
BUFFERS, no predetermined best number exists. The default value of 48 works well in many installations. If your subdirectories run many levels deep or if you use many files, specifying a larger number can improve performance. Using too large a value fornnn(greater than 200), however, slows the system. DOS spends more time examining in-memory directory entries than rereading the entries from the disk.Alternatively,
FASTOPENcan be loaded from yourCONFIG.SYSfile with theINSTALL=command rather than in yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile. With DOS 6, there is no advantage to either placement. Just make sure that you do not attempt to loadFASTOPENfrom both yourCONFIG.SYSand yourAUTOEXEC.BATfiles.In most cases, you should use the
SMARTDRVdisk cache instead ofFASTOPEN.SMARTDRVhas fewer dangerous interactions with other programs and can speed up your computer even more thanFASTOPEN. If you don't have enough memory to useSMARTDRVeffectively, consider using theBUFFERS=command to optimize disk-access time.
The FC command enables you to compare files for differences. Using the FC switches, you can configure it to do a strict byte-for-byte comparison (as COMP does) or to attempt to resynchronize after differences are detected.
For ASCII text files, use the following syntax:
FC pathname1 pathname2 /A /C /L /LBbuffer /N /T /W /resync
For binary files, use the following syntax:
FC pathname1 pathname2 /B
A difference in a binary file comparison is displayed as follows:
aaaaaaaa: xx yy
aaaaaaaarepresents the hexadecimal address of a mismatching pair of bytes,xxis the mismatching hexadecimal byte from the first file, andyyis the mismatching hexadecimal byte from the second file.If you use a wildcard in the first filename, DOS compares all the specified files with the second filename. If you use a wildcard in the second filename, DOS uses the corresponding value from the first filename in the second filename.
To compare every text file in the current directory with C:README.TXT, use the following command:
FC *.TXT C:README.TXT
To compare README.TXT in the current directory with C:README.TXT, use the following command:
FC README.TXT C:*.TXT
To compare every text file in the current directory with the file of the same name in C:, use this command:
File handles were added in DOS 2.0. Most programs written since that time use file handles, not file control blocks (FCBs), to open files. The FCBS= command sets the maximum number of open files a program using DOS 1.0 FCBs can have. With newer programs, you usually don't need this command. FCBS= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
maxopen
| The maximum number of open FCBs that a program can use. Any value in the range of 1 to 255 is allowed. The default value is 4. |
Not many programs use FCBs anymore. Include the
FCBS=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile only if a program asks you to, or if an old utility starts mysteriously failing. Otherwise, accept DOS's default setting of four FCBs. If you setmaxopento 1, you might find that certain small command-line utilities begin to fail.Be aware that FCBs are ancient history. If you depend on any programs that require them, you are living on borrowed time, and you should start looking for replacements. If you receive a new program that asks you to use the
FCBS=command, complain (loudly) to the manufacturer. Microsoft has carried this legacy from CP/M for several years now, and with every release of DOS comes the chance that FCBs will no longer be supported.If a program attempts to open more than
maxopenFCBs, DOS automatically closes some of them.Each FCB that is available to programs increases the size of DOS by approximately 60 bytes.
For newer programs, set the maximum number of open files by using the
FILES=command.Some older versions of DOS supported a second argument,
neverclose, forFCBS=. DOS 5 and 6 have no need for thenevercloseargument and will ignore it.
FDISK is a full-screen program that prepares a hard disk to accept an operating system, such as DOS. It sets up partitions on a hard disk as well as designates which partitions are used to start up the computer if no floppy disk is in drive A. On a new hard drive, you must run FDISK before you can use the FORMAT command on the drive.
Caution
FDISK is an extremely dangerous command. Making any changes with FDISK effectively deletes all the information on your hard drive. MS-DOS 6 does not include any utilities with which you can recover information lost through the use of FDISK.
You must use
FDISKto create a partition on a hard disk before you can useFORMATto format the hard disk.You can change the size of a partition only by deleting existing partitions and creating new ones. This procedure deletes all data in the partitions.
FDISKdoes not work withSUBSTaliases, Interlnk drives, network drives, CD-ROM drives, or removable drives of any kind.FDISKworks only with hard drives that are supported by the ROM BIOS in your computer.FDISKdoes not work with hard drives that require you to load a device driver in yourCONFIG.SYSfile to operate.
Although Setup places
FDISKin theC:DOSsubdirectory by default, consider copyingFDISK.EXEto a floppy disk and deleting it from your hard drive. IfFDISK.EXEisn't on your hard disk, no one can run it, thus avoiding the possible data loss that could result from someone's curiosity.If you need to use
FDISK, back up your hard disk; make sure that you have a bootable floppy disk with at least theFORMATcommand and your backup software on it. AfterFDISKhas finished with your hard drive, you cannot boot from it (or even read it) until you have reformatted the drive.The
MIRRORcommand can save partition information into a file, which can be used by theUNFORMATcommand to restore a damaged partition table. Although this capability is still a part ofUNFORMAT, theMIRRORcommand is no longer distributed with DOS and is available only on the Supplemental Disk. Before you useFDISK, you might want to get a copy ofMIRRORand save your partition information so that you can restore it if you have problems.Starting with DOS 3.3, you can use
FDISKto create multiple logical partitions on a single drive. In DOS 4.0,FDISKand DOS were upgraded to handle partitions larger than 32MB. The maximum size of a single partition for the DOS 6 version ofFDISKis 2GB.If you plan to use more than one operating system, use
FDISKto partition part of the hard disk for DOS and another part of the hard disk for the other operating system.
FILELINK is a utility to transfer files between two computers via a serial or parallel port connection. The FILELINK command with no parameters starts the FILELINK utility in full-screen mode. This command has so many command-line parameters that it is highly recommended you run it without any parameters to start the full-screen utility rather than use it via the command line.
When a program tries to open a file, DOS assigns that file a handle, which is just a fancy name for an ID number. The FILES= command sets the maximum number of file handles that DOS has available for programs to use. FILES= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
maxopen
| The maximum number of open file handles that DOS allows. Any value in the range of 8 to 255 is allowed. The default value is 8. |
Always specify a value for
FILES=in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. DOS's default value of 8 is much too low for today's software programs. You typically need around 30 to 40 file handles, perhaps more if you are running programs such as Microsoft Windows. A good minimum setting is 20.If a program attempts to open a file when DOS has no more file handles available, it is denied access to the file. DOS does not close open file handles, unlike FCBs, while a program is running.
Each file handle available to programs increases the size of DOS by approximately 60 bytes.
Most programs display a meaningful message if they run out of file handles. If this happens, increase the
FILES=setting in yourCONFIG.SYSfile by 5 and restart your computer.Many software installation programs inspect the setting you are using for
FILES=and may even increase it without telling you. Always look through yourCONFIG.SYSandAUTOEXEC.BATfiles after installing new software, and make sure that any modifications they've made are acceptable to you.
FILEUP starts the File Update System application to maintain duplicate files in two locations.
Using the File Update program with floppies requires that the File Update program reside on both systems. For INTERLNK or a LAN, the File Update program files need to reside in only one system.
The FIND command displays all the lines of the designated files that match (or do not match, depending on the switches used) the specified string.
"string"
| Represents the characters you want to find. The characters must be enclosed in quotation marks. |
pathname
| Indicates the file that you want to search. All the normal drive and subdirectory defaults apply, but you cannot use wildcards. If you omit pathname, FIND acts as a filter, searching input that has been redirected to it.
|
...
| Indicates that you can enter as many pathname parameters as necessary.
|
/C
| Displays a count of the total number of lines that contain "string".
|
/I
| Specifies that the search is not case sensitive (DOS 5.0 and later versions). |
/N
| Displays lines that contain "string", preceded by the file line number.
|
/V
| Displays lines that do not contain "string".
|
ERRORLEVEL Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | FIND completed successfully and found at least one match.
|
| 1 | FIND completed successfully but found no matches.
|
| 2 | FIND aborted due to an error and cannot report whether any matches were found.
|
You can use more than one file specification. All file specifications must appear after the string and must be separated by spaces.
If you do not provide any file specifications,
FINDexpects information from the keyboard (standard input).If you use switches with
FIND, you must place them betweenFINDand the string. Most DOS commands require that you place switches at the end of the command line.You must enclose the string in double quotation marks. To use the double–quotation mark character itself in the string, use two double quotation marks in a row.
Wildcards are not allowed in file specifications. You can get the effect of wildcards by using
FINDin aFORcommand.
FINDis one of several filters provided with DOS 3.0 and later versions. The command can find lines that contain strings and those that do not.FINDalso can number and count lines of text, instead of simply displaying them.This filter is useful when it is combined with DOS I/O redirection. You can redirect the
FINDcommand's output to a file by using the>redirection symbol. BecauseFINDaccepts a sequence of files to search, you do not have to redirect the input toFIND.
To search README.TXT for "Microsoft", use the following command:
FIND "Microsoft" C:DOSREADME.TXT
To search all batch files in the current directory for "default", use the following command:
FOR %%A IN (*.BAT) DO FIND "default" %%A
To determine the path and filenames for all batch files on the current disk, use this command:
You can use the FOR command to repeat a single command, executing it once for each member of a list or group of files. Unlike most of the other batch commands, FOR can be very useful from both the command line as well as in a batch file.
When used in a batch file, the syntax is as follows:
FOR %%variable IN (set) DO command parameters
When used on the DOS command line, the syntax is as follows:
FOR %variable IN (set) DO command parameters
variable
| Specifies a single character DOS uses to represent the current value of set. You can use any character for variable except the digits 0 through 9, the redirection symbols (<, >, and |), and the slash (/). In a batch file, variable must be preceded by two percent signs (%%), but on the DOS command line only one is used.
|
set
| Specifies one or more words or pathnames separated by spaces or commas. Wildcards are allowed in the filename.ext portion of any pathname specified. None of the members of set can include embedded spaces. The enclosing parentheses are required.
|
command
| Represents the DOS command to be executed for each word or file in the set. Almost all DOS internal or external commands can be used, with the notable exception of the FOR command itself.
|
parameters
| Represents any parameters you would like to pass to the command being executed. Normally, one or more occurrences of variable are used in the command parameters to pass the current value of set to the command.
|
You can use more than one word or file pathname in the
set. Use spaces or commas to separate each word or file pathname from the next. Any or all parts of a pathname may be used, but wildcards are allowed only in the filename and extension portions.No member of the
setcan include embedded spaces. In other words, you can't usevariableto replace more than a single “word.”You must precede every occurrence of
variablewith two percent signs in a batch file and one percent sign at the DOS prompt. The reason for this difference is that each line in a batch file is passed through a routine called a parser, which fills in any replaceable parameters before DOS executes each command. The parser removes any single percent signs it finds; if two percent signs in a row are encountered, however, one will remain after the parser is finished. By the time DOS executes the command, only one of the two percent signs you typed remains. When you execute theFORcommand from the DOS prompt, the line isn't parsed, and no percent signs are removed.variablebecomes each literal word or filename inset. If wildcards are used, each file matched becomes a member of the set. TheDOcommand executes once for each value in the set.variablecan be used in thecommandportion of theFORcommand as well as in theparametersportion. This capability can be useful if you want to execute a series of commands. You can use thevariableas many times as you need to after theDOkeyword. It will be replaced with the current member ofsetevery time it appears.You cannot nest
FOR..IN..DOcommands. That is, you cannot useFORas the command executed in theDOportion of aFOR..IN..DOloop. All other DOS internal and external commands are legal.If you execute a batch file directly in the
DOportion of theFORloop, batch file processing ends when that batch file terminates, and control never is returned to theFORloop. To avoid this situation, use theCALLorCOMMAND /Ccommands to execute batch files inFOR..IN..DOloops.If you use a variable name that is more than one character long or if you omit
IN, the parentheses aroundset, orDO, DOS displays a syntax error message.Avoid using redirection symbols (
<,>, and|) with theFORcommand. In general, DOS ignores output redirection, and most redirected input will fail.Do not attempt to use the “at” sign (
@) to suppress the display of the command in theDOloop. DOS does not interpret the@correctly and searches for an executable file that begins with an “at” sign. To accomplish the same thing, useECHO OFFbefore executing theFORcommand.Although doing so is legal, you can't use the
GOTOcommand to jump to a series of labels in a batch file from theDOportion of aFORcommand. TheGOTOcommand works just fine, but there is no mechanism available that enables you to return to theFORloop when the section of the batch file that you jumped to is finished. To accomplish this task, you have to use theCALLcommand to call separate batch files instead of jumping to sections in the same batch file.Be very careful if you are using destructive commands such as
DELorDELTREEin aFORloop. Although you are debugging theFORcommand, you might want to substitute theDIRcommand, which does not do any harm if anything goes wrong. Make sure that you think through every possible situation. Also, make sure that the wrong files won't be deleted before putting any batch file with a destructiveFORloop into use.
Suppose that you want to back up all settings files that Windows uses from a batch file. By combining the COPY command with FOR, you could accomplish this with the following line in your batch file:
FOR %%A IN (INI GRP PAR DAT) DO COPY C:WINDOWS*.%%A A:
Assuming that you had previously prompted to insert the backup disk in drive A, the FOR command would execute the COPY command once for each type of file (.INI, .GRP, .PAR, and .DAT) in which Windows typically saves configuration information.
To execute the same command from the DOS prompt, use single percent signs rather than double ones, as shown here:
FOR %A IN (INI GRP PAR DAT) DO COPY C:WINDOWS*.%A A:
You can use the FOR command to execute a command a specific number of times. For example, to display five blank lines from a batch file, you could include the following command:
FOR %%A IN (1 2 3 4 5) DO ECHO.
After all, there is no rule that says you have to use the %%A variable in the DO portion of the command. The preceding FOR loop repeats the ECHO. (ECHO period) command once for each member in the set, displaying five blank lines onscreen.
You can use FOR to enable a command that doesn't support wildcards to process a pathname specified with wildcards. A classic example of this technique involves the TYPE command. To display multiple files with TYPE, you could enter the following command in a batch file:
FOR %%A IN (%1) DO TYPE %%A
If you specified a pathname that included wildcards as the first parameter to the batch file, TYPE would be executed once for each file that matched the pathname. The only thing wrong with this is that TYPE would display all the files without pausing; so, to see a particular file, you would have to hover over the pause key. Despite this drawback, this example illustrates how you can use the FOR command to overcome this limitation in a command.
The FORMAT command initializes a disk to accept DOS information and files. FORMAT also checks the disk for defective tracks and (optionally) places DOS on the floppy disk or hard disk.
ERRORLEVEL Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Format operation successful |
| 3 | Halted by user (Ctrl+C) |
| 4 | Halted by a fatal disk error |
| 5 | Halted by user at the Proceed with Format (Y/N)? prompt
|
If you do not provide a drive name, DOS uses the current drive.
Unless otherwise directed through a switch, DOS formats the disk to the DOS maximum capacity for the drive.
Some switches do not work together. For example, you cannot use the following switch combinations:
In DOS 5.0 and later versions, if you do not specify
/U,FORMATperforms a “safe” format. DOS creates a file containing file information and saves the file to a safe place on disk where theUNFORMATcommand can find it if you need to unformat the disk.FORMATthen clears the FAT and root directory of the disk but does not erase any data. Therefore, theUNFORMATcommand enables you to restore a disk if you did not intend to format it.If you are formatting a hard disk,
FORMATdisplays the following message:WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE d: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)?Type
Yto format the hard disk orNto abort the formatting operation.
FORMATnow displays numbers with embedded commas, making them much easier to read.Do not try to format any type of virtual disk; a disk that is part of an
ASSIGN,SUBST, orJOINcommand; or a networked or Interlnk disk.Never try to format a RAM disk. Under some circumstances,
FORMATacts erratically when you use it to format a RAM disk, particularlyRAMDRIVE(the DOS RAM disk program). The responses can range from aDivide overflowmessage to a lockup of your computer. If the computer locks up, turn off the system and then turn it on again. Obviously, you lose the RAM disk's contents, but no hard or floppy disks are damaged.In pre-5.0 versions of DOS,
FORMATdestroys the information recorded on a floppy or hard disk. Do not use the command on any disk—floppy or hard—that contains useful information.In DOS 5.0 and later versions,
FORMATperforms a safe format. When you use the command to format a previously formatted disk, DOS copies the FAT and root directory before clearing them and then checks the disk. The existing data is not cleared. If you accidentally format a safely formatted disk, you can unformat the disk. To erase all data from a previously used floppy disk, use the/Uswitch. An unconditional format takes about 27 percent longer than the default safe format.The
/Qswitch, another feature of DOS 5.0 and later, enables you to format a disk quickly. The/Qswitch clears the FAT and root directory but does not check the disk for bad sectors. To reuse a disk that you know is good, use the/Qswitch. The quick format is nearly 80 percent faster than the default safe format.The 160KB and 180KB disks are known as single-sided, double-density, 5 1/4-inch disks.
The 320KB and 360KB disks are known as double-sided, double-density, 5 1/4-inch disks.
The 1.2MB disks are known as double-sided, quadruple or high-density, 5 1/4-inch disks.
The 720KB disks are known as double-sided, double-density, 3 1/2-inch disks.
The 1.44MB disks are known as double-sided, quadruple or high-density, 3 1/2-inch disks.
The 2.88MB disks are known as double-sided, extra-high-density, 3 1/2-inch disks.
Checking existing disk format
Information: FORMAT is checking the disk to see whether it has been formatted previously.
Saving UNFORMAT information
Information: If the disk has been formatted, the directory and FAT are saved on the disk, and a safe format is performed. A safely formatted disk can be unformatted.
Drive A error. Insufficient space for the MIRROR image file. There was an error creating the format recovery file.
Warning: The previously formatted disk doesn't have room for the mirror-image file (the file that contains a copy of the FAT and root directory). The disk doesn't have enough room to save a copy of the root directory and FAT. Be sure that you want to format the disk that is located in the drive.
This disk cannot be unformatted.
Warning: FORMAT displays this message when it is prevented from saving information on the disk for UNFORMAT to use. You most likely will see this message when the disk is too full and not enough free space exists for the UNFORMAT information to be saved.
Invalid media or track 0 bad disk unusable
Warning: Track 0 holds the boot record, FAT, and directory. This track is bad, and the floppy disk is unusable. Try reformatting the floppy disk. If the error reoccurs, you cannot use the floppy disk.
This error can occur when you format 720KB floppy disks as 1.44MB floppy disks (if you forget to use the /N:9 or /F:720 switch when you format the disk in a 1.44MB drive), or when you format 360KB floppy disks as 1.2MB floppy disks (if you forget the /4 or /F:360 switch).
This error also can occur when you format 1.2MB floppy disks at lower capacities (such as 360KB) and use the /4 switch. In this case, try using a floppy disk rated for double-sided, double-density use.
WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE d: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)?
Warning: FORMAT is warning you that you are about to format a hard disk. To format the hard disk, type Y and press Enter. If you do not want to format the hard disk, type N and press Enter.
GoTo transfers control to the line following a labeled line in the batch file and continues executing the batch file from that line. GOTO is an unconditional jump and always transfers control whenever the command is encountered.
label
| The label that DOS should jump to. label transfers execution to the batch file line following label.
|
To define a label, enter it at the beginning of a line, preceded by a colon (
:). Only the first eight characters of a label are significant, although you can enter as many characters as you want without generating an error. All characters on a line past the eighth character of a label are ignored. Spaces are not allowed in labels.When the command
GOTOlabelis executed, DOS jumps to the line following the label and continues executing the batch file. The label can be placed before or after theGOTOstatement in the batch file.If a batch file does not contain the label specified by
GOTO, the batch file stops and DOS displays aLabel not founderror message.Adding a colon as the first character of a line in a batch file effectively “comments out” the line by causing DOS to treat it as a label rather than as a line to be executed. DOS interprets it as a label, however, so using
REMis safer.Although
GOTOdoesn't generate an error message when you use it from the DOS command line, neither does it serve any purpose. Labels have no meaning on the command line, so theGOTOcommand has no place to jump to.
GRAFTABL loads into memory the tables of additional character sets to be displayed on the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA). GRAFTABL is included on the DOS 6.0 Supplemental Disk, not in the standard DOS 6.0 package.
codepage
| Represents the three-digit number of the code page for the display. The default value is 437, the code page for the U.S. See Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS,” for a list of the code pages that DOS supports. |
/STATUS
| Displays the code page selected for use by GRAFTABL. You cannot specify a codepage and request /STATUS information in the same command. This parameter can be abbreviated as /STA.
|
ERRORLEVEL Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | New character set loaded; no set was loaded previously |
| 1 | New character set loaded; previous set replaced |
| 2 | Disk error prevented loading new character set |
| 3 | Command line invalid; no action taken |
| 4 | Incorrect DOS version running |
Load
GRAFTABLto display legible characters in the ASCII range 128 to 255 when you are in graphics mode on the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA).GRAFTABLincreases the size of DOS by 1,360 bytes.If you do not specify a
codepage, DOS uses code page 437 in the USA.After you invoke
GRAFTABL, the only way to deactivate the command is to restart DOS.The IBM CGA in graphics mode produces low-quality ASCII characters in the 128-to-255 range.
GRAFTABLis useful only when your system is equipped with the CGA and when you use the CGA in medium- or high-resolution graphics mode.
GRAPHICS enables the Print Screen key to print the contents of a graphics screen on a suitable printer. When you first run GRAPHICS, it loads itself into memory and remains there until you restart your computer.
HCONVERT updates an earlier Stacker drive that was not mounted during Stacker Setup or a removable Stacker drive that needs to be updated.
Drive
| Specifies the drive letter to be converted. |
source
| Specifies the name of the STACVOL file to update.
|
target
| Indicates the STACVOL file to create when using the /g switch.
|
/c source
| Updates the named STACVOL file to the new Stacker format.
|
/g source target
| Generates a STACVOL file in the new storage format by copying the named old STACVOL file as a new Stacker volume. It does not change the existing STACVOL file. If you omit the drive letter in either volume name, the current disk is used.
|
/m
| Use with either /c or /g on a monochrome monitor.
|
/?
| Displays the abbreviated online help. |
HELP is a full-screen, online help system that includes information about every DOS command. HELP contains the entire text of the “MS-DOS 6 Command Reference” section from the Technical Reference manual published by Microsoft. In addition, it provides hypertext links and a searchable index that can help you move quickly from one topic to the next.
DOS version 5.0 included a HELP command as well, but it bore more resemblance to the DOS 6 FASTHELP command than to the DOS 6 online help system.
command
| Indicates the command that you want information about. If this parameter is omitted, HELP displays its table of contents screen.
|
/B
| Specifies that HELP should use colors more appropriate for a black-and-white (monochrome) or LCD display.
|
/G
| Specifies that HELP should use the fastest screen-updating method for a CGA monitor. Don't specify the /G switch if you see “snow” on your monitor.
|
/H
| Specifies that HELP should display 43 lines on an EGA monitor or 50 lines on a VGA monitor.
|
/NOHI
| Specifies that HELP should limit itself to 8 colors rather than 16.
|
For
HELPto work,QBASIC.EXEmust be in the current directory, in your search path, or in the same directory asHELP.COM.Help is available for many topics other than DOS commands (for example, CONFIG.SYS commands). See
HELP'S table of contents for a complete list.In addition to extensive syntax help,
HELPdisplays usage notes, examples, and links-related material by hypertext links.You can get simple syntax help for DOS commands from
FASTHELPor by typing the following command:command /?
HIINSTALL (or INSTALLHIGH) executes a program from the CONFIG.SYS file and loads it into upper memory.
HILOAD is a DR DOS alternative command for the LOADHIGH command. See the detailed description under LOADHIGH.
If your computer has more than 1MB of RAM installed, you should load HIMEM.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file. HIMEM.SYS is an XMS v3.0-compatible extended memory manager. Its services are required in order for DOS to use the extended memory your computer has installed. HIMEM.SYS should be one of the first device drivers loaded with the DEVICE= command in your CONFIG.SYS file.
For most people, the DEVICE= line that loads HIMEM.SYS can be very simple:
DEVICE=drive:pathHIMEM.SYS
The full syntax for HIMEM.SYS can seem intimidating, but all the optional parameters have appropriate defaults:
DEVICE=drive:pathHIMEM.SYS /A20CONTROL:onoff /CPUCLOCK:onoff /EISA /HMAMIN=min /INT15=size /NOTEST /NUMHANDLES=num /MACHINE:machcode /SHADOWRAM:onoff /VERBOSE /V
Note
HIMEM.SYS versions 3.07 through 3.09 (v3.09 is distributed with DOS 6) may fail to recognize more than 64MB of memory on an EISA computer even with the /EISA parameter specified. If you have this problem, contact Microsoft and ask for document number Q98111 as well as any other available material that can help you get around this limitation.
/HMAMIN=min
| Only one application can use the HMA at a time. The Normally, you want to load DOS into the HMA to save 43KB of conventional memory. However, DOS does not allocate the HMA until after all other device drivers and programs in your | ||
/INT15=size
| Certain older applications use the Interrupt 15h interface to allocate extended memory. If you are using a program that requires this type of memory, you can set some aside for it by using the /INT15=size parameter. size is specified in kilobytes and can be any value in the range 64 to 65,535, or the amount of extended memory you have in your system—whichever is lower. Note that you should specify 64KB more than your application requires because the HMA is allocated from this memory as well. Any memory you set aside with the /INT15 parameter is unavailable to programs using the standard XMS interface. If you do not specify the /INT15 parameter, no memory is set aside (except the HMA).
| ||
/NOTEST
| This parameter specifies that you do not want HIMEM.SYS to scan extended memory when it loads. Normally, HIMEM.SYS attempts to identify weak and unreliable RAM chips by scanning all extended memory.
| ||
/NUMHANDLES=num
| When programs request extended memory, they are given a handle to an extended memory block by HIMEM.SYS. The /NUMHANDLES=num parameter specifies how many handles HIMEM.SYS should have available. num can be any value in the range 1 to 128. If this parameter is omitted, 32 handles will be available. Each handle increases the size of HIMEM in memory by approximately 6 bytes. If the /VERBOSE (or /V) parameter is specified, HIMEM.SYS displays the number of handles available when it finishes loading into memory. (See the message num extended memory handles available in the following “Messages” section.)
| ||
/MACHINE:machcode
| This parameter is required only if
| ||
| Computer Type | Code | Abbreviation | |
| IBM AT or 100% compatible | 1 | AT | |
| CompuAdd 386 systems | 1 or 8 | AT | |
| JDR 386/33 | 1 | AT | |
| Phoenix BIOS | 1 or 8 | AT or WYSE | |
| IBM PS/2 | 2 | PS2 | |
| Datamedia 386/486 | 2 | PS2 | |
| UNISYS PowerPort | 2 | PS2 | |
| Phoenix Cascade BIOS | 3 | PTLCASCADE | |
| HP Vectra (A and A+) | 4 | HPVECTRA | |
| AT&T 6300 Plus | 5 | ATT6300PLUS | |
| Acer 1100 | 6 | ACER1100 | |
| Toshiba 1600, 1200XE, and 5100 | 7 | TOSHIBA | |
| Wyse 12.5MHz 286 | 8 | WYSE | |
| Hitachi HL500C | 8 | WYSE | |
| Intel 301z or 302 | 8 | WYSE | |
| Tulip SX | 9 | TULIP | |
| Zenith ZBIOS | 10 | ZENITH | |
| IBM PC / AT (alternative delay) | 11 | AT1 | |
| IBM PC / AT (alternative delay) | 12 | AT2 | |
| CSS Labs | 12 | CSS | |
| IBM PC / AT (alternative delay) | 13 | AT3 | |
| Philips | 13 | PHILIPS | |
| HP Vectra | 14 | FASTHP | |
| IBM 7552 Industrial Computer [*] | 15 | IBM7552 | |
| Bull Micral 60 [*] | 16 | BULLMICRAL | |
| Dell XBIOS [*] | 17 | DELL | |
You might have to specify 1 or AT as the machine type for your computer, despite the fact that 1 is the default value for the For the version of | |||
/SHADOWRAM:onoff | This parameter is useful only on computer systems with less than 2MB of RAM. On such systems, if Note that specifying | ||
/VERBOSE | This parameter specifies that HIMEM.SYS should display status messages while it loads. By default, HIMEM.SYS doesn't display any messages unless an error occurs. You also can turn on the display of messages while HIMEM.SYS is loading by pressing the Alt key. | ||
/V
| This switch is an abbreviated form of the /VERBOSE parameter.
| ||
[*] Not available in the version of | |||
HIMEM.SYSnow automatically performs a memory scan to identify RAM chips that are becoming unreliable. An unreliable RAM chip can halt your computer in the middle of a critical operation and could lead to a serious loss of data. If you don't wantHIMEM.SYSto perform this memory scan, include the new/NOTESTswitch.HIMEM.SYSrequires at least an 80286-based computer with more than 1MB of RAM installed in order to run. Computers with less than 1MB of RAM have no extended memory to manage.You cannot load
HIMEM.SYSwith aDEVICEHIGH=command.HIMEM.SYSis one of the programs that enables you to load other device drivers or programs into upper memory with theDEVICEHIGH=orLOADHIGHcommands.HIMEM.SYSdoes attempt to minimize its use of conventional memory; afterHIMEM.SYSis loaded, it uses only about 1KB of conventional memory.The line that loads
HIMEM.SYSshould be one of the very firstDEVICE=lines in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. If any other driver using extended memory is loaded beforeHIMEM.SYS, the chances are very good thatHIMEM.SYSwill refuse to load.The DOS 6 Setup program inserts the
DEVICE=line, which loadsSETVER.EXEbefore the line forHIMEM.SYS. This doesn't cause any problems, but it does prevent you from loadingSETVER.EXEinto upper memory with theDEVICEHIGH=command. To gain a little conventional memory, move theDEVICE=line forSETVER.EXEafter the lines that loadHIMEM.SYSandEMM386.EXEand change theDEVICE=command into aDEVICEHIGH=command.HIMEM.SYS(or another XMS-compatible memory manager) must be loaded before you can use any of the following commands or drivers in yourCONFIG.SYSfile:DEVICEHIGH= DOS=HIGH DOS=UMB EMM386.EXE
The
DOS=UMBandDEVICEHIGH=commands actually depend on a UMB provider such asEMM386.EXE. Because most UMB providers require the use of XMS memory, however, they all indirectly depend onHIMEM.SYS.If
HIMEM.SYSis unable to gain control of theA20address line, it aborts with an error message. (See the messageERROR: Unable to control A20 line!in the following “Messages” section.) Unless your computer's hardware is incompatible,HIMEM.SYSshould be able to gain control; its failure to do so usually means that another program is preventingHIMEM.SYSfrom doing its job. Two programs cannot share control of extended memory, so you have to remove one of them from your CONFIG.SYS file. Check to see whether you are loading any third-party memory managers before the line that loadsHIMEM.SYS. (IfHIMEM.SYSwere loading first, your third-party memory manager would be the one displaying the error message, probably telling you to removeHIMEM.SYS.)If no other memory managers are loading before
HIMEM.SYS, it might be baffled by the method used to control theA20address line in your computer. In these cases, you have to specify a/MACHINE:machcodeparameter to tellHIMEMhow to control theA20address line. Look for your computer in the table of machine codes. (See the table of machine codes in the preceding “Parameters and Switches” section.) If you find your computer listed, add a/MACHINE:machcodeparameter to the line that loadsHIMEM.SYSin yourCONFIG.SYSfile.
The first few lines in most people's CONFIG.SYS files look something like this:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM MIN=0 DOS=HIGH,UMB
First, HIMEM.SYS is loaded into memory to provide access to the HMA and XMS-compatible memory. Then, EMM386.EXE is loaded, which provides upper memory block (UMB) support for DOS as well as EMS-compatible memory for those programs that use it. (The RAM switch enables UMB and EMS support, and MIN=0 lets EMM386.EXE release back into the memory pool EMS memory that's not in use.) Finally, DOS is instructed to load itself into the high memory area (HMA) provided by HIMEM.SYS and to establish connections with the UMBs provided by EMM386.EXE.
If you own an Acer 1100 computer, you might have to include a /MACHINE parameter to let HIMEM.SYS know how to control the A20 line in your computer, as shown in the following example:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS /MACHINE:ACER1100 /V
When you include the /V (or /VERBOSE) parameter, HIMEM.SYS displays all messages while it loads into memory, so you can keep track of how it is doing. Notice that you can enter the machine code parameter as /MACHINE:ACER1100 or /MACHINE:6, but not as /ACER1100.
64K High Memory Area is available
Information: If you have specified the /VERBOSE parameter, HIMEM.SYS displays this message after successfully gaining control of the A20 line.
ERROR: An Extended Memory Manager is already installed
Error: Another XMS memory manager was installed before HIMEM.SYS. If you are using a third-party memory manager, remove the line that loads HIMEM.SYS from your CONFIG.SYS file. If you want to use HIMEM.SYS, remove the other memory manager instead.
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires an 80x86-based machine
Error: HIMEM.SYS can't run on 8088- and 8086-based computers. The only function of HIMEM.SYS is to control and regulate the use of extended memory, and these types of computers don't have any.
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires DOS 3.00 or higher
Error: Version 3.09 of HIMEM.SYS, which is the version distributed with MS-DOS 6.0, requires at least DOS 3 to run. If you know that you're running DOS 5 or 6 (to find out, use the VER command), check your SETVER.EXE version table to make sure that no one has entered HIMEM.SYS into it as a practical joke.
ERROR: No available extended memory was found
Error: HIMEM.SYS can't find any extended memory in your system. You may not have enough RAM installed to run HIMEM.SYS.
ERROR: Unable to control A20 line!
Error: HIMEM.SYS displays this message if it is unable to gain control of the A20 line in your computer. Normally, this message means that you must specify a /MACHINE:machcode parameter on the line that loads HIMEM.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file.
ERROR: VDISK memory allocator already installed XMS Driver not installed
Error: A device driver that loaded before HIMEM.SYS allocated some extended memory with the Interrupt 15h interface. To get HIMEM.SYS to load, make sure that the DEVICE= line for HIMEM.SYS precedes the driver using Interrupt 15h. To reserve memory for this other driver, specify an /INT15=size parameter on the line for HIMEM.SYS.
Installed A20 handler number num
Information: HIMEM.SYS has gained control of the A20 line using machine handler number num. Check the table shown earlier in the “Parameters and Switches” section to see what computer system num corresponds to.
Minimum HMA size set to minK
Information: Programs that attempt to allocate less than minK RAM in the HMA are denied. If min is greater than zero, you've probably set the /HMAMIN=min parameter to prevent another program from grabbing the HMA before DOS can get to it.
num extended memory handles available
Information: HIMEM.SYS has created num extended memory block handles, either by default or through the use of the /NUMHANDLES=num parameter.
Shadow RAM disabled
Information: On computers with less than 2MB of RAM, HIMEM.SYS often disables shadow RAM to make more extended memory available. If you don't want HIMEM.SYS to disable shadow RAM, specify the /SHADOWRAM:ON parameter.
WARNING: Invalid parameter ignored
Warning: An invalid parameter was specified on the line that loaded HIMEM.SYS. Check the line in CONFIG.SYS carefully and look any for mistyped options.
WARNING: Shadow RAM disable not supported on this system
Warning: HIMEM.SYS is unable to disable shadow RAM for your computer. If you want to turn off shadow RAM, you have to use your computer's CMOS Setup program or set jumpers on the motherboard.
WARNING: Shadow RAM is in use and can't be disabled
Warning: You have specified /SHADOWRAM:OFF, but it's already in use and HIMEM.SYS can't disable it. You might have to use your CMOS Setup program if you want to turn off shadow RAM on your computer.
WARNING: The A20 Line was already enabled
Warning: Another program has enabled your computer's A20 line, and HIMEM.SYS is unsure what to make of it. Usually, HIMEM.SYS still assumes control of extended memory. To avoid this warning, make sure that HIMEM.SYS is loaded before any other drivers that use extended memory. If you have another device driver that needs to control the A20 line, you might have to specify the /A20CONTROL:OFF parameter to get HIMEM.SYS to cooperate with the other device driver.
WARNING: The High Memory Area is unavailable
Warning: This message may appear if you have only 1MB of RAM or if another program has taken over the HMA. Make sure that HIMEM.SYS is loaded before any other drivers that use extended memory.
You use the IBMAVSP command to start IBMAVSP, the IBM AntiVirus standalone program. This program can help find and remove a virus when the system is too badly infected to use the full-screen IBM AntiVirus program. It can also be incorporated into .BAT files. If no options are specified, IBMAVSP operates interactively.
IBMAVSP * *n drive... -mem -allfiles -programs -oneflop -loglogfilename -vlog -nlog -nb -copenerr -cerr -nrep -nwipe -nfscan -yrep -ywipe -yfscan /?
The IEXTRACT command extracts a file from an Internet Explorer backup information file with the .DAT extension.
/W
| Generates a warning before overwriting a file. |
/L dir
| Saves extracted files in the location specified by dir.
|
drive:path
| Specifies the drive and path location of the .DAT file.
|
filename
| Specifies the name of the file or files to extract from the backup information file. If no filename is specified, all files in the .DAT file will be extracted.
|
You can use the IF command to add conditional execution of a DOS command to your batch files. You can test for three types of conditions with the IF command: the value of an exit code returned by a program, the equivalence of two alphanumeric strings, and the existence of a file or subdirectory.
To test the exit code returned by a program, use the following form of the IF command:
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL number command parameters
To compare two alphanumeric strings, use the following form of the IF command:
IF NOT string1==string2 command parameters
To check for the existence of a file or files, use the following form of the IF command:
IF NOT EXIST pathname command parameters
NOT
| Tests for the opposite of the condition. In other words, IF NOT executes the command if the condition is false.
|
ERRORLEVEL number
| Tests the exit code (0 to 255) that a program returns when it terminates. If the exit code is greater than or equal to the number, the condition is true.
|
string1==string2
| Compares two alphanumeric strings to determine whether they are identical. This comparison is case sensitive, so upper- and lowercase characters are not considered equal. The strings can include literals, batch file replaceable parameters (such as %1), environment variables (such as %COMSPEC%), or any combination of the three.
|
EXIST pathname
| Tests whether the file specified by pathname exists. If no drive or path is included in pathname, the current drive or directory is assumed. The filename portion is required. Wildcards are allowed in the filename and extension portions of pathname.
|
command
| Represents the DOS command that is executed if the condition is true (or false if NOT is specified). If you want to run a batch file, use the CALL or COMMAND /C command instead of executing the batch file directly.
|
parameters
| Represents any parameters you want to pass to the command being executed.
|
For the
IFcommand, if the condition is true, thecommandis executed. If the condition is false, DOS skips thecommandand immediately executes the next line of the batch file.For the
IF NOTsubcommand, if the condition is false, thecommandis executed. If the condition is true, DOS skips thecommandand immediately executes the next line of the batch file.If you want to run a batch file from the command portion of an
IFcommand, use theCALLorCOMMAND /Ccommand instead of executing it directly. WithoutCALLorCOMMAND /C, control never returns to your batch file.IFcommands can be nested. That is, you can use theIFcommand in thecommandportion of anIFcommand. This can be a handy way to test for a range of exit code values, freeing you from the tyranny of descending orderIF ERRORLEVELstatements. (See the following “Examples” section.)Do not attempt to use the “at” sign (
@) to suppress the display of the command specified in the command portion of anIFcommand. DOS will not interpret the@correctly and will search for an executable file that begins with an “at” sign. To accomplish the same thing, enterECHO OFFbefore executing theIFstatement.IF ERRORLEVELnumberreturns true if the number you specified is less than or equal to the exit code returned by the previous program. For this reason,IF ERRORLEVELcommands usually have to be arranged in descending order to get the desired results. You must test for this value immediately after the program terminates. Executing any other command, even if it doesn't return an exit code, may clear the previous exit code from memory.Not all programs return exit codes. If a program doesn't return an exit code, an
IF ERRORLEVEL 0command evaluates to true, but any other number causes theIFstatement to be false. Presently, no DOS internal commands return exit codes, and, unfortunately, you can't set the exit code for a batch file either. The following DOS external commands return exit codes:BACKUPDISKCOPYMSAVCHKDSKFINDREPLACECHOICEFORMATRESTOREDEFRAGGRAFTABLSCANDISKDELTREEKEYBSETVERDISKCOMPMOVEXCOPYIf you use
CALLto call a program that returns an exit code, that exit code value is available afterCALLreturns. Unfortunately, you can't set the exit code for a batch file, soCALLcan't return an exit code from a batch file you have executed. To return status information from a batch file executed with theCALLcommand, create an environment variable and set it equal to your return status. Then, you can test this environment variable in the calling batch file.For
string1==string2, DOS makes a literal, character-by-character comparison of the two strings. Neither string can contain embedded spaces or equal signs. If you want to include a percent sign (%) in either string, include it twice if thisIFcommand is executed from a batch file. The comparisonIFperforms is case sensitive; that is, uppercase and lowercase characters are considered to be different.When you include environment variables (such as
%COMSPEC%) or replaceable parameters (such as%0through%9) in either string argument in a batch file, they are replaced with the value of the environment variable or replaceable parameter when DOS parses the line. DOS does not parse commands you enter at the DOS prompt, so you can't include either type of variable in a command that you execute from the DOS prompt.When
IFis performingstring1==string2comparisons, each string must have at least one character in it; otherwise, a syntax error will result, and DOS will abort the batch file. In DOS 6 and later,string2can be empty without causing an error. This problem often happens inIFstatements that test replaceable parameters or environment variables and typically is solved by adding dummy characters to both strings. For instance, test%1x==ERNIExor"%1"=="ERNIE"instead of%1==ERNIE.Including only one equal sign in an
IFstring comparison results in a syntax error. Interestingly enough, you can use more than two equal signs without causing an error.The
EXISTpathnameform of theIFcommand returns true if at least one file matches the pathname specified. If an invalid subdirectory or drive is specified, the condition is false. DOS does not search the DOSPATHforpathname; DOS searches only the drive and subdirectory specified. Ifpathnameis omitted, DOS searches the current drive and directory.Although the
EXISTpathnameform of theIFcommand is intended to test for the existence of files, you can use it to test for the existence of a subdirectory by specifying the NUL device as the filename. The NUL device (or any other valid DOS device) exists in every subdirectory; so if the specified subdirectory exists, theIF EXISTpathNULcommand is true.
Notice that because of the way the IF ERRORLEVEL command works—testing whether an exit code is greater than or equal to the number specified—the following statement always executes the GOTO statement:
IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO ALWAYS_JUMP
When you're testing an ERRORLEVEL number, be sure to test for the highest possible number first. Consider the following example:
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO ONE_OR_GREATER IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO TWO_OR_GREATER
The preceding example always goes to ONE_OR_GREATER, even if an ERRORLEVEL of 2 is returned because 2 is greater than or equal to 1. Make sure that when you use IF ERRORLEVEL commands, you include them in descending order.
You can get around the limitation just noted by nesting IF ERRORLEVEL commands, checking for ranges of values with upper and lower bounds. Test for the lowest value; then test for NOT the highest value plus one in an embedded IF command. For example, consider the following IF commands:
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO ONE_TO_THREE
In English, if the exit code returned by the program is greater than or equal to the first value (1) and less than the second value (not greater than or equal to 4), execute the command. Notice that this form of the IF ERRORLEVEL command executes the proper GOTO command, no matter what order they are executed in. To test for a single value, simply embed a negative test for one more than the value you want, like this:
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO ONLY_TWO
IF string comparisons are often used to make sure that at least one parameter is specified when the batch file is executed, as shown in these examples:
IF "%1"=="" GOTO HELP_MESSAGE IF "%1"=="/?" GOTO HELP_MESSAGE
If no parameters to the batch file are specified, the first IF condition is true, and the GOTO command jumps to a section of the batch file where you can display a help message. The second IF statement tests for the /? help switch, enabling this batch file to honor a request for help from the user as well.
Sometimes this technique is combined with the SHIFT command to enable a batch file to loop through a variable number of parameters, as shown in the following:
:LOOP IF "%1"=="" GOTO END TYPE %1 | MORE SHIFT GOTO LOOP :END
You could specify as many text files as you wanted to when executing this batch file, and the TYPE command would display each one in turn. After the last file had been displayed, the IF command would execute the GOTO END command, and the batch file would terminate. When you combine IF and GOTO in this way, you can create a multiline loop in a batch file.
To jump around part of a batch file if the network menu choice was not chosen from a DOS 6.0 startup menu, use the following line:
IF NOT "%CONFIG%"=="NETWORK" GOTO FINISH
Notice that in all the preceding examples, quotation marks are used to ensure that the string comparisons never try to evaluate a null string. For example, in the preceding command, if the CONFIG environment variable turns out to be undefined, DOS evaluates the following statement after the parser makes substitutions:
IF NOT ""=="NETWORK" GOTO FINISH
Without the quotation marks, one side of the comparison would be empty, and the batch file would be aborted with a syntax error message. With the quotation marks included, DOS simply finds "" not equal to "NETWORK".
Suppose that you want to copy all the .DOC files in your C:WORK subdirectory to a backup disk. You could use the IF EXIST command, as follows, to make sure that at least one .DOC file existed before executing the COPY command:
IF EXIST C:WORK*.DOC COPY C:WORK*.DOC A:
The IF EXIST command can be used to check for the existence of a subdirectory if you specify the NUL device as the filename. You can use this technique to create a subdirectory if it doesn't already exist:
IF NOT EXIST C:WORKNUL MD C:WORK
By nesting IF EXIST commands, you also can check to make sure that a file doesn't exist:
IF EXIST C:WORKNUL IF NOT EXIST C:WORKMYFILE.TXT GOTO NOFILE
Notice that simply checking for the file with IF NOT EXIST can return true if the subdirectory or drive is invalid, which might lead to errors later in your batch file. By testing for the existence of the path and then checking that the file doesn't exist, you can be sure that creating MYFILE.TXT in the C:WORK subdirectory will succeed without overwriting another file.
After you set up a startup menu, you might find that in certain configuration blocks, you are entering the same commands over and over. Instead of retyping them, you can gather them all together in a block of their own and use the INCLUDE= command to include that block within the others. The [COMMON] block performs a similar function for commands that you want to include in all your configuration blocks. INCLUDE= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
blockname
| The name of the configuration block that you want to include when the active configuration block is processed. blockname must match a configuration block you have defined elsewhere in your CONFIG.SYS file, and it also can contain INCLUDE= commands. This argument is required.
|
The
INCLUDE=command can appear only inside configuration blocks in CONFIG.SYS and can refer only to another configuration block. You cannot useINCLUDE=to include the selections from one menu block within another.CONFIG.SYSallows two types of blocks: menu blocks and configuration blocks. Each block begins with a[blockname]and includes all the lines that follow up to the next[blockname]. Menu blocks, which are blocks named[MENU]or defined with aSUBMENU=command, can include only menu-related commands. All otherCONFIG.SYScommands belong in configuration blocks.The
[COMMON]block is a special kind of configuration block, and certain special rules apply to it. It is the only block name that you can have more than once in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. All commands included in a[COMMON]block are always executed. Any commands inCONFIG.SYSthat are not included in any block (that is, they appear before the first[blockname]) are assumed to be in a[COMMON]block.[COMMON]blocks are an alternative to using theINCLUDE=command. If you are usingINCLUDE=to include a single block of commands in all your configuration blocks, consider using a[COMMON]block instead.You are allowed to nest
INCLUDE=commands. That is, a block included with theINCLUDE=command can have anotherINCLUDE=command within it. Although there is no clear limit to how deep this nesting can go, for the sake of clarity, you should limit yourself to no more than one or two levels ofINCLUDE=commands.The
INCLUDEcommand is meant to help you eliminate repetition in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. Its use, however, often makes yourCONFIG.SYSfile harder to understand. Weigh these factors carefully when you decide whether to use anINCLUDEblock. When software you are installing makes a mess of your menu system, a clear, simpleCONFIG.SYSfile is easier to repair than a complicated one.
The following sample CONFIG.SYS file illustrates the use of INCLUDE= blocks and [COMMON] blocks:
[MENU] MENUITEM=MINIMUM, Minimal Configuration MENUITEM=NORMAL, Normal Configuration (Default) MENUITEM=NORM_EMS, Normal Configuration with EMS Available MENUITEM=MAXIMUM, All the Bells and Whistles MENUDEFAULT=NORMAL, 30 [COMMON] DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS DOS=HIGH BREAK=ON NUMLOCK=OFF [MINIMUM] BUFFERS=30 LASTDRIVE=H STACKS=9,256 [NORMAL] INCLUDE=MINIMUM DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE NOEMS DOS=UMB [NORM_EMS] INCLUDE=MINIMUM DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM DOS=UMB [MAXIMUM] INCLUDE=NORM_EMS DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSANSI.SYS [COMMON] SHELL=C:DOSCOMMAND.COM C:DOS/P /E:512
Notice that the MAXIMUM configuration includes the NORM_EMS configuration, which in turn includes the MINIMUM configuration. All the configuration choices automatically “include” the commands in the two COMMON blocks. As you can see, this kind of nesting can quickly become confusing. Don't use this example as a model for your own CONFIG.SYS file; it is only meant to illustrate the use of the INCLUDE= command and is much more complicated than it needs to be.
As it turns out, all the commands in the MINIMUM block could be placed in the COMMON block preceding it, leaving the MINIMUM block empty. (No matter what configuration you choose, the MINIMUM block is included.) However, if you removed the MINIMUM block completely, the corresponding menu line would not be displayed, and you would need to remove the INCLUDE=MINIMUM commands from the other blocks as well.
INSTALL= can load resident software (TSRs) from your CONFIG.SYS file into conventional memory. Programs loaded with INSTALL= are executed after all other CONFIG.SYS lines have been processed and just before the command-line interpreter (COMMAND.COM) is loaded into memory. INSTALL= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
drive:path
| Although this parameter is optional, you should always include the full drive and path to the resident program file. If they are omitted, the file is assumed to be in the root directory of the startup drive. |
filename
| The full filename, with extension, of the resident program to be loaded. No extension is assumed, and wildcards are not allowed. This parameter is required. |
parameters
| Any parameters that the resident program requires are included after its name. DOS passes these parameters directly to the program when it's loaded into memory. For more information, see the instructions for loading the resident program. |
If MS-DOS cannot find the program file you have specified, it displays a
Bad or missing filenamemessage and continues processingCONFIG.SYS. (See the first item in the following “Messages” section.)Resident programs included with DOS that can be safely loaded with the
INSTALL=command includeFASTOPEN.EXE,KEYB.COM,NLSFUNC.EXE, andSHARE.EXE.In versions of DOS earlier than DOS 6, many resident programs could not be loaded with
INSTALL=because no environment was available to them. Starting with DOS 6, an environment is available to installed programs, and most resident software can now be successfully loaded this way.With DOS 6, there is little reason to use
INSTALL=anymore. In the past, one of the main reasons to useINSTALL=was to save the small amount of memory wasted on environments for resident software. But with DOS 6, you save little or nothing. Also,INSTALL=is limited to loading software into conventional memory, and you can't includeLOADHIGHin anINSTALL=command to get around this limitation. All in all, you usually are better off avoidingINSTALL=entirely; instead, load your resident software from yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile.DOS executes all other lines in
CONFIG.SYS, including anySETcommands, before executing anyINSTALL=lines. When all theINSTALL=lines have been processed, the command interpreter (COMMAND.COM) is loaded and begins to process yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile.Only resident software should be loaded with an
INSTALL=command. DOS waits until the program terminates before continuing, and if a normal program is run, neitherCOMMAND.COMnor yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile is loaded until you quit the program. Although this setup might be interesting, it could make your system very unstable and should be avoided.
To load SHARE.EXE from your CONFIG.SYS file, you would include the following line:
INCLUDE=C:DOSSHARE.EXE /L:50
This line assumes that SHARE.EXE is located in the C:DOS subdirectory and sets the number of file locks to 50. For DOS to find SHARE.EXE, the file extension must always be included with the filename because no default extensions are assumed with INSTALL=.
Bad or missing filename Error in CONFIG.SYS line number
Warning: DOS displays this message if it can't find the file you specified in a DEVICE=, DEVICEHIGH=, or INSTALL= command in your CONFIG.SYS file. filename is the name of the file that DOS was looking for, and number is the line in CONFIG.SYS where the command is located. Edit the line so that the path and filename are correct and then restart your computer.
INSTALLHIGH is a DR DOS alternative command for the HIINSTALL command. See the detailed description under HIINSTALL.
When you run INTERLNK from the DOS command line, it communicates with the INTERLNK.EXE device driver in memory, allowing you to view or change the server drives you have access to. If the connection to the server hasn't been established, INTERLNK attempts to connect with the server, using the parameters you specified when you loaded the INTERLNK.EXE device driver. Before you can run INTERLNK from the DOS command line, you must load the INTERLNK.EXE device driver into memory by adding a DEVICE= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
client:
| The client drive letter that you want to use to access a disk drive on the Interlnk server. client: must be one of the drive letters that the INTERLNK.EXE device driver reserved when it loaded into memory. The trailing colon is optional.
|
server:
| The server drive that you want client: to refer to. server: must be a drive on the Interlnk server that is available for redirection. The trailing colon is optional. If this parameter is omitted, the client: drive letter is disconnected from the Interlnk server.
|
The
INTERLNK.EXEdevice driver must be installed before you can runINTERLNKfrom the command line. If you try to runINTERLNKwithout installing the device driver, an error message is displayed. (See the following “Messages” section.)INTERLNK.EXEactually is two files: a device driver and an executable program. The device driver portion does all the real work and has to be loaded into memory with aDEVICE=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. After this device driver has been loaded into memory, the executable portion of the file communicates with the device driver to reassign drive letters and display status information.To display Interlnk's status, type
INTERLNKat the DOS prompt. Interlnk displays a list of client drive letters on the left, with the server drives they are connected to on the right. If any of the server drives have volume labels, they are displayed as well.You can include as many
client:=server:parameters as you need in a singleINTERLNKcommand. Separate eachclient:=server:assignment with spaces.To disconnect an Interlnk drive, specify the
client:=parameter but omit theserver:drive letter. A disconnectedclient:drive letter is immediately available for use connecting to another server drive. You can perform a mixture of drive assignments and disconnections in a singleINTERLNKcommand by separating each one with spaces.The drives that
INTERLNK.EXEreserves when it loads into memory are private; they can't be used by other programs even if Interlnk isn't using them. For example, you cannot use an inactive Interlnk drive letter as a network drive or aSUBSTalias.INTERLNK.EXEdisplays the drive letters it has reserved when it is loading into memory.To use a printer on an Interlnk server from within Windows, you first have to access the Printer dialog box in Control Panel. Next, click the Connect button. In the Connect dialog box, either clear the Fast Printing Direct To Port check box, or specify the port as
LPT1.DOSorLPT2.DOSrather thanLPT1orLPT2. Normally, Windows prints directly to the hardware and bypasses Interlnk's printer redirection. However, when you disable Fast Printing or print to a filename rather than the port name, Windows prints through DOS, and Interlnk can redirect the data to the server's printer port.All disk drives redirected by Interlnk are considered removable drives because the connection to them can be lost at any time. DoubleSpace refers to Interlnk drives as normal, removable local drives. MSD reports that Interlnk drives are floppy drives with one cylinder. SMARTDrive defaults to read-caching Interlnk drives, as it does with local floppy disk drives. Windows File Manager represents Interlnk drives with a “floppy icon.”
An Interlnk client cannot access CD-ROM drives on the server. Interlnk can recognize only standard DOS drives, not network drives. CD-ROM drives use the network interface, so Interlnk cannot be used to give the client computer access to CD-ROM drives on the server.
Redirected Interlnk drives do not support disk-level operations, and the following DOS commands should not be used on redirected drives:
CHKDSKFORMATDEFRAGMIRRORDEBUGSCANDISKDISKCOMPSYSDISKCOPYUNDELETEFDISKUNFORMATThird-party utilities that require low-level disk access also should be avoided.
To be able to run,
INTERLNKrequires DOS 3.0 or later. You can run different versions of DOS on the client and server computers, although the limitations of each version must be respected. For example, disk partitions greater than 32MB on an Interlnk server are not accessible on an Interlnk client running DOS 3.0. (The Microsoft MS-DOS 6 license agreement requires at least one of the two computers involved to be running a licensed copy of MS-DOS 6.)An appropriate cable is required to connect two computers with Interlnk. If you are using serial ports for the Interlnk connection, a 3-wire or 7-wire null-modem serial cable is required. If you are using parallel ports, an 11-wire parallel cable is required. These cables often are referred to as LapLink cables, in honor of the product that popularized this simple type of network. Check the two computers to see what type of connectors you need. Microsoft includes detailed wiring charts for these cables in the entry for
INTERLNKin the DOS 6 online help system (that is, typeHELP INTERLNKat the DOS prompt and click the Notes entry).
Assuming that Interlnk is running and you have successfully connected with the server, redirect the client drive letter D: to access drive C: on the server by entering the following command.
INTERLNK D=C
Notice that you are not required to enter colons with the drive letters, although colons are acceptable.
To break the relationship (cancel the redirection) between the client's D drive and the server drive, enter this command:
INTERLNK D=
You can make more than one assignment in a single command by separating them with spaces like this:
INTERLNK D=A E=B F=C
This command would connect you to three server drives. Drive D on the client computer would refer to drive A on the server, drive E to drive B on the server, and drive F to drive C on the server.
If you ever get lost and want to see what assignments you have, type the INTERLNK command with no parameters as follows:
INTERLNK
INTERLNK displays a status screen that looks something like this:
This Computer Other Computer (Client) (Server) ------------ ----------------------- D: equals A: E: equals B: F: equals C: (120Mb) CONNER 120 LPT2: equals LPT1:
This screen reflects the assignments made earlier with the INTERLNK D=A E=B F=C command. You can't control the assignment of printer ports from the command line, but the display does show you what drive assignments Interlnk has made. To print to the server's printer, you would print to LPT2 on the client computer.
Interlnk shows the size of any server hard drives in parentheses after the drive letter in the right column. Notice that if any of the server drives have volume labels, they're displayed as well (CONNER 120 is the volume label for the server's C: drive in the example). Volume labels can make a confusing assignment display a bit easier to understand.
Connection NOT Established Make sure that a serial or parallel cable connects the server and client computers, and that INTERSVR.EXE is running on the server computer.
Error: Interlnk was unable to establish a connection with the server program. Before you try to establish this connection from the client computer, make sure that the cable is connected at both ends and that INTERSVR is running on the server computer.
Drive assignment syntax error.
Error: You have made a syntax error while attempting to assign drive letters to remote drives on the Interlnk server. This message is often caused by trying to assign drive letters that weren't reserved by INTERLNK.EXE. The only drive letters you can use to access drives on the Interlnk server are the ones that INTERLNK.EXE displays when it is loaded into memory from your CONFIG.SYS file.
Driver NOT installed
To install Interlnk, add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file and reboot:
DEVICE=drive:pathINTERLNK.EXE
Information: You have attempted to run the INTERLNK program without first installing the INTERLNK.EXE device driver. drive:path in the preceding message reflects the current location of INTERLNK.EXE on your system. You can run INTERLNK from the command line only when the client device driver is in memory, so you must load INTERLNK.EXE from your CONFIG.SYS file before you can access the executable portion of the program.
Invalid unit reading drive drive
Abort, Retry, Fail
Error: You've tried to access an Interlnk drive that isn't assigned to a drive on the Interlnk server. Press A to abort, R to Retry, and F to Fail. The safest choice is to fail the operation by pressing F. In most cases, Retry simply redisplays the error message. After you clear the error message, you can assign this drive letter to a server drive by using the INTERLNK client:=server: command.
Not ready reading drive drive
Abort, Retry, Fail
Error: You have tried to access an Interlnk drive (or another reserved drive letter), but the connection to the Interlnk server hasn't been made yet. Press A to abort, R to Retry, and F to Fail. Normally, you should fail the operation by pressing F. You can establish the connection to the server by running INTERLNK from the command line.
The version number of Interlnk in memory does not match the version
number in the file: pathname
Error: The version of Interlnk you ran from the DOS command line doesn't match the version of the device driver that is being loaded in your CONFIG.SYS file. Somehow, you have ended up with two different copies of INTERLNK.EXE on your disk. Locate the newer copy of INTERLNK.EXE and make sure that you are loading that copy in your CONFIG.SYS file. You might want to remove the old copy of INTERLNK.EXE from your disk so that you do not run it by accident.
INTERLNK.EXE and INTERSVR
“Using Interlnk to Share Another Computer's Resources” in Chapter 8
The INTERLNK.EXE device driver establishes a link by way of a serial or parallel cable with another computer that is running the INTERSVR program. INTERLNK.EXE provides the client side of this relationship and usually is installed on a laptop computer (the client) from which you want to access files or printers on a desktop computer (the server). INTERLNK.EXE must be loaded in a DEVICE= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
DEVICE=drive:pathINTERLNK.EXE /DRIVES:num /NOPRINTER /COM /COM:num /COM:addr /LPT /LPT:num /LPT:addr /AUTO /NOSCAN /LOW /BAUD:rate /V
The
INTERLNK.EXEdevice driver must be installed before you can runINTERLNKfrom the command line. If you try to runINTERLNKwithout installing the device driver, an error message is displayed. (See the first item in the following “Messages” section.)INTERLNK.EXEactually is two files: a device driver and an executable program. The device driver portion does all the real work and has to be loaded into memory with aDEVICE=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. After this device driver is loaded into memory, the executable portion of the file communicates with the device driver to reassign drive letters and display status information.If you regularly use Interlnk to connect your laptop to a desktop computer, make sure that you specify the
/AUTOparameter. Then, when you're on the road,INTERLNK.EXEwill fail to find the server and not waste memory by loading anyway. Whenever you want to use Interlnk, simply connect the cable to a server and reboot the laptop.INTERLNK.EXEautomatically loads into upper memory if it's available. You don't need to use theDEVICEHIGH=command withINTERLNK.EXE.By default, all the client's serial ports and then all the client's parallel ports are scanned when Interlnk looks for a connection with the server. As soon as the server is found, scanning stops. If
/COMis specified without/LPT, only the client's serial ports are scanned. Similarly, if/LPTis specified without/COM, only the client's parallel ports are scanned. Interlnk's default behavior is equivalent to specifying both the/COMand/LPTparameters.Under normal circumstances,
INTERLNK.EXErequires about 15KB of memory. You can decrease this amount by specifying certain parameters. When you specify the/NOPRINTERparameter, Interlnk does not load the routines required to redirect printer output. If you specify the/DRIVES:0parameter, Interlnk does not load the routines required to redirect disk drives. If you specify either the/COMor/LPTparameter (but not both), Interlnk does not load the routines required to access the type of port you are not using. Depending on what combination of Interlnk services you need, you might be able to slim Interlnk's memory use significantly.The drives that
INTERLNK.EXEreserves when it loads into memory are private and can't be claimed by other programs even if Interlnk isn't using them. For example, you cannot use an inactive Interlnk drive letter as a network drive or aSUBSTalias.If
INTERLNK.EXEfails to connect with a server when it loads or the/NOSCANparameter prevents it from connecting, the drives it reserves will be empty. To establish a connection with the server, you have to runINTERLNKfrom the command line and redirect the server drives manually.Because
INTERLNK.EXEallocates drive letters, you should be very careful about where you locate it in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. In most cases, you will want to loadINTERLNK.EXElast so that any drives it allocates leave other drive assignments inCONFIG.SYSunchanged.Caution
Having your drive letters change simply because you added a device driver to your
CONFIG.SYSfile can be painful. Often, you have to edit batch files to reflect the new drive letters. All references to drives that have changed have to be corrected in yourCONFIG.SYSandAUTOEXEC.BATfiles. Microsoft Windows is very sensitive to drive- letter changes, and some Windows' applications fail if they are suddenly located on a different drive.Before you add or rearrange
DEVICE=lines in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, think through the changes you may be making to drive-letter assignments and the impact the changes will have on your system. If you are careful, you can often accomplish your task without changing any drive-letter assignments, or at least keep the changes to a minimum. Doing so can save you a great deal of work.If you use DoubleSpace, always load the
DBLSPACE.SYSdriver before you loadINTERLNK.EXE. If you loadINTERLNK.EXEfirst, the DoubleSpace host (uncompressed) drives may become unavailable on the client computer.To use a printer on an Interlnk server from within Windows, you first have to access the Printer dialog box in Control Panel. Next, click the Connect button. In the Connect dialog box, either clear the Fast Printing Direct To Port check box, or specify the port as
LPT1.DOSorLPT2.DOSrather thanLPT1orLPT2. Normally, Windows prints directly to the hardware and bypasses Interlnk's printer redirection. However, when you disable Fast Printing or print to a filename instead of the port name, Windows prints through DOS, and Interlnk can redirect the data to the server's printer port.All disk drives redirected by Interlnk are considered removable drives because the connection to them can be lost at any time. DoubleSpace refers to Interlnk drives as normal, removable local drives. MSD reports that Interlnk drives are floppy drives with one cylinder. SMARTDrive defaults to read-caching Interlnk drives, as it does with local floppy disk drives. Windows File Manager represents Interlnk drives with a “floppy icon.”
An Interlnk client cannot access CD-ROM drives on the server. Interlnk can recognize only standard DOS drives, not network drives. Because CD-ROM drives use the network interface, Interlnk cannot be used to give the client computer access to CD-ROM drives on the server.
Redirected Interlnk drives do not support disk-level operations, and the following DOS commands should not be used on redirected drives:
CHKDSKFORMATDEFRAGMIRRORDEBUGSCANDISKDISKCOMPSYSDISKCOPYUNDELETEFDISKUNFORMATThird-party utilities that require low-level disk access also should be avoided.
INTERLNK.EXErequires DOS 3.0 or later to run. You can run different versions of DOS on the client and server computers, although the limitations of each version must be respected. For example, disk partitions greater than 32MB on an Interlnk server are not accessible on an Interlnk client running DOS 3.0. (The Microsoft MS-DOS 6 license agreement requires at least one of the two computers involved to be running a licensed copy of MS-DOS 6.)An appropriate cable is required to connect two computers with Interlnk. If you are using serial ports for the Interlnk connection, a 3-wire or 7-wire null-modem serial cable is required. If you are using parallel ports, an 11-wire parallel cable is required. These cables often are referred to as LapLink cables, in honor of the product that popularized this simple type of network. Check the two computers to see what type of connectors you need. Microsoft includes detailed wiring charts for these cables in the entry for
INTERLNKin the DOS 6 online help system (that is, typeHELP INTERLNKat the DOS prompt and click the Notes entry).
A typical line that loads INTERLNK.EXE in the CONFIG.SYS file of your Laptop computer might look like this:
DEVICE=C:DOSINTERLNK.EXE /COM2 /AUTO
As long as the connection with the Interlnk server is established (on COM2), the Interlnk client device driver will load into memory and reserve three drive letters (the default is three) with which it can access drives on the server. Any printers attached to the server will be available on the client computer as well. Because of the /AUTO parameter, if INTERSVR isn't running on the server when this DEVICE= line is executed, INTERLNK.EXE won't load into memory.
If memory is tight, and you don't need access to more than one disk drive or any printers on the Interlnk server, you could add the /NOPRINTER parameter, like this:
DEVICE=C:DOSINTERLNK.EXE /COM2 /AUTO /DRIVES:1 /NOPRINTER
Note that in both of the preceding examples, INTERLNK.EXE loads into upper memory if it's available. To force INTERLNK.EXE to load into conventional memory, specify the /LOW parameter, as in the following:
DEVICE=C:DOSINTERLNK.EXE /COM2 /AUTO /LOW
If you used a parallel cable to connect the two computers instead of a serial cable, you would specify a parallel port rather than a serial port:
DEVICE=C:DOSINTERLNK.EXE /LPT1 /AUTO
Note that you must use the same type of port on both computers. You can't use a serial port on one computer and a parallel port on the other. The cables you need aren't interchangeable, either.
After INTERLNK.EXE has successfully established a connection with the Interlnk server, it automatically assigns the drive letters it has reserved to disk drives on the Interlnk server. To see what assignments have been made, run INTERLNK from the DOS command line.
*** Bad /COM argument parameter
Error: Interlnk was unable to initialize the serial port you specified with a /COM:num parameter. Check to make sure that you specified /COM1, /COM2, /COM3, or /COM4, and that your computer has that port installed. If you can't get this parameter to work, you may be forced to use the /COM:addr parameter.
*** Bad /DRIVES parameter ignored (/DRIVES:n, n = 0 - 24).
Error: You have specified an invalid /DRIVES:num parameter. Legal values for num are in the range 0 to 24, as indicated in the message. You may get this message if you have embedded any spaces in the parameter or if you have specified a letter instead of a digit.
*** Bad /LPT argument parameter
Error: Interlnk was unable to initialize the parallel port you specified with an /LPT:num parameter. Check to make sure that you specified /LPT1, /LPT2, or /LPT3, and that your computer has that port installed. If you can't get this parameter to work, you may be forced to use the /LPT:addr parameter.
*** Bad parallel port address: addr
or
*** Bad serial port address: addr
Error: Interlnk was unable to initialize the parallel or serial port you specified with an /LPT:num or /COM:num parameter. Make sure that you are specifying the correct value for addr and that the value is entered in hexadecimal notation.
*** Invalid /BAUD parameter ignored.
Warning: You have specified an invalid /BAUD:rate parameter, and Interlnk has used the default value of 115200. Check to make sure that the value you specified for rate is 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, or 115200. You can't embed commas in these values.
*** Specified COM port number not recognized by BIOS: COM#
or
*** Specified LPT port number not recognized by BIOS: LPT#
Error: You have specified a port with the /LPT:num or /COM:num parameter, which isn't supported by the ROM BIOS in your computer. You may get this message if you specify a port that doesn't exist in your computer, or if your ports are using nonstandard port addresses. If the problem is nonstandard port addresses, you still might be able to use this port by specifying its address with an /LPT:addr or /COM:addr parameter.
Connection NOT Established Make sure that a serial or parallel cable connects the server and client computers, and that INTERSVR.EXE is running on the server computer.
Error: Interlnk was unable to establish a connection with the server program. Before you try to establish this connection from the client computer, make sure that the cable is connected at both ends and that INTERSVR is running on the server computer.
Drive letters redirected: num (drive: through drive:)
Information: INTERLNK.EXE displays this message when it loads into memory. You might want to write down the drive letters that the INTERLNK.EXE device driver has reserved. They are the only letters you can use to access drives on the Interlnk server.
Driver NOT installed
To install Interlnk, add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file and reboot:
DEVICE=drive:pathINTERLNK.EXE
Information: You have attempted to run the INTERLNK program without first installing the INTERLNK.EXE device driver. The drive:path in the preceding message reflects the current location of INTERLNK.EXE on your system. You can run INTERLNK only from the command line when the client device driver is in memory; therefore, you must load INTERLNK.EXE from your CONFIG.SYS file before you can access the executable portion of the program.
Invalid switch - parameter
Error: You have specified an invalid parameter on the DEVICE= line for INTERLNK.EXE in your CONFIG.SYS file. The parameter displayed in the message is the one that's confusing INTERLNK.EXE. Correct this entry and try the command again.
No drive letters redirected
Information: You have loaded the INTERLNK.EXE device driver with a /DRIVES:0 parameter. You cannot access any disk drives on the Interlnk server.
No printer ports redirected
Information: You have loaded the INTERLNK.EXE device driver with a /NOPRINTER parameter. You cannot access any printers on the Interlnk server.
The Interlnk device driver requires version 3.0 or later of DOS.
Error: INTERLNK.EXE requires that you be running at least DOS 3.0. If you know that the computer is running a later version of DOS than 3.0 (type VER), you may have a bad entry for INTERLNK.EXE in your SETVER table.
Too many block devices
Warning: DOS has run out of drive letters and cannot load any more block devices from your CONFIG.SYS file. DOS will continue to start up, but some of your device drivers may not be loaded. DOS can handle up to 26 accessible block devices.
Certain device drivers allocate more than one letter when they are loaded. DoubleSpace allocates at least one letter for each compressed drive you have in your system, plus some spares. INTERLNK.EXE allocates the number requested with the /DRIVES:num parameter, or three if a number isn't specified. RAMDRIVE.SYS and DRIVER.SYS allocate one letter each time they are loaded. Check your CONFIG.SYS file and eliminate any DEVICE= lines you don't need, or decrease the number of drives set aside for Interlnk.
DEVICE=, INTERLNK, and INTERSVR
“Using Interlnk to Share Another Computer's Resources” in Chapter 8
INTERSVR provides server services for an Interlnk network. The server in an Interlnk network is the computer that is making its drives and printers available for use on another computer (the client). INTERSVR monopolizes the server computer while it is running, preventing you from using the server computer for anything else. You have to have an appropriate serial or parallel cable to connect the two computers.
INTERSVR drive: ... /X=drive: ... /COM /COM:num /COM:addr /LPT /LPT:num /LPT:addr /BAUD:rate /V /B
To copy the Interlnk files to a connected computer that is not running Interlnk, use the following format:
INTERSVR /RCOPY
When
INTERSVRscans serial ports looking for a client connection, it interferes with the operation of any mouse drivers that are servicing those ports. If your mouse is attached to a serial port, be sure to use a/COM:numor/LPT:numparameter to specify the port that Interlnk should use.By default, all the server's serial ports and then all the server's parallel ports are scanned when Interlnk searches for a connection with the client computer. As soon as the client is found, scanning stops. If
/COMis specified without/LPT, only the server's serial ports are scanned. Similarly, if/LPTis specified without/COM, only the server's parallel ports are scanned.INTERSVR's default behavior is equivalent to specifying both the/COMand/LPTparameters.INTERSVRis unable to make network or CD-ROM drives available to the client computer. Network and CD-ROM drives are not considered local drives because DOS uses the network redirector interface to access them.While
INTERSVRis running, it displays a list of redirected drives and printers onscreen. The left column lists the disk drives and printers on the server that are being shared, and the right column lists the letters and/or ports that are being used on the client computer to access the server drives. To exitINTERSVRand disconnect the Interlnk network, press Alt+F4.You can't use the computer for anything else while
INTERSVRis running. If you startINTERSVRin a task-switching environment such as Windows, it doesn't allow you to switch to another task without first exiting theINTERSVRprogram. Don't try to access any memory-resident programs; serious data loss could result. To be safe, you might want to disable or remove memory-resident programs before runningINTERSVR.Redirected Interlnk drives do not support disk-level operations, and the following DOS commands should not be used on redirected drives:
CHKDSKFORMATDEFRAGMIRRORDEBUGSCANDISKDISKCOMPSYSDISKCOPYUNDELETEFDISKUNFORMATThird-party utilities that require low-level disk access also should be avoided.
INTERSVR.EXErequires DOS 3.0 or later to run. You can run different versions of DOS on the client and server computers, although the limitations of each version must be respected. For example, disk partitions greater than 32MB on an Interlnk server are accessible on an Interlnk client running DOS 3.0. (The Microsoft MS-DOS 6 license agreement requires at least one of the two computers involved to be running a licensed copy of MS-DOS 6.)An appropriate cable is required to connect two computers with Interlnk. If you're using serial ports for the Interlnk connection, a 3-wire or 7-wire null-modem serial cable is required. If you are using parallel ports, an 11-wire parallel cable is required. These cables often are referred to as LapLink cables in honor of the product that popularized this simple type of network. Check the two computers to see what type of connectors you need. Microsoft includes detailed wiring charts for these cables in the entry for
INTERLNKin the DOS 6 online help system (that is, typeHELP INTERLNKat the DOS prompt and click the Notes entry).
Before you start the Interlnk server program, connect the two computers you want to link by using an appropriate serial or parallel cable. You also might want to remove or disable any resident programs you are running. You don't have to quit Windows or the DOS Shell, but you cannot switch to another task while the Interlnk server program is running.
To start the Interlnk server program, type the following command:
INTERSVR
INTERSVR scans your ports looking for an Interlnk connection. After it finds one, INTERSVR makes all local drives and printers on the server computer available to the Interlnk client.
If you are using a serial mouse, you should specify the port Interlnk should use. For example, if your mouse is attached to COM1 and you want to use COM2 on the server for the Interlnk connection, add the /COM2 parameter as follows:
INTERSVR /COM2
If you don't need access to either of the server's floppy disk drives (A: and B:, in this example) from the client computer, you can exclude them by adding an /X=drive: parameter like this:
INTERSVR /COM2 /X=A: B:
If either computer stops responding when you access a remote drive or printer, you might have to specify the /V parameter for INTERSVR as follows:
INTERSVR /COM2 /V
To use the remote copy feature, you must first connect the two computers with a 7-wire null-modem serial cable. (These cables often are referred to as LapLink cables, in honor of the company that made this sort of connection popular.) You cannot use parallel ports for this operation. Next, make sure that the computer which is to receive the Interlnk files is running DOS 3.0 or later and that the MODE command is available. Finally, on the computer containing the Interlnk files, start the Interlnk server by using the /RCOPY parameter as follows:
INTERSVR /RCOPY
INTERSVR leads you through the copy operation, prompting you at each step. After the files INTERLNK.EXE and INTERSVR.EXE have been successfully transferred, you can start up the Inter lnk network by running INTERSVR on the server computer, adding the INTERLNK.EXE device driver to the CONFIG.SYS file on the client computer, and rebooting the client computer.
Error initializing port port at address addr
Error: INTERSVR found your Interlnk port but was unable to initialize it. This error can be caused by INTERSVR finding the wrong port when it scans your system. Specify the port that you want to use with the /COM:num or /LPT:num parameter and try the command again.
File allocation error in: pathname, run chkdsk /f to correct.
Error: INTERSVR encountered a problem in the file allocation table (FAT) while it was accessing the file in pathname. Quit INTERSVR, and run SCANDISK or CHKDSK /F to identify and fix the problem.
If SHARE.EXE is loaded on the remote computer the remote install cannot be performed on COM2. Please use COM1 or insure that SHARE.EXE is not loaded on the remote computer before attempting a remote install.
Warning: You are performing a remote copy operation using COM2 on the remote computer. Interlnk is warning you that the operation may fail if SHARE.EXE is running on the remote computer. If SHARE.EXE is running on the remote computer, you might want to choose a different serial port or restart the remote computer without loading SHARE.EXE.
Invalid /BAUD parameter - rate
Error: You have specified an invalid /BAUD:rate parameter. Check to make sure that the value you specified for rate is 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, or 115200. You can't embed commas in these values.
Invalid parallel port address LPT#: addr
Error: You have specified a parallel port address with the /LPT:addr parameter, but Interlnk is unable to communicate with it. Make sure that you are specifying the correct value for addr and that the value is entered in hexadecimal notation.
Invalid serial port address COM#: addr
Error: You have specified a serial port address with the /COM:addr parameter, but Interlnk is unable to communicate with it. Make sure that you are specifying the correct value for addr, and that the value is entered in hexadecimal notation.
Invalid server drive letter - drive
Error: You have specified a server drive letter that either doesn't exist or Interlnk is unable to redirect. You cannot redirect any network or CD-ROM drives connected to the server computer. Check your entry to make sure that all the drive letters you have specified are valid, local disk drives.
Invalid switch - parameter
Error: You have specified an invalid parameter on the command line for INTERSVR. The parameter displayed in the message is the one that is confusing INTERSVR. Correct this entry and try the command again.
There are no serial or parallel ports available for communication.
Error: When INTERSVR scanned your computer's ports, it couldn't find the port you are using for the Interlnk connection. Specify the port that you want to use with the /COM:num or /LPT:num parameter and try the command again.
Unable to initialize serial port COM#
Error: INTERSVR found your Interlnk port but was unable to initialize it. This error can be caused by specifying the wrong port. Correct your entry for the /COM:num or /LPT:num parameter and try the command again.
Unrecoverable transmission error, maximum retries exceeded.
Error: Your Interlnk connection has failed. Make sure that the cable you are using hasn't become unplugged at one or both ends. If you continue to see this error message, you may have to purchase a new cable.
You have started the Interlnk server in a task-switching environment. Task- switching, key combinations, and some disk-writing operations are disabled. To restore these functions, exit the server.
Information: INTERSVR displays this message if you start the server program while a task-switching environment such as Windows is active. You cannot switch tasks until you exit INTERSVR by using the Alt+F4 command.
INTERLNK and INTERLNK.EXE
“Using Interlnk to Share Another Computer's Resources” in Chapter 8
The JOIN command produces a directory structure by connecting one drive to a subdirectory of another drive. JOIN is included on the DOS 6.0 Supplemental Disk, not in the standard DOS 6.0 package.
To connect disk drives, use the following format:
JOIN drive: drive2:dirname
To disconnect disk drives, use the following format:
JOIN drive: /D
To show currently connected drives, use the following format:
JOIN
drive:
| Specifies the drive that you want to refer to as a subdirectory on another drive. DOS calls drive: the guest disk drive.
|
drive2:
| Specifies the drive to which drive: is to be connected. DOS calls drive2: the host disk drive. If drive2: isn't specified, the current drive is assumed.
|
dirname
| Specifies a subdirectory on drive2: (the host drive). DOS calls dirname the host subdirectory. dirname holds the connection to drive: (the guest drive), and should be empty. If dirname doesn't exist, DOS creates it.
|
/D
| Disconnects the specified guest drive from the host drive. |
You must specify the guest drive when you make or change assignments.
If you do not name a host drive, DOS uses the current drive.
You must specify the host subdirectory. The host subdirectory cannot be the root directory of any drive.
The host and guest drives must not be network or CD-ROM drives.
The host and guest drives must not be part of a
SUBSTorASSIGNcommand.You cannot use the current drive as the guest drive.
If the host subdirectory does not exist,
JOINcreates one. The subdirectory, if it exists, must be empty (DIRmust show only the.and..entries).When the drives are joined, the guest drive's root directory and entire directory tree are added to the host subdirectory. All subdirectories of the guest's root directory become subdirectories of the host subdirectory.
A guest drive, when joined to the host drive, appears to be part of the host subdirectory. You can access this drive only through the host drive and subdirectory.
To break the connection, specify the guest drive's normal name with the
/Dswitch. You can use the guest drive's normal name only when you disconnect the drives.To see all the current drive connections, type
JOINwith no parameters. If no connections exist,JOINdoes not display any message, and the system prompt appears.Do not use the
BACKUP,CHKDSK,DISKCOMP,DISKCOPY,FDISK,RESTORE, orFORMATcommand in the guest or host drive.When
JOINis in effect, theDIRcommand works normally but reports the bytes free only for the host drive.While
JOINis in effect,CHKDSKprocesses the host drive but does not process or report information on the guest portion of the drive. To runCHKDSKon the guest drive, you first must disconnect the guest drive from the host drive.
You can use
JOINto connect a RAM disk to a real disk so that you can use the RAM disk as though it were part of a floppy disk or hard disk drive. You also can useJOINto connect two hard drives.Some programs allow only one drive to hold data or certain parts of the program. Programs written for DOS 2.0 and later, however, enable you to specify subdirectory names. If you use such a program, you can invoke the
JOINcommand to trick the program into using multiple drives as though the drives were one large drive.JOINdoes not affect the guest drive. Rather,JOINaffects only the way you access the files in that drive. You cannot exceed the maximum number of files in the guest drive's root directory. In the host subdirectory, a file's size cannot exceed the guest drive's size.
Directory not empty
Error: You tried to use a host subdirectory that is not empty; the subdirectory contains files other than the . and .. entries. Perform any one of the following actions before you try the command again:
The keyboard buffer set aside by the ROM BIOS is normally 16 bytes long. If a program fails to read the keyboard before the 17th character arrives, characters are lost. If you're a fast typist, you might want to increase the size of the keyboard buffer with KBDBUF.SYS to avoid losing keystrokes. KBDBUF.SYS isn't distributed with the standard DOS 6 package but is available from Microsoft on the MS-DOS 6 Supplemental Disk. You must load KBDBUF.SYS in a DEVICE= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
drive:path
| The full path to the KBDBUF.SYS file on your system. KBDBUF.SYS is available on the DOS 6.22 Supplemental Disk. If you do not specify the full path to KBDBUF.SYS, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive.
|
bufsize
| The new keyboard buffer size, in bytes. Acceptable values are in the range of 16 to 1024. This parameter is required. |
Some programs read keystrokes directly from the keyboard, bypassing the keyboard buffer that the ROM BIOS maintains.
KBDBUF.SYSdoes not affect programs that read the keyboard directly.Do not attempt to load
KBDBUF.SYSinto upper memory by using theDEVICEHIGH=command. The ROM BIOS can't use a keyboard buffer located in upper memory.You should load the
KBDBUF.SYSdevice driver as early as you can inCONFIG.SYSto avoid troublesome interactions with other device drivers and resident programs.Requesting a very large keyboard buffer is not normally a very good idea. If you have increased it to 50 or 100 characters and your software is still losing keystrokes, the program is probably not using the keyboard buffer at all. A large keyboard buffer might be useful when you are injecting keystrokes into it from another source that can't wait when the buffer is full.
To increase the size of the keyboard buffer to 32 characters, enter the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:DOSKBDBUF.SYS 32
This line assumes that you have copied the KBDBUF.SYS file from the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk to your C:DOS subdirectory.
Part of the new keyboard buffer is beyond the range of the ROM BIOS data segment. Load this driver earlier in CONFIG.SYS, do not load it into high memory, or decrease the size of the buffer.
Error: KBDBUF.SYS couldn't create the keyboard buffer you requested, usually because you tried to load it with the DEVICEHIGH= command. Use the DEVICE= command to load KBDBUF.SYS into conventional memory instead.
Requested buffer size is too large.
Error: You have specified a keyboard buffer size larger than 1,024 characters, which is the maximum size allowed by KBDBUF.SYS.
Requested buffer size is too small.
Error: You have specified a keyboard buffer size under 16 characters, which is the minimum size allowed by KBDBUF.SYS.
The KEYB command changes the keyboard layout and characters from American English to another language/country.
To change the current keyboard layout, use the following format:
KEYB keycode, codepage, drive:pathKEYBOARD.SYS /ID:code /E
To display the current values for KEYB, use the following format:
KEYB
keycode
| Specifies the two-character keyboard code for the keyboard layout that you want to use. See Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS,” for a list of keyboard codes that MS-DOS supports. |
codepage
| Specifies the three-digit code page that you want to use. codepage must be one of the code pages available for use with the keycode specified. If you omit codepage, DOS assumes the default code page for the keycode specified. See Chapter 14 for a list of the code pages that MS-DOS supports.
|
drive:pathKEYBOARD.SYS
| Specifies the drive and path to KEYBOARD.SYS or an equivalent file that contains keyboard layout information. Setup places this file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default.
|
/E
| Informs KEYB that an enhanced keyboard is being used. This switch is necessary only on 8088- and 8086-based systems that use enhanced keyboards.
|
/ID:code
| Specifies the type of enhanced keyboard that you want to use. This switch is only for countries that have more than one keyboard for the same language (for example, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom). See Chapter 14 for a list of the keyboard ID codes that MS-DOS supports. |
To use one of the foreign-language character sets, load the
KEYBprogram and type the appropriate two-letter code for your country.If you do not specify a code page, DOS uses the default code page for your country. The default code page is established by the
COUNTRYdirective inCONFIG.SYSor by the DOS default code page if theCOUNTRYdirective is not used.You must specify a code page that is compatible with your keyboard code selection.
If you do not specify the keyboard definition file, it defaults to
KEYBOARD.SYS. DOS looks for this file in the current disk's root directory. Otherwise, DOS uses the full filename to search for the file. If you do not specify a disk drive, DOS searches the current disk drive. If you do not specify a path, DOS searches the current directory.After loading, the program reconfigures the keyboard into the appropriate layout for the specified language.
To use the American English layout after you issue the
KEYBcommand, press Ctrl+Alt+F1. To return to the foreign-language layout, press Ctrl+Alt+F2. To switch to “typewriter mode,” press Ctrl+Alt+F7.When you use
KEYBcommand for the first time, it increases the size of DOS by approximately 10KB. After that, you can useKEYBas often as you want without further enlarging DOS. You can loadKEYBinto upper memory by using theLOADHIGHcommand.To display the active keyboard and the code pages, type
KEYBwithout any parameters.You can use
KEYBwithINSTALLin yourCONFIG.SYSfile.
Active code page not available from CON device
Information: You issued the KEYB command to display the current setting, but the command could not determine what code page was in use. The DEVICE=DISPLAY.SYS directive is not in CONFIG.SYS, or no currently loaded CON code page is active.
If the DISPLAY.SYS line was included in your CONFIG.SYS file, you must give the MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE command to load the font files into memory.
Bad or missing Keyboard Definition File
Error: The keyboard definition file (usually KEYBOARD.SYS) is corrupted, or KEYB cannot find the file. If you did not specify a drive and pathname, KEYB looks for the file in the current drive's root directory.
Copy the file to the root directory, or provide the full drive and pathname for the file to KEYB.
Code page requested (codepage) is not valid for given keyboard code
Error: You provided a keyboard code but not a code page, or the specified keyboard code does not match the currently active code page for the console. KEYB does not alter the current keyboard or code page. Choose a new console code page that matches the keyboard code (by using the MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT command) or specify the appropriate matching code page when you reissue the KEYB command.
Code page specified is inconsistent with the selected code page
Warning: You specified a keyboard code and a code page, but a different code page is active for the console (CON). The code page specified to KEYB is now active for the keyboard but not for the video display.
Use the MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT command to activate the correct code page (the one specified to KEYB) for the video screen.
Code page specified has not been prepared
Error: The DEVICE=DISPLAY.SYS directive was included in your CONFIG.SYS file, but your KEYB command specified a keyboard code that needs a code page that is not prepared. Use the MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE command to prepare the code page for the keyboard code that you want to use.
Current CON code page: codepage
Information: The console's current code page is designated by the number codepage.
Current keyboard code: keycode code page: codepage
Information: The current keyboard code is a two-character keycode, and the code page used by the keyboard is a three-digit codepage. A list of the legal keyboard codes and their corresponding code pages is included in Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS.”
One or more CON code pages invalid for given keyboard code
Warning: You used the MODE command to prepare several code pages for the console (CON), but you specified a keyboard code that is not compatible with one or more console code pages. KEYB creates the necessary information to work with those keyboard and code pages that are compatible. DOS ignores the incompatible keyboard and code page combinations.
CHCP, COUNTRY=, DISPLAY.SYS, MODE device CP, and NLSFUNC
“Understanding KEYB.COM” in Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS”
Despite the .SYS extension, KEYBOARD.SYS is not a device driver. KEYBOARD.SYS is a data file that contains information about the various keyboard layouts that are used in different countries. The KEYB command uses this file.
Caution
Do not attempt to load KEYBOARD.SYS (or DVORAK.SYS) into memory by using a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= command in CONFIG.SYS. If you do, your computer will lock up, and you will need to reboot from a floppy disk.
A similar file, containing information needed for an Icelandic keyboard layout, is the file KEYBOARD.ICE on the MS-DOS 6 distribution disks. (For details on setting up an Icelandic configuration, see the README.TXT file distributed with DOS 6.) If you prefer a Dvorak keyboard, you can use the DVORAK.SYS file on the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk; it supports two-handed, left-handed, and right-handed Dvorak layouts.
DOS 6.22 includes an alternative keyboard layout information file named KEYBRD2.SYS, which contains a few additional keyboard layouts. For details, see Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS,” or the README.TXT file included with MS-DOS 6.22.
KEYB
“Understanding KEYB.COM” in Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS”
Each disk can have a volume label as well as a volume serial number. The volume label is text and can be up to 11 characters long. The LABEL command enables you to display, add, delete, or change the volume label for a disk.
drive:
| The disk whose label you want to change or display. (The colon is required.) |
volume_label
| The disk's new volume label. |
A valid volume label immediately becomes the volume label for the specified drive.
If you do not specify a volume label, DOS prompts you to enter a new one. You can perform one of the following actions:
Type a valid volume name and then press Enter. DOS makes this name the new volume label. If a volume label already exists, DOS replaces the old volume label with the new.
Press Enter to delete the current label without specifying a replacement label. DOS asks you to confirm the deletion.
If you enter an invalid volume label, DOS responds with a warning message and asks again for the new volume label.
Do not use
LABELin a networked disk drive (one that belongs to another computer). If you try to label a networked drive, DOS displays an error message and ignores the command.Do not use
LABELon a disk in any drive that is affected by theSUBST,JOIN, orASSIGNcommands because DOS labels the “real” disk in the drive instead.Suppose that you use the command
ASSIGN A=C. If you then enter the commandLABEL A:, DOS actually changes the volume label of the disk in drive C.A label consists of up to 11 printing characters and may include spaces but not tabs or any of the following characters:
* ? / | . , ; : + = [ ] ( ) & ^ < >
Lowercase ASCII characters are mapped to uppercase.
When you format a disk in DOS 4.0 and later versions, DOS prompts you to enter a volume label. Whether or not you assign a label, DOS gives the disk a serial number. The serial number is not part of the volume label. Remember that a space is a valid character in a volume label.
Spaces and underscores can increase the readability of a volume label. DOS 3.0 and 3.1, however, reject a space in a volume name when the name is typed in the command line (for example,
LABEL MY DISK). To put a space in a volume label, typeLABEL, press the spacebar, type the drive name (if needed), and then press Enter. Do not type a volume label in the command line. WhenLABELasks for a new volume label, you can type the label with spaces.
If you're connected to a network, running MSCDEX for access to a CD-ROM drive, or using the SUBST command to create drive aliases, you might need the LASTDRIVE= command to tell DOS to save space for the additional drive letters you'll need. You can use LASTDRIVE= only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
drive
| The letter of the last disk drive that you want to have available. Note that drive is entered without a trailing colon. Valid letters are A to Z. The default value is either E or the last drive letter allocated during the processing of your CONFIG.SYS file, whichever is higher.
|
If you specify a letter lower than the number of letters needed for your system, DOS overrides it and allocates space for the drives your system has. For instance, if you have one floppy and one hard drive and you specify
LASTDRIVE=A, DOS allocates space in the current directory data structure for drives A, B, and C (as if you had specifiedLASTDRIVE=C). DOS does not display an error message if it overrides yourLASTDRIVE=parameter. Notice that DOS allocates two floppy drive letters (A and B) even if you have only one floppy disk drive installed in the system.Each additional drive letter (above E) you have available increases the size of DOS in memory. If you aren't attached to a network, running a CD-ROM drive, or using
SUBSTdrive aliases, you have little reason to waste memory on extra drive letters.You never need
LASTDRIVE=for a device that is assigned a drive letter when its driver is loaded inCONFIG.SYS. This includes drives assigned by DoubleSpace,RAMDRIVE.SYS,INTERLNK.EXE, orDRIVER.SYS.LASTDRIVE=is needed only to reserve space for drive letters created after the processing of yourCONFIG.SYSfile is complete.
If you are attached to a network, you usually want the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
LASTDRIVE=Z
This line allows room for the maximum number of drive letters, leaving plenty of room to attach network drives. On the other hand, if you have two floppy drives (A and B), a hard disk with two partitions (C and D), a RAM disk (E), and have run DBLSPACE to compress both partitions (hosts assigned to I and J), your highest drive letter is J. To leave room for two additional drives after J, you can enter the following command:
LASTDRIVE=L
Notice that in the preceding example, drive letters F, G, H, K, and L would be available for network, CD-ROM, or SUBST drives. If you had included no LASTDRIVE= command, drive letters F, G, and H would still be available.
LH is an alternative name for the LOADHIGH command. For information on using the LOADHIGH or LH command, see the entry for LOADHIGH in this command reference.
By using LOADER, you can have more than one operating system installed on your computer. You can choose from a menu of installed operating systems to be started at boot time. If you install DR DOS on a computer with Windows 95, for example, the setup installs LOADER and sets up the correct files for it to run.
/Q or /S
| Specifies the quiet mode to run LOADER without any onscreen feedback.
|
/U
| Uninstalls LOADER from the hard disk.
|
bootfile.ext
| Specifies a text file that must be in the root directory. Each line (up to 20 lines are allowed) lists the parameters for loading a different operating system at bootup. Use the following syntax for each line: filename.ext x num text...
|
The parameters for this syntax are as follows:
Some programs may have trouble running if they are loaded in the first segment of memory. When this happens, they often display a Packed file corrupt message and abort. LOADFIX can help a program with this problem to run by making sure that it's loaded in the second 64KB segment of memory.
program
| The program file that you want to load into the second 64KB segment of memory. A drive and path can be specified. If they are omitted, the current directory and all directories on the DOS PATH are searched for the executable file. This parameter is required.
|
parameters
| The parameters you want passed to program when it's loaded into memory.
|
If you are using DOS 5.0 or a later version to load DOS into the high memory area (HMA), a packed file may be loaded into the first 64KB of RAM and may fail to work. In such a case, DOS may display the error message Packed file corrupt, and the computer then returns to the DOS prompt.
Use LOADFIX only to start a program when DOS displays the message Packed file corrupt.
You can use the LOADHIGH command to load programs into upper memory. By loading resident software into upper memory, you can leave more conventional memory available for application programs to use. LOADHIGH is typically used in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
LOADHIGH program parameters
or
LH program parameters
In DOS 6, LOADHIGH has two additional switches that MemMaker uses to specify the placement and size of the program in memory:
LOADHIGH /L:region,min;region,min;... /S program parameters
or
LH /L:region,min;region,min;... /S program parameters
program
| Specifies the program file that you want to load into upper memory. You can specify a drive and path. If you omit them, DOS searches the current directory and all directories on the DOS PATH for the executable file. This parameter is required.
|
parameters
| Specifies any parameters you want passed to program when it's loaded into memory.
|
/L:region,min
| (DOS 6) Specifies the region in upper memory, and optionally the minimum size in bytes, into which the program should be loaded. You can specify more than one region by separating each region from the preceding one with a semicolon. For instance, /L:1;2 allows the program access to UMB regions 1 and 2, and /L:1,4096;2,512 further specifies that the minimum size of regions 1 and 2 should be 4,096 and 512 bytes, respectively. This parameter must precede the program's filename on the line. MemMaker sets these values for you.
|
/S
| (DOS 6) If you specify the /L parameter with a minimum size, /S instructs DOS to shrink the UMB to the specified size and create a new UMB from the remainder. /S must precede the program's filename on the line. This switch is best left to MemMaker's use.
|
You must use an upper memory manager. For a computer equipped with an 80386SX or higher microprocessor and at least 1MB of RAM, DOS provides
EMM386.EXE.Your
CONFIG.SYSfile must contain at least the following statements (or the equivalent third-party memory-management routines):DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=EMM386.EXE RAM (or NOEMS) DOS=UMB
If not enough upper memory is available to accommodate a program, DOS loads the program into conventional memory without warning.
When a program is loaded by default into the largest free UMB, that program automatically gains access to all other UMBs. If you use
/L, you have to explicitly grant the program access to other upper memory regions by specifying other/Lparameters./Snormally is used only by MemMaker, which analyzes a program's memory usage to determine whether/Sis safe.You can use
/Sonly when you also include an/Lswitch that specifies a minimum size.Use
minwhen a program is larger when it runs than when it loads.Use
MEM /Fto determine the size of free regions.
To load the driver into upper memory regions 1 and 3, use the following format:
LOADHIGH /L:1;3 C:BINMYDRV.COM
DEVICEHIGH=, MEM, and MEMMAKER
“Loading Device Drivers and TSRs into Upper Memory” in Chapter 19
The MD (or MKDIR) command can create new subdirectories on your disks. Storing files in various subdirectories helps you to keep them organized, and with MD, you can create as many as you need.
drive: | The drive: on which you want to create a new subdirectory. If you omit drive:, DOS assumes the current drive. |
path | The subdirectory on drive: that you want to create. path can be either absolute or relative—that is, specified from the root directory or specified from the current directory (see Note 7 in the following section). If you specify only the name, DOS creates the new subdirectory in the current directory. You cannot create a subdirectory with the same name as a file in its parent directory. |
Separate each subdirectory in
pathwith a backslash () character. The last subdirectory name inpathis the subdirectory created.You must specify the new subdirectory name (1 to 8 characters); specifying an extension is optional. The name must conform to the rules for creating directory names.
Tip
Avoid using extensions with subdirectory names. Although doing so is perfectly legal, having them “extensionless” makes them easier to pick out from the filenames in a directory listing. This practice has become so pervasive that certain programs have difficulties using subdirectories with extensions because they are rather uncommon and rarely tested for in new software.
You cannot use a directory name that is identical to a filename in the parent directory. If you have a file named
MYFILEin the current directory, for example, you cannot create the subdirectoryMYFILEin this directory. If the file is namedMYFILE.TXT, however, the names do not conflict, and you can create theMYFILEsubdirectory.The maximum length of a path (from the root directory to the final directory) is 63 characters, including the backslashes.
You are not restricted to creating subdirectories in the current directory. If you add a pathname, DOS establishes a new subdirectory in the directory that you specify.
You must put a colon after the drive letter if it is included. If you don't include the colon, DOS interprets the drive letter as a subdirectory name, which is probably not what you wanted.
If a backslash (
) is the first (or only) character in a subdirectory path, it's considered absolute and specified starting from the root directory. If the subdirectory path begins with a subdirectory name, it's considered relative, and the current directory is used as its starting point. A drive letter, followed by a colon, can precede either an absolute or a relative path.
Unable to create directory
Error: One of the following errors occurred:
You tried to create a directory that already exists.
You provided an incorrect pathname.
The disk's directory is full.
The disk is full.
A file with the same name already exists.
Check the directory in which the new subdirectory was to be created. If a conflicting name exists, either change the filename or use a new directory name. If the disk or the root directory is full, delete some files, create the subdirectory in a different directory, or use a different disk.
Invalid drive specified
MEM is a utility that displays the amount of used and unused memory, allocated and open memory areas, and all programs currently in the system. MEM can be enormously useful when you want to see just how your memory is being used, and whether you have enough space left for another resident program to be loaded high.
For DOS 6, the following parameters are available for MEM:
MEM /CLASSIFY /DEBUG /FREE /MODULE name /PAGE
or
MEM /C /D /F /M name /P
For DOS 5.0, the following parameters are available for MEM:
MEM /CLASSIFY /DEBUG /PROGRAM
or
MEM /C /D /P
You must specify
/CLASSIFY,/DEBUG,/FREE, and/MODULEone at a time. You cannot combine any of these parameters. You can combine the/PAGEparameter with any of them, however.MEMdisplays the status of extended memory only if you have more than 1MB of memory in your computer. If you have only 1MB or less, you don't have any extended memory.The status of expanded memory is displayed only if you have expanded memory that conforms to Version 4.0 of the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification (LIM EMS). Loading
EMM386.EXEin yourCONFIG.SYSfile can provide expanded memory for 80386 or better computer systems with more than 1MB of memory installed.MEMdisplays the status of upper memory only if a UMB provider (for example,EMM386) is installed andDOS=UMBis included in yourCONFIG.SYSfile.MEMdoes not display the status of upper memory if you are running DOS under Microsoft Windows 3.0.
Starting with DOS 6.2,
MEMdisplays numbers with embedded commas, making them much easier to read.A good way to determine a module name for
MEM /MODULEnameis first to issue the commandMEM /C.If your PC has UMBs, you can use
MEM /CorMEM /Dextensively as you begin to load device drivers and TSRs into upper memory.MEMdisplays the location and size of each program in memory. This information can help you determine the order in which device drivers and TSRs load so that you can determine how best to use UMBs.
DEVICEHIGH=, EMM386.EXE, HIMEM.SYS, LOADHIGH or LH, and MEMMAKER
“Displaying the Amount of Free and Used Memory” in Chapter 10
MemMaker is a full-screen program that attempts to maximize the amount of free conventional memory you have in your computer by moving device drivers and memory-resident programs (TSRs) into upper memory blocks (UMBs). To use MemMaker, you must have an 80386SX or higher computer with more than 1MB of memory installed. MemMaker relies on the services provided by HIMEM.SYS, EMM386.EXE and DOS. (If you are using third-party memory management software, you should use its memory optimization program instead of MemMaker.)
DEVICEHIGH=, EMM386.EXE, HIMEM.SYS, LOADHIGH or LH, and MEM
You can use MEMMAX to enable or disable sections of memory. You can run it from the system prompt or in AUTOEXEC.BAT. MEMMAX is useful if programs you run have trouble attempting to load into memory and you need to disable an area to prevent the program from loading there.
Normally, DOS displays a startup menu in white text on a black background. When you use the MENUCOLOR= command, you can choose the screen colors that DOS uses. This command affects all text that DOS displays onscreen, not just the startup menu. You can use MENUCOLOR= only inside a menu block in your CONFIG.SYS file.
textcolor | The color to use for foreground text. Legal values are 0 through 15 (see the following table of color values). This parameter is required. | |||
background | The color to use for the background. Legal values are 0 through 15 (see the following table of color numbers). On some displays, using background colors with values higher than 7 causes the screen to blink. Do not include a space after the comma, or DOS ignores the entire MENUCOLOR= command. If no value is entered, DOS assumes Black (0). | |||
| Value | Color | Value | Color | |
| 0 | Black | 8 | Gray | |
| 1 | Blue | 9 | Bright Blue | |
| 2 | Green | 10 | Bright Green | |
| 3 | Cyan | 11 | Bright Cyan | |
| 4 | Red | 12 | Bright Red | |
| 5 | Magenta | 13 | Bright Magenta | |
| 6 | Brown | 14 | Yellow | |
| 7 | White | 15 | Bright White | |
The
MENUCOLOR=command can appear only once inside each menu block inCONFIG.SYS.CONFIG.SYSallows two types of blocks: menu blocks and configuration blocks. Each block begins with a[blockname]and includes all the lines that follow, up to the next[blockname]. Menu blocks, which are blocks named[MENU]or defined with aSUBMENU=command, can include only menu-related commands. All otherCONFIG.SYScommands belong in configuration blocks.If you do not specify a
MENUCOLOR=command, the menu is displayed in white (7) on black (0). If only a foreground text color is specified, the background remains black (0). You cannot set the background color without also setting the foreground text color.Color choices set with this command remain in effect until another command or program resets them. Running
CLSor loading theANSI.SYSdevice driver resets the screen to its default colors.If you select a bright background color (values higher than 7), some displays set the blink attribute for the foreground text, and all the text onscreen starts to blink. Although blinking text may be annoying, it does no harm, and you can turn it off by using the
CLSorMODE CO80command. To fix the problem, choose a background color between 0 and 7, and restart your computer.A really nasty mistake is to set the foreground color the same as the background color. Because you can't read any of the prompts when the colors are the same, you might need to reboot and use the F5 Clean key to bypass your
CONFIG.SYSfile. Alternatively, you can select a menu choice blind (press 1 and then press Enter), wait for all the drive activity to stop, and then typeCLSand press Enter.
Suppose that you want to set up a menu that enables you to choose from three basic configurations for your computer: Windows, DOS, and Maintenance. To jazz it up a bit, you want to set the screen colors to bright blue text on a white background. To do so, add the following lines to your CONFIG.SYS file:
[MENU] MENUITEM=WIN, Configure for Windows (Default) MENUITEM=DOS, Configure for MS-DOS MENUITEM=MAINT, Configure for File & Disk Maintenance MENUDEFAULT=WIN, 30 MENUCOLOR=9,7
The MENUCOLOR= command sets the foreground color to bright blue (9) and the background color to white (7). These colors remain in effect until another program resets them.
[blockname], MENUDEFAULT=, MENUITEM=, and SUBMENU=
Using the MENUDEFAULT= command, you can select which startup configuration DOS executes if no keys are pressed within the timeout period you specify. Without this command, DOS chooses menu item #1 and waits for you to press the Enter key. If you specify a default configuration and timeout period, DOS can continue booting without you. You can use MENUDEFAULT= only inside a menu block in your CONFIG.SYS file.
blockname | The menu line that DOS should highlight when the menu is displayed. If you specify a timeout value, DOS executes this configuration block automatically after timeout seconds. blockname must match the corresponding entry in a MENUITEM= or SUBMENU= command. This argument is required. |
timeout | The number of seconds, from 0 to 90, that DOS should wait before executing the blockname configuration block. If you do not specify a timeout value, DOS waits until you press the Enter key before executing the selected configuration. A timeout value of 0 executes the blockname configuration block without displaying the menu onscreen at all. |
The
MENUDEFAULT=command can appear only once inside each menu block inCONFIG.SYS.CONFIG.SYSallows two types of blocks: menu blocks and configuration blocks. Each block begins with a[blockname]and includes all the lines that follow, up to the next[blockname]. Menu blocks, which are blocks named[MENU]or defined with aSUBMENU=command, can include only menu-related commands. All otherCONFIG.SYScommands belong in configuration blocks.The menu item selected with the
MENUDEFAULT=command displays highlighted onscreen. You can move the highlight with the arrow keys or type the line number to select a different menu line. TheEnter a Choice:prompt displays the number of the selected menu item.When you specify a
timeoutvalue, DOS displays a countdown onscreen as it waits for you to override the default choice. If you press any key before thetimeoutperiod has elapsed, the timer stops, and DOS waits for you to make a menu selection and press the Enter key.
Caution
If the timeout parameter contains an illegal value, DOS assigns a timeout of zero, and the menu isn't displayed at all. Not having a menu display can be troublesome when you are debugging a new menu. To determine whether an incorrectly set timeout value is causing the problem, press the F8 Interactive key when the Starting MS-DOS... message appears onscreen. If the menu appears, the timeout value is defaulting to zero. If the menu still doesn't appear, look for undefined or misspelled blocknames.
Suppose that you want to set up a menu that enables you to choose from three basic configurations for your computer: Windows, DOS, and Maintenance. Because you normally work with Windows programs, you want the default choice to be the WIN configuration. To do so, add the following lines to your CONFIG.SYS file:
[MENU] MENUITEM=WIN, Configure for Windows (Default) MENUITEM=DOS, Configure for MS-DOS MENUITEM=MAINT, Configure for File & Disk Maintenance MENUDEFAULT=WIN, 30
When you include these lines in your CONFIG.SYS file, DOS searches for blocks named [WIN], [DOS], and [MAINT]. As long as those blocks exist in the file, the menu that DOS displays looks something like this:
MS-DOS 6 Startup Menu ===================== 1. Configure for Windows (Default) 2. Configure for MS-DOS 3. Configure for File & Disk Maintenance Enter a choice: 1
Entering 1, 2, or 3 at this menu instructs DOS to select the [WIN], [DOS], or [MAINT] block, respectively. If you don't make an entry within about 30 seconds, DOS chooses the [WIN] configuration by default.
[blockname], MENUCOLOR=, MENUITEM=, and SUBMENU=
New with DOS 6 is the capability to define a startup menu from which you can choose the group of CONFIG.SYS commands to process when you reboot. You use the MENUITEM= command to define the text of a menu line, as well as the configuration block that DOS should process when that menu line is chosen. You can use MENUITEM= only inside a menu block in your CONFIG.SYS file.
blockname | The name of the configuration block that you want to execute when this menu item is chosen. / , ; = [ ] (For more details, see |
menutext | The text you want DOS to display for this menu line. menutext can be up to 70 characters long and contain any text you want, including spaces. Separate menutext from blockname with a comma. If you do not provide menutext, DOS displays the blockname in the menu. |
The
MENUITEM=command can appear only inside menu blocks inCONFIG.SYS.CONFIG.SYSallows two types of blocks: menu blocks and configuration blocks. Each block begins with a[blockname], and includes all the lines that follow, up to the next[blockname]. Menu blocks, which are blocks named[MENU]or defined with aSUBMENU=command, can include only menu-related commands. All otherCONFIG.SYScommands belong in configuration blocks.The top-level (first) menu block must be named
[MENU]so that DOS can recognize it. You can name additional menu blocks that you define with theSUBMENU=command anything you like.Up to nine choices can be displayed in a menu, so you are limited to nine
MENUITEM=and/orSUBMENU=commands in a menu block. The menu items are displayed onscreen in the order that they appear in the menu block, numbered from 1 to 9.If DOS cannot find the block referred to by a
MENUITEM=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, it doesn't display that choice in the menu. To get around this limitation, add a[blockname]line to yourCONFIG.SYSfile, but don't include any commands in it.DOS sets the
CONFIGenvironment variable equal to the name of the configuration block selected from the startup menu. You can use theCONFIGvariable in yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile to continue customizing your system's configuration based on the choice you made at the startup menu.
Caution
If you intend to use the CONFIG variable in GOTO statements in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, try to keep your blocknames short. Only the first eight characters in a batch file label are significant, so if any of your blocknames start with the same eight characters, one or more of the GOTO labels you set up will never be reached. You can get around this limitation by using the IF command to make comparisons or by simply using shorter blocknames.
Suppose that you want to set up a menu that enables you choose from three basic configurations for your computer: Windows, DOS, and Maintenance. To do so, add the following lines to your CONFIG.SYS file:
[MENU] MENUITEM=WIN, Configure for Windows (Default) MENUITEM=DOS, Configure for MS-DOS MENUITEM=MAINT, Configure for File & Disk Maintenance MENUDEFAULT=WIN, 30
When you include these lines in your CONFIG.SYS file, DOS searches for blocks named [WIN], [DOS], and [MAINT]. As long as those blocks exist in the file, the menu that DOS displays looks something like this:
MS-DOS 6 Startup Menu ===================== 1. Configure for Windows (Default) 2. Configure for MS-DOS 3. Configure for File & Disk Maintenance Enter a choice: 1
Entering 1, 2, or 3 at this menu instructs DOS to select the [WIN], [DOS], or [MAINT] block, respectively. If you don't make an entry within about 30 seconds, DOS chooses the [WIN] configuration by default.
[blockname], MENUCOLOR=, MENUDEFAULT=, and SUBMENU=
MIRROR is a utility that can record information about the file allocation table (FAT) and root directory to enable you to use the UNFORMAT and UNDELETE commands. MIRROR also can save partition table information to a file that UNFORMAT can use if your partition table becomes corrupted.
MIRROR is included on the DOS 6.0 Supplemental Disk, but not in the standard DOS 6 package. For information about similar capabilities in DOS 6, see the section on the UNDELETE command later in this command reference.
MIRROR drive: ... /Tdrive-entries /1
To save information about a drive partition, use the following format:
MIRROR /PARTN
To quit tracking deleted files, use the following format:
MIRROR /U
drive: … | Specifies the drive(s) for which you want MIRROR to record FAT and root directory information. You can specify as many drive letters (with colons) as you want; just separate each one from the others with a space. |
/Tdrive-entries | Loads a memory-resident tracking program that records information about deleted files. The drive specifies the drive where MIRROR saves information about deleted files. -entries is an optional value (ranging from 1 to 999) that specifies the maximum number of deleted files to be tracked. Default values are listed in the table in following the Notes section. |
/1 | Keeps MIRROR from creating a backup of the mirror file when the FAT and root directory information are updated. |
/PARTN | Makes a copy of the drive's partition table. |
/U | Removes the deleted-file tracking program from memory. You might not be able to unload MIRROR if you've loaded other resident software into memory after MIRROR. |
Do not use the
/Tswitch with drives that useJOINorSUBST.If you use
ASSIGN, you must place this command before theMIRRORcommand. If possible, don't use any “pretender” programs while Mirror's deleted-file tracking program is active.DOS saves information about deleted files in the file
PCTRACKR.DEL. TheUNDELETEcommand uses this file. With DOS 6,UNDELETEhas Delete Tracker and Delete Sentry options of its own, and you should use them in preference to Mirror's deleted-file tracking features.DOS saves system information, the FAT, and the root directory in the file
MIRROR.FIL. TheUNFORMATcommand uses this file.FORMATsaves information forUNFORMATas well.DOS saves information about the hard drive partition in the file
PARTNSAV.FIL. TheUNFORMATcommand uses this file. In DOS 6, no utility in the standard package can save this information forUNFORMATto use.
Caution
The MIRROR and UNFORMAT commands are not replacements for proper backups of your hard disk. Although the information that MIRROR saves can be very handy, full and regular backups are a much safer and more reliable means of ensuring that you do not lose data.
When you track deleted files, you can specify how many files are contained in the
PCTRACKR.DELfile (1 to 999) by using the/Tdrive-entriesparameter. The default values, however, probably are satisfactory. Those values are as follows:Size of Disk Entries Stored 360KB 25 720KB 50 1.2MB/1.44MB 75 20MB 101 32MB 202 Larger than 32MB 303 Using the
/PARTNswitch withMIRRORcreates the filePARTNSAV.FIL, which contains information from the drive's partition table. The partition initially is created withFDISK. You are instructed to place a floppy disk in drive A rather than savePARTNSAV.FILon the hard disk. The file is saved on the disk. Label and store the disk in a safe place.UNFORMAT, a companion command toMIRROR, uses these files. If you lose information, if you accidentally format a disk, or if the partition table is damaged, you can recover the lost information by usingUNFORMATif you previously usedMIRROR.
Creates an image of the system area. Drive C being processed. The MIRROR process was successful.
Information: These messages appear when you issue the command MIRROR while drive C is the current drive. The messages indicate that MIRROR performed successfully.
Deletion-tracking software being installed. The following drives are supported: Drive C - Default files saved. Installation complete.
Information: These messages appear when you install MIRROR with delete tracking. The messages indicate that delete tracking for drive C is installed correctly.
WARNING! Unrecognized DOS INT 25h/26h handler. Some other TSR programs may behave erratically while deletion-tracking software is resident Try installing MIRROR program before your other resident programs.
Warning: Some other TSR conflicted with delete tracking. Experiment with loading TSRs and delete tracking in a different order. As suggested in the message, you might have to install MIRROR before any other resident software you use. When you find the correct order, modify AUTOEXEC.BAT so that the TSRs and delete tracking are loaded in the correct sequence.
MKDIR is an alternative name for the MD command. For information on using the MD or MKDIR command, see the entry for MD in this command reference.
The MODE command generally configures system devices. The details of the command's functions, however, are so varied that the syntax quickly becomes quite complex. Therefore, the following sections cover each of the MODE command's functions separately:
To set serial ports, see the entry for
MODE COM#.To configure the keyboard and display, see the entry for
MODE CON.To use
MODE's code page functions, see the entry forMODEdeviceCP.To set the display device and mode, see the entry for
MODEdisplay.To set parallel (printer) ports, see the entry for
MODE LPT#.
To display the status of any or all the devices that MODE can control, use the following command format:
MODE device /STATUS
device | The DOS device for which you want to see status information. device can be any one of the following: | |
| Device Name | Description | |
| COM1 through COM4 | Serial communication ports | |
| CON | The console, which is your keyboard and display | |
| LPT1 through LPT3 | Parallel printer ports | |
| PRN | The primary printer port, normally LPT1 | |
If you omit this parameter, MODE displays information about the status of all the devices attached to your system. | ||
/STATUS | Including this parameter requests the status of any redirected parallel ports you may have set without canceling the redirection. If you omit the /STATUS parameter and you are redirecting any parallel ports, the redirection is canceled when the information about that port is displayed. You can abbreviate /STATUS as /STA. | |
If you ask for the status of the PRN device (for example,
MODE PRN),MODEdisplays information about the code page status of the primary printer port. If you ask for the status of LPT1, however, it reports on the retry setting currently in effect.You can include a colon after the device name or leave it off; its use is optional.
The AUX device, which is normally the same as COM1, is not recognized by the
MODEcommand.Status information has been available from the
MODEcommand since DOS 4.0.
Illegal device name - device
Error: You have specified a device name that is not present in your computer. device is the name of the device that you entered in the MODE command.
Invalid parameter - parameter
Error: You have specified the name of a device that MODE doesn't recognize or have included an unsupported parameter. Check the command to make sure that you have entered it correctly.
ANSI.SYS, CHCP, COUNTRY=, DISPLAY.SYS, KEYB, and NLSFUNC
“Altering the Look of the Screen with MODE” in Chapter 11, “The MODE Command” in Chapter 13, and “Understanding Code Page Switching” in Chapter 14
You use the MODE COM# form of the MODE command to initialize serial ports connected to your computer. Many programs initialize the ports themselves, but in case they don't, DOS provides this functionality in the MODE COM# command. The INTERSVR /RCOPY remote copy operation depends on the services of MODE COM# to make the remote copy operation succeed, for instance.
The old syntax, which is simple but not very intuitive, is as follows:
MODE COM#: baud, parity, databits, stopbits, retry
If you are running DOS 4.0 or later, you can use the following format:
MODE COM#: BAUD=baud PARITY=parity DATA=databits STOP=stopbits RETRY=retry
For DOS versions before 5.0, you must enter the adapter's number, followed by a space and baud rate. If you type the optional colon, you must type the adapter number immediately before the colon. All other parameters are optional.
Note that with the older, unlabeled syntax,
MODEinterprets each parameter by position alone, and you must enter them in the order shown. If you do not want to enter a value for a particular parameter, enter a comma for that value, or use the newer syntax where relative position on the command line is unimportant.If you enter an invalid parameter, DOS responds with an invalid-parameter message and takes no further action.
You can abbreviate the baud rate parameter by using only the first two digits of the baud rate. For example, you can specify 11 for 110 baud, or 96 for 9600 baud.
If you want continuous retries after a timeout, you must enter
RETRY=B(orPfor versions of DOS before 5.0) every time you use theMODE COM#:command. Other settings remain in effect if you do not specify new values for them.If the adapter is set for continuous retries (
RETRY=B) and the device is not ready, the computer may appear to hang up when it's really just waiting for the port. You can abort this loop by pressing Ctrl+Break.If you use a networked printer, do not specify any of the
RETRYvalues.To display the current status of a serial port, enter the
MODE COM#command without any parameters. To display the status of all the DOS devices attached to your computer, enter theMODEcommand alone.
MODE can configure various aspects of the console device, which refers to your keyboard and display. For the keyboard, MODE can set the keyboard repeat rate and delay. For the monitor, MODE can, with the help of the ANSI.SYS device driver, control the number of lines and columns displayed in text mode.
To configure the keyboard, use the following format:
MODE CON: RATE=rate DELAY=delay
To configure the monitor, use the following format:
MODE CON: COLS=columns LINES=lines
CON: | Specifies the console device. The colon is optional. |
rate | Specifies the rate at which a character repeats when you hold down a key. Legal values are in the range of 1 to 32, which represents approximately 2 to 30 characters per second. The default is 20 for most keyboards and 21 for IBM PS/2 keyboards. To set the rate, you also must set the delay. |
delay | Specifies the length of the delay between the initial pressing of the key and the start of automatic character repetition. This value can be 1, 2, 3, or 4, which represent delays of 1/4 second, 1/2 second, 3/4 second, and one full second, respectively. The default is 2. To set the delay, you also must set the rate. |
columns | Indicates the number of columns to display onscreen. Legal values are 40 and 80. Most computers start up in an 80-column screen mode. If you omit this parameter, the display keeps its present column setting. |
lines | Indicates the number of lines to display onscreen. Legal values are different for different types of monitors. CGA and MDA monitors support 25-line text modes only. EGA monitors support 25- and 43-line text modes. VGA monitors support 25-, 43-, and 50-line text modes. Most computers start up in a 25-line screen mode. If you omit this parameter, the display keeps its present lines setting. |
To set the keyboard repeat rate, you must specify both
rateanddelaysettings. You cannot use these parameters individually.The CapsLock, ScrollLock, NumLock, and Insert keys never repeat, no matter how long you hold them down.
Only enhanced keyboards support having their repeat rate changed. The original 84-key keyboards supplied with the IBM PC use a fixed repeat rate and ignore the
MODE CONcommand.Using the
MODE CONcommand to change the number of lines and columns displayed on your screen requires the assistance of theANSI.SYSdevice driver. IfANSI.SYSisn't in memory when the command executes, an error message is displayed, and the requested screen mode change does not take place. (See the first message in the “Messages” section.)
To set the keyboard to repeat as quickly as possible but increase the delay before repeating to 3/4 of a second, you enter the following command:
MODE COM RATE=32 DELAY=3
To reset the keyboard to its default values, you enter the following command:
MODE COM RATE=20 DELAY=2
To set an EGA or VGA monitor to a 43-line text mode, you enter the following command:
MODE CON LINES=43
ANSI.SYS must be installed to perform requested function
Error: MODE requires the assistance of the ANSI.SYS device driver to perform the requested operation, but it isn't loaded. To use this MODE command, you have to add a DEVICE= line loading the ANSI.SYS device driver to your CONFIG.SYS file and restart your computer.
Rate and delay must be specified together
Error: MODE CON requires that you specify both the rate and delay settings in order to change the keyboard settings for these parameters. Make sure that you specified both parameters on the command line.
The MODE command offers four subfunctions that you can use to prepare and manipulate code pages on your computer. You use these commands in conjunction with the other international commands to configure your computer to use standards popular in various countries.
To prepare and load a code page into the DISPLAY.SYS and/or PRINTER.SYS device drivers, use the following format:
MODE device CODEPAGE PREPARE=((codepage...) cpi_file)
or
MODE device CP PREP=((codepage...) cpi_file)
To switch to a code page that has been previously prepared, use the following format:
MODE device CODEPAGE SELECT=codepage
or
MODE device CP SEL=codepage
To reload the current code page into the hardware, use the following format:
MODE device CODEPAGE REFRESH
or
MODE device CP REF
To display code page status information, use the following format:
MODE device CODEPAGE /STATUS
or
MODE device CP /STA
device | Specifies the DOS device that you want to use. This parameter is required. device can be any one of the following: | ||
| Device Name | Description | ||
| CON | The console, which is your keyboard and display | ||
| LPT1 through LPT3 | Parallel printer ports | ||
| PRN | The primary printer port, normally LPT1 | ||
CODEPAGE PREPARE or CP PREP | Prepares code pages (character sets), which simply means that it loads the specified code page into the device driver in memory (DISPLAY.SYS or PRINTER.SYS). You must prepare a code page before you can use it with the CHCP or the MODE device CODEPAGE SELECT commands. CODEPAGE can be abbreviated as CP, and PREPARE can be abbreviated as PREP. | ||
CODEPAGE SELECT or CP SEL | Switches the current code page to the onespecified. The code page you switch to must have been previously loaded with the MODE device CODEPAGE PREPARE command, or be permanently available from the hardware. CODEPAGE can be abbreviated as CP, and SELECT can be abbreviated as SEL. | ||
CODEPAGE REFRESH or CP REF | Reloads the current code page. You need to use this command if your printer loses the code page information loaded into it by being turned off. The code page you refresh must have been previously loaded with the MODE device CODEPAGE PREPARE command. CODEPAGE can be abbreviated as CP, and REFRESH can be abbreviated as REF. | ||
codepage | Specifies the code page (character set) that you want to prepare or select. You can enter more than one codepage in the PREPARE command. For a list of the code pages supported by MS-DOS, see Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS.” | ||
cpi_file | Specifies the name and location of the file that contains code page information for the specified device. If you don't specify a drive, DOS assumes the current drive. If you don't specify a subdirectory path, DOS assumes the current directory. The filename is required. MS-DOS 6 provides the following code page information files for use with DISPLAY.SYS and PRINTER.SYS: | ||
| CPI File | Description | ||
EGA.CPI | Code pages for EGA and VGA displays | ||
EGA.ICE | (DOS 6.0 only) Icelandic code pages for EGA and VGA displays | ||
EGA2.CPI | An alternative set of code pages for EGA and VGA displays | ||
LCD.CPI | (Supplemental Disk) Code pages for an IBM Convertible's LCD display | ||
4201.CPI | (Supplemental Disk) Code pages for IBM Proprinters II and III Model 4201 and IBM Proprinters II and III XL Model 4202 | ||
4208.CPI | (Supplemental Disk) Code pages for IBM Proprinters X24E Model 4207 and IBM Proprinters XL24E Model 4208 | ||
5202.CPI | (Supplemental Disk) Code pages for IBM Quietwriter III printer | ||
Setup places these files in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. | |||
/STATUS | Displays the number of code pages prepared or selected for the specified device. You can include this parameter or leave it out; it makes no difference. Microsoft states that you can abbreviate it as /STA, but because you can abbreviate it to nothing, it hardly matters. | ||
You must specify a valid device. The options are CON:, PRN:, LPT1:, LPT2:, and LPT3:. The colon after the device name is optional.
MODEdeviceCODEPAGE PREPAREprepares code pages (character sets) for the console (keyboard and display) and printers. Issue this subcommand before issuing theMODEdeviceCODEPAGE SELECTsubcommand, unless you use the IBM Quietwriter III printer, whose font information is contained in cartridges. If the code page that you need is in a cartridge, you do not need to use thePREPAREcommand.For the
PREPAREcommand, you must specify one or more code pages. You can use commas or spaces to separate the numbers if you specify more than one. You must enclose the entire list of code pages in parentheses.When you add or replace code pages by using a
PREPAREcommand, enter a comma for any code page that you do not want to change.For the
SELECTcommand, you must specify a single code page. The code page must be either part of aMODEdeviceCODEPAGE PREPAREcommand for the device or the hardware code page specified to the appropriate device driver.MODEdeviceCODEPAGE SELECTactivates a currently prepared code page or reactivates a hardware code page. You can useMODEdeviceCODEPAGE SELECTonly on these two types of code pages.MODEdeviceCODEPAGE SELECTusually downloads any software font to the device, except for the Quietwriter III printer, which uses cartridges.MODEdeviceCODEPAGE SELECTactivates code pages for individual devices. You can use theCHCPcommand to activate the code pages for all available devices.MODEdeviceCODEPAGE REFRESHdownloads, if necessary, and reactivates the currently selected code page on a device. Use this command after you turn on your printer, or after a program changes the video display and leaves the console code page in ruins.MODEdeviceCODEPAGE /STATUSdisplays the following information about the device:The selected (active) code page, if one is selected
The hardware code page(s)
Any prepared code page(s)
Any available positions for additional prepared code pages
To prepare the first parallel port with the multilingual (Latin 1) code page found in the file C:DOS4201.CPI, enter the following:
MODE LPT1 CP PREP=((850) C:DOS4201.CPI)
CHCP, COUNTRY=, DISPLAY.SYS, KEYB, NLSFUNC, and PRINTER.SYS
The MODE display form of the MODE command can switch the active display adapter between the monochrome display (MDA) and a graphics display adapter (Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), Enhanced Color Graphics Adapter (EGA), or Video Graphics Array (VGA)) on a two-display system.
MODE display_mode, lines
For systems with CGA monitors, you can use the following syntax to shift the display on your screen:
MODE display_mode,shift, T
The
MODE CO80command can be very handy for resetting your screen when it's left in an unknown state by an inconsiderate program. It also restores the cursor to its normal size and position. If your screen goes black when you exit a graphics utility program, for example, try typing in this command, even if you can't see what you're typing.For the first form of the command, you must enter the
display_mode. All other parameters are optional.The second form of this command is legal to use only with displays that use a Color Graphics Adapter (CGA). On any other type of display, this form of the command does nothing. To adjust a CGA display, you must enter the
shiftparameter (L or R), but you can avoid resetting thedisplay_modeby typing a comma before theshiftparameter. Depending on whether you are in a 40- or an 80-column screen mode, the screen shifts one or two characters to the right or left. Including theTparameter displays a test pattern onscreen and prompts you to typeYif the screen is centered orNto shift the display further left or right.Using the
MODE CONcommand to change the number oflinesdisplayed on your screen requires the assistance of theANSI.SYSdevice driver. (You can change thedisplay_modewithoutANSI.SYS, however.) IfANSI.SYSisn't in memory when the command executes, an error message is displayed, and the requested screen mode change does not take place. (See the first message in the “Messages” section.)
If you have a CGA, EGA, or VGA display and you want to reset the screen to normal, including the shape of the cursor, enter the following command:
MODE CO80
MODE CO80 can be a lifesaver when a program leaves your screen in limbo. Even if you can't see what you're typing, DOS resets the screen mode to its normal mode when you enter these commands.
ANSI.SYS must be installed to perform requested function
Error: MODE requires the assistance of the ANSI.SYS device driver to perform the requested operation, but it isn't loaded. To use this MODE command, you have to add a DEVICE= line that loads the ANSI.SYS device driver to your CONFIG.SYS file and restart your computer.
You can use the MODE LPT# form of the MODE command to set the operating characteristics of your printer or to redirect printer output to a serial port. You can set the lines and columns only for IBM- and Epson-compatible printers.
MODE LPT#: columns, lines, retry
or
MODE LPT#: COLS=columns LINES=lines RETRY=retry
To force DOS to print to a serial printer instead of a parallel printer, use the following format:
MODE LPT#:=COM#
LPT#: | Specifies the parallel printer port you want to configure. DOS supports LPT ports 1, 2, and 3, but they may not all be installed in your computer. The colon after the number is optional. | |
COM#: | Specifies the serial port to which you want to redirect printer output. DOS supports COM ports 1, 2, 3, and 4, but they may not all be installed in your computer. The colon after the number is optional. | |
columns | (IBM- and Epson-compatible printers only) Indicates the number of characters per line to print on the printer. Legal values are 80 and 132. Most printers start up in an 80-column mode. If you omit this parameter, the printer keeps its current characters-per-line setting. | |
lines | (IBM- and Epson-compatible printers only) Specifies the number of lines per inch to print on the printer. Legal values are 6 and 8. Most printers start up in a 6-line-per-inch mode. If you omit this parameter, the printer keeps its current lines-per-inch setting. | |
retry | Instructs DOS about how to handle timeout errors. Using this parameter causes part of MODE to remain resident in memory. You can choose one of the following options: | |
retry | Action | |
B | Return busy when the port is busy | |
E | Return error when the port is busy | |
P | Retry until output is accepted | |
R | Return ready when the port is busy (infinite retry) | |
N or NONE | Take no action (the default) | |
When configuring a parallel port, you must specify a printer number, but all other parameters are optional, including the colon after the printer number.
If you do not want to change a configuration parameter, enter a comma for that parameter.
The
MODE LPT#:=COM#:command cancels the effect of theMODE LPT#:command.A parameter does not change if you skip that parameter or use an invalid parameter. The printer number, however, must be entered correctly.
In DOS 3.3 and earlier versions, if you specify
Pfor continuous retries, you can cancelPonly by reentering theMODEcommand withoutP. In later versions of DOS, theRETRY=Boption has the same effect as thePoption of previous DOS versions.If you use a networked printer, do not use any of the
RETRYvalues.The characters-per-line and lines-per-inch portions of the command affect only IBM printers, Epson printers, and other printers that use Epson-compatible control codes.
When you are redirecting printer output, the ports you specify for both the parallel printer port and serial printer port must be valid. In other words, you cannot redirect printer output to a serial printer if you don't have a parallel port, and you can't use a nonexistent parallel port to get around this problem.
After you issue the redirection command, all printing that normally goes to the parallel printer goes to the designated serial printer. Programs that write directly to the hardware, such as Microsoft Windows, are not affected by this redirection. For such programs, try printing to a file named
LPT1.TXT, substituting whatever parallel port you've redirected.If you are using a serial printer, you usually have to use the
MODE COM#command to set the parameters on your serial port to match the printer. Check your printer's documentation to find out the correct settings to use.You can cancel or undo the redirection command by issuing the
MODE LPT#:command.
This command controls IBM dot-matrix and graphics printers, all Epson printers, and Epson-compatible printers. The command may work partially or not at all on other printers.
When you change the column width, MODE sends the special printer-control code that specifies the normal font (80) or the condensed font (132). When you change the lines-per-inch setting, MODE sends the correct printer-control code for printing 6 or 8 lines per inch. MODE also sets the printer to 88 lines per page for an 8-lines-per-inch setting and to 66 lines per page for a 6-lines-per-inch setting.
If you use the P option of DOS 3.3 or earlier versions or the B retry option of later versions of DOS and attempt to print on a deselected printer, the computer does not issue a timeout error. Rather, the computer internally loops until the printer is ready (turned on, connected to the PC, and selected). For about a minute, the computer appears to be locked up. To abort the continuous retry, press Ctrl+Break.
The redirection capabilities of MODE are useful for systems that are connected to a serial printer. When you type the following command, the serial printer receives all the output that usually is sent to the system printer (assuming that the serial printer is connected to the first Asynchronous Communications Adapter):
MODE LPT1: = COM1:
This output includes the print-screen (Shift+PrtSc) function. Before you issue the MODE LPT=COMy command, use the MODE COMn: command to set up the serial adapter used for the serial printer.
If you have a VGA display, you might be able to increase the amount of upper memory space by instructing MemMaker to include the monochrome display region (B000h to B7FFh) in its search for available UMB space. If you run Windows, and you're using this region as UMB space, you need to add a device line for the MONOUMB.386 driver to the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI so that Windows knows what you're up to.
To use the monochrome region as UMB space, include the following line in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI:
DEVICE=drive:pathMONOUMB.386
drive:path | Specifies the full path to the MONOUMB.386 file on your system. The setup program for DOS 6 places this file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. |
There are a few good reasons why you might not want to use the monochrome region as upper memory space on a VGA system. If you or one of your software programs switches the VGA to monochrome mode (perhaps with the
MODE MONOcommand), the display overwrites whatever resident software you have loaded there. Also, some Super VGA adapters use this memory region when they are in high-resolution graphics modes.To instruct MemMaker to include this region in its search for upper memory space, choose Custom Setup and answer yes to the question
Use monochrome region(B000-B7FF) for running programs?.
MORE displays one screen of information from the standard input device, pauses, and then displays the message -More-. When you press any key, MORE displays the next screen of information. MORE is one of the filter programs that MS-DOS provides and normally is used with input redirection or pipes from the command line.
< pathname | Indicates the name of a file that you want MORE to display one page at a time on your screen. All the normal defaults for drives and subdirectories apply. Wildcards are not allowed. |
command | | Pipes the screen output from a command into the MORE program, which displays it one screen at a time. command can be any legal DOS command that writes its output to the standard output device (normally the screen). |
MOREdisplays one screen of information on a standard screen.After displaying a screen of information,
MOREwaits for a keystroke before filling the screen with new information. This process repeats until all output has been displayed.MOREis useful with input and output redirection and piping.
MOREis a DOS filter that enables you to display information without manually pausing the screen.MORE, when used with redirection or piping, is similar to theTYPEcommand, butMOREpauses after each screen of information.MOREintelligently handles two aspects of displaying text. The command pauses after displaying a screenful of lines, as you define by using theMODEcommand. The command also wraps lines that are longer than the width of your screen and reduces the number of lines that appear so that unread lines do not scroll off the screen.
You can use MOVE to move a file or group of files from one location to another or to rename subdirectories.
To move a file or group of files, use the following format:
MOVE source, source, ... destination /Y /-Y
To rename a subdirectory, use the following format:
MOVE old_dirname new_dirname
ERRORLEVEL Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Files were moved successfully. |
| 1 | Files weren't moved due to errors or user abort. |
Starting with DOS 6.2, the
MOVEcommand, when run from the command line, prompts you for confirmation before overwriting files. However, to avoid forcing you to rewrite all of your batch files, when you runMOVEfrom a batch file, it does not prompt you before overwriting a file.If you don't like
MOVE's new behavior, you can change it by defining an environment variable namedCOPYCMD. SettingCOPYCMDequal to/YforcesMOVEto act as it did in all previous versions of DOS, never prompting for confirmation before overwriting a file. If you setCOPYCMDequal to/-Y,MOVEalways prompts for confirmation, even when it's run from within a batch file.If you move a file to a directory that already includes a file with that name, DOS overwrites the file in the destination directory without warning.
You cannot rename a directory that you are moving to a different disk or to a different relative position on a disk. The drive and path in front of both
old_dirnameandnew_dirnamehave to be the same.If the destination directory does not exist, DOS can create it automatically.
If you specify several files to be moved and a filename rather than a directory as the destination, DOS displays the message
Cannot move multiple files to a single file.If a
MOVEoperation is successful, DOS returns anERRORLEVELof 0. If an error occurs, DOS returns a value of 1.
To move the file README.TXT in the current directory and the file C:BINSETUP.EXE to the directory C:TEMP (the files are not renamed), enter the following:
MOVE README.TXT, C:BINSETUP.EXE C:TEMP
To change the name of the file README.TXT in the current directory to README.1ST, enter the following:
MOVE README.TXT README.1ST
To move and rename C:INFOREADME.TXT to C:TEMPREADME.BAK, enter the following:
MOVE C:INFOREADME.TXT C:TEMPREADME.BAK
To change the name of the directory C:BIN to C:OLDBIN, enter the following:
Microsoft Anti-Virus (MSAV) is a full-screen program that can help you to detect and clean any computer viruses found in your system. You can adapt it to be run from a batch file, so you can automate routine scans of your system or floppy disk drives.
To interact with MSAV's full-screen interface, use the following format:
MSAV /R /video /mouse
To immediately start scanning one or more disks, directories, and/or files using MSAV's full-screen interface to show progress, use the following format:
MSAV pathname drive: ... /S /C /R /A /L /video /mouse
To immediately start scanning one or more disks, directories, and/or files using a command-line interface to show progress, include the /N or the /P switch as follows:
MSAV pathname drive: ... /S /C /R /A /L /N /P /F /video /mouse
To get online help for MSAV's video and mouse options, use the following format:
MSAV /VIDEO
When you run MSAV with the /N switch, it generates the following exit codes, which can be read by the IF ERRORLEVEL command in a batch file.
ERRORLEVEL Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | No viruses were detected. |
| 86 | One or more viruses were found. |
Microsoft Backup (MSBACKUP) is a full-screen program that can back up the contents of your hard disk to a series of floppy disks (or another DOS-accessible drive). You can define setup files that record your preferences and enable you to quickly perform different backup chores. No matter how careful you are, you should periodically back up the contents of your hard disk.
setupfile | Specifies the file that holds your saved settings, the names of the files to be backed up, and the type of backup you want. This file must have an .SET extension. The default is DEFAULT.SET. DOS searches for this file in the subdirectory pointed to by the MSDOSDATA environment variable if you do not specify drive or subdirectory information in the pathname. |
/BW | Specifies that MSBACKUP should use colors appropriate for a black-and-white display. |
/LCD | Specifies that MSBACKUP should use colors appropriate for a liquid-crystal display. |
/MDA | Specifies that MSBACKUP should use colors appropriate for a monochrome display adapter. |
You do not explicitly create a setup file.
MSBACKUPcreates a setup file (or updates it, if you specified one in theMSBACKUPcommand line) when you save your program settings and file selections.You cannot start
MSBACKUPfrom a floppy disk. This utility and its other program files must be on your hard disk.When looking for its configuration information, backup sets, and catalogs,
MSBACKUPfirst looks in the directory specified by theMSDOSDATAenvironment variable, then in the directory from which it was started, and then in the current directory. You can useMSDOSDATAto point to your own configuration if you shareMSBACKUPwith other people.DOS 6.0 includes a Microsoft Windows version of
MSBACKUP.
When it performs a backup,
MSBACKUPcreates a catalog file that contains information about the files that it backs up. When you need to restore a file, you can search the catalog files to determine which one contains the files you want.Catalog files encode information in their names. Decoding
CD10401A.FUL, for example, yields the following characters:When you perform a full backup,
MSBACKUPcreates a master catalog file, which keeps track of all the backup catalogs that are made during a backup cycle. When you need to restore a file, loading the master catalog automatically merges all the catalogs of the backup cycle, so you can select the latest version of a file easily (although you can choose to restore an earlier version).MSBACKUPputs one copy of the backup catalog on your hard disk and a second copy on the disk or network drive that contains your backup set.If DOS displays the message
Insufficient memorywhile you are usingMSBACKUP, follow these steps:
MSCDEX provides DOS access to CD-ROM drives. CD-ROM drives usually have their own device drivers, but these drivers aren't directly accessible to DOS. MSCDEX uses the network redirector interface to assign a drive letter to a CD-ROM drive. To be able to use MSCDEX, you must have one or more drive letters available and often have to include the LASTDRIVE= command in your CONFIG.SYS file to set them aside.
/D:driversig ... | For each CD-ROM drive to which you want to assign a drive letter, you need to specify the driver signature (driversig) that you assigned to its device driver with the /D switch when you loaded it in your CONFIG.SYS file. You must specify at least one driver signature. |
/E | Enables the CD-ROM driver to use available expanded memory to store its sector buffers, thus conserving conventional memory for application programs. |
/K | Enables recognition of Kanji (Japanese) CD-ROM labels. Normally, MSCDEX cannot recognize Japanese CD-ROM disks. |
/S | Enables sharing of CD-ROM drives on an MS-NET or Windows for Workgroups network server. |
/V | Displays memory statistics when MSCDEX starts (Verbose). |
/L:letter | Specifies the drive letter to be assigned to the first CD-ROM. Additional CD-ROMs are assigned letters in sequence. These drive letters must be available for use. The default is to use the next available drive letter(s). |
/M:number | Specifies the number of sector buffers MSCDEX should use to buffer CD-ROM reads. More buffers can increase the speed of your CD-ROM drive, but they also use more memory. You can put these buffers in expanded memory by using the /E switch. |
Your CD-ROM's device driver must be loaded by your
CONFIG.SYSfile. It should in clude a/Dparameter to assign a driver signature (also called a driver name) to the driver.Your
CONFIG.SYSfile must include aLASTDRIVEcommand that provides enough device letters for your network,SUBST, andMSCDEXneeds.MSCDEXcan be invoked by yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile or from the DOS command line.You need to invoke
MSCDEXbefore you start Microsoft Windows.
Following is a typical CONFIG.SYS line that loads a device driver to access a CD-ROM drive. Notice that the driver signature is assigned with the /D switch:
DEVICE=C:DEVICESCDROMDRV.SYS /D:MSCD000
The following line would most likely be included in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and would enable the MSCD000 CD-ROM drive as drive E:
MSD, which stands for Microsoft System Diagnostics, is a handy tool for checking what is going on in a computer system. Via certain command-line options, you can instruct MSD to generate text files that record the state of your computer. These reports can be very useful when you are troubleshooting.
To use MSD interactively with a full-screen display, use the following format:
MSD /B /I
To use MSD to generate a report to a file, use the following format:
MSD /I /Fpathname /Ppathname /Spathname
/B | Forces the display to black and white for monochrome or LCD displays. |
/I | Prevents MSD from detecting hardware when it starts. Use this switch if MSD does not start or run properly on your computer. |
/Fpathname | Specifies that you want a full report generated. MSD prompts you for certain information (your name, company, address, country, telephone number, and comments) and then incorporates that information into a report that it writes to the specified file. You can specify a full pathname with drive and/or path information, but wildcards are not allowed. If you do not include pathname, MSD writes the report to the screen. |
/Ppathname | Specifies that you want a partial report generated. A partial report contains all the detailed system information but none of the identifying information that /F prompts you for. You can specify a full pathname with drive and/or path information, but wildcards are not allowed. If you do not include pathname, MSD writes the report to the screen. |
/Spathname | Specifies that you want a summary report generated. A summary report provides a shorter listing that highlights the key features of your computer's configuration. You can specify a full pathname with drive and/or path information, but wildcards are not allowed. If you do not include pathname, MSD writes the report to the screen. |
MSD provides information about your computer (for example, its manufacturer, bus type, and ROM BIOS manufacturer) and about its upper memory use, video display, network, operating system, mouse, other adapters, disk drives, LPT ports, COM ports, IRQ stations, TSR programs, and device drivers. This information can be valuable when you are correcting problems or installing new hardware.
Because the Hercules Monochrome Graphics Adapter had no support built into the ROM BIOS of the computer, to use the display, programmers had to write their own drivers. The MSHERC program, when run, installs itself in memory and provides BIOS-like services for a Hercules Graphics Adapter. Certain QBasic programs require the use of this program to run. If you do not use a Hercules Graphics Adapter, you will have no use for this command. MSHERC is not distributed in the standard DOS 6 package but is available on the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk.
Microsoft Anti-Virus for Windows (MWAV) is a Windows program that can help you to detect and clean any computer viruses found in your system. This program is the Windows counterpart 0201620 to the MSAV program.
You cannot run MWAV from the DOS command line; you need to start it from within Windows, for example, by opening Program Manager's File menu and choosing the Run command. For instruction on using the program, run MWAV and press F1, or choose Help from the menu.
MWAV keeps its settings information in a separate file from MSAV, so the settings you make in one program are not honored in the other program. MWAV stores its settings in the MWAV.INI file, which it creates in the main Windows directory. MSAV stores its settings in the MSAV.INI file, which it creates in either the subdirectory that contains MSAV.EXE or the one pointed to by the MSDOSDATA environment variable.
When Windows is running, VSAFE cannot display its messages when a forbidden system activity arises. MWAVTSR provides a channel through which VSAFE can contact you if it needs your attention while Windows is running. If you are using both Windows and VSAFE, you should add MWAVTSR to your startup group or include it in the LOAD= line in WIN.INI so that it starts up automatically every time you start Windows.
You cannot run MWAVTSR from the DOS command line; you need to start it from within Windows, for example, by opening the Program Manager's File menu and choosing the Run command.
Microsoft Backup for Windows (MWBACKUP) is a Windows program that can back up the contents of your hard disk to a series of floppy disks (or another DOS-accessible drive). You can define setup files that record your preferences and enable you to quickly perform different backup chores. No matter how careful you are, you should periodically back up the contents of your hard disk. This program is the Windows counterpart to the MSBACKUP program.
You cannot run MWBACKUP from the DOS command line; you need to start it from within Windows, for example, by opening Program Manager's File menu and choosing the Run command. For instruction on using the program, run MWBACKUP and press F1 or choose Help from the menu.
MWBACKUP keeps its settings information in a separate file from MSBACKUP, so the settings you make in one program are not honored in the other program. MWBACKUP stores its settings in the MWBACKUP.INI file, which it creates in the main Windows directory. MSBACKUP stores its settings in the MSBACKUP.INI file, which it creates in either the subdirectory that contains MSBACKUP.EXE or the one pointed to by the MSDOSDATA environment variable.
MWBACKUP and MSBACKUP can share catalog files and backup set files. If the MSDOSDATA environment variable is defined, both programs look for these files in the subdirectory it points to. If MSDOSDATA is not defined, they create and look for these files in the subdirectory where the corresponding executable file is located.
Microsoft Undelete for Windows (MWUNDEL) is a Windows program that enables you to recover files that you have deleted accidentally. This program is the Windows counterpart to the UNDELETE program. If you are running Windows, you should use this program in preference to the DOS version. You can control various aspects of the “tracking” and “sentry” options of UNDELETE from within Windows by using MWUNDEL, but the resident portions of UNDELETE need to be loaded into memory before you start Windows.
You cannot run MWUNDEL from the DOS command line; you need to start it from within Windows, for example, by opening Program Manager's File menu and then choosing the Run command. For instruction on using the program, run MWUNDEL and press F1 or choose Help from the menu.
MWUNDEL shares its settings file with UNDELETE. Both programs look for the UNDELETE.INI file in the subdirectory pointed to by the MSDOSDATA environment variable. If MSDOSDATA is not defined, they create and look for UNDELETE.INI in the subdirectory where their executable files are located, which is C:DOS by default.
NLSFUNC is a resident program that provides support for code page switching on your computer. If you use code pages, you usually have to load NLSFUNC. You can load NLSFUNC from your CONFIG.SYS file by adding the INSTALL= command. Do not attempt to load NLSFUNC if Windows is running on your computer.
drive:pathCOUNTRY.SYS | The name and location of the country information file you want to use. It normally is COUNTRY.SYS, which Setup places in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. You don't have to include this parameter if you have included the full pathname of the country file in the COUNTRY= command in your CONFIG.SYS file. If you don't specify this parameter, either here or in the COUNTRY= command, DOS searches for COUNTRY.SYS in the root directory of the startup drive. |
If you provide a drive or pathname, you also must provide the name of the information file (usually
COUNTRY.SYS).If you omit the full filename, DOS searches for the file
COUNTRY.SYSin the root directory of the current disk.After
NLSFUNCis loaded, it remains active until you restart DOS.You can load
NLSFUNCinto upper memory by using theLOADHIGHcommand if you have upper memory available on your computer.You can load
NLSFUNCfrom yourCONFIG.SYSfile by adding theINSTALL=command. If you useINSTALL=, remember that you must include the full pathname (with the extension) of theNLSFUNC.EXEfile on your system. Setup places theNLSFUNC.EXEfile in theC:DOSsubdirectory by default.
CHCP, COUNTRY=, DISPLAY.SYS, KEYB, MODE device CP, and PRINTER.SYS
Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS”
NUMLOCK= was introduced with DOS 6. It enables you to choose the state of the NumLock key (ON or OFF) when the system starts up. If your computer toggles the NumLock key the “wrong” way when you reboot, the NUMLOCK= command is just what you need. NUMLOCK= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
To have NumLock turned on (numbers on the keypad active) when you reboot your computer, include the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
NUMLOCK=ON
To have NumLock turned off (cursor keys on the keypad active) when you reboot your computer, include the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
NUMLOCK=OFF
Although you may read information to the contrary, you can use
NUMLOCK=anywhere in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. You don't have to set up menus inCONFIG.SYSto use theNUMLOCK=command. In its documentation, Microsoft erroneously implied thatNUMLOCK=could be used only in a menu block, and this mistake has been duplicated in virtually every description of this command since then.The CMOS Setup program in certain computers has a setting for controlling the state of NumLock as well. If your computer has such a setting, you can either use it to set NumLock or use the
NUMLOCK=command. If the settings disagree, no harm is done, but the setting inCONFIG.SYSoverrides the CMOS Setup because it is executed after the ROM BIOS startup routines are complete.If you are using an older computer, you might find that using the
NUMLOCK=command causes the NumLock light on your keyboard to get out of sync with the state the key is in. In the design of the original IBM PC, there was no way for the computer to tell the keyboard to toggle the lights. IBM fixed this problem when it introduced the enhanced 101-key keyboard with the IBM AT. If your computer still uses the old-style interface, however, you might have to either ignore the light or avoid using theNUMLOCK=command.
If your computer normally sets the NumLock key on at startup, and you want it turned off, include the following line anywhere in your CONFIG.SYS file:
NUMLOCK=OFF
If you want DOS to ask you whether to turn off the NumLock key at startup, insert a ? into the NUMLOCK= command, like this:
NUMLOCK?=OFF
When DOS processes your CONFIG.SYS file, it prompts you with NUMLOCK=OFF [Y,N]? before executing the NUMLOCK= command. Type Y to turn off the NumLock key or N to leave it on.
NWCACHE is a disk-caching program to speed up disk performance. The syntax and parameters are different depending on whether you are initially loading the cache program or it is already started.
NWCACHE MaxSize MinSize drive: +|- MaxSize MinSize /L /X=address /E /ML /MU /MLX /MUX /BL,/BU,/BE=size /LEND=ON|OFF /DELAY=ON|OFF|time /W=size /CHECK /A20
NWCACHE +|- drive:+|- /SIZE=MIN|MAX /DELAY=ON|OFF|time /S /U /?
You can use NWCDEX to enable access to CD-ROM drives.
/D:filename | Specifies the filename for the CD-ROM driver. |
/E | Uses expanded memory if DPMS is not available. |
/K | Enables recognition of Kanji (Japanese) CD-ROM labels. |
/N | Disables use of DPMS memory. |
/V | Prints debug information during initialization. |
/F:handles | Specifies the number of file handles to allocate. |
/L:letter | Specifies the drive letter to assign to the drive. |
/M:buffers | Specifies the number of buffers to allocate. |
You can use PASSWD to set a read/write and read-only password for Stacker drives.
PASSWORD assigns passwords to files or directories.
d:pathfilespec
| Specifies the drive, path, and filename (or file specification using wildcards) of the file (or files or directory) to be protected. More than one filename can be specified. |
/R:password
| Sets a password for reading, writing, or deleting files. |
/W:password
| Sets a password for writing or deleting files. |
/D:password
| Sets a password required to delete files. |
/P:password
| Sets a password for reading, writing, or deleting subdirectories. |
/G:password
| Sets a global default password used by DR DOS to try to open any files you access. This setting is useful if you set the same password for many files. |
/N
| Removes password protection from files. |
/NP
| Removes password protection from directories. |
/NG
| Removes a global default password. |
/S
| Applies the specified password to files and subdirectories matching the filespec in the current directory.
|
/H
| Applies the specified password to hidden files and subdirectories matching the filespec in the current directory.
|
The PATH command can be used to change or display the PATH environment variable. When DOS cannot find an executable program in the current directory, it searches through each directory listed in the PATH environment variable. Executable programs are files that end in .COM, .EXE, or .BAT, and DOS searches each directory on the search path, in that order, for each type. By specifying a PATH, you can save yourself from having to enter the full pathname for each command you want to execute. The Setup program for DOS 6 places a PATH command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file that places the C:DOS subdirectory (or whatever install directory you specified) on your search path.
To specify an executable file search path, use the following format:
PATH path1;path2;path3;...
To display the current PATH, use the following format:
PATH
To clear the current PATH, use the following format:
PATH ;
path1;path2;path3;...
| Each path listed must specify a valid subdirectory that exists on your system. The current subdirectory often changes, so it is a good idea to use full, absolute pathnames—including drive letters—for each subdirectory included in your PATH statement. Separate each subdirectory from the previous one by adding a semicolon (;).
|
If you specify more than one set of paths, the following rules apply:
The path sets must be separated by semicolons.
The order in which you list the path sets is the order DOS looks for the programs or batch files. First, DOS searches the current directory; then DOS searches the first
pathspecified, then the secondpathspecified, and so on, until the command or batch file is found.
The maximum length of
PATHis 127 characters. This is one of the most compelling reasons to use short subdirectory names whenever you can.The
PATHcommand establishes the value of an environment variable namedPATH. You can view, set, or delete thePATHby using theSETcommand, as well as thePATHcommand. ThePATHcommand is simply shorthand forSET PATH=.When you type the name of a program or batch file, DOS searches the current directory. If the program or batch file is not found, DOS searches each path in sequence. If the program or batch file is not found in any of the paths, DOS displays the error message
Bad command or filename.You can shorten
PATHby using theSUBSTcommand to substitute drive letters for deeply nested paths. Another technique is to remove a path that is included only to start one program. Then, you can make a batch file that usesCDto change directory to that path and invokes the program, and place the batch file in a directory that is still included inPATH.
Invalid drive in search path
Warning: You specified a nonexistent drive name in one of the paths. This message appears when DOS searches for a program or batch file, not when you give the PATH command.
Use PATH or SET to see the current path. If the drive temporarily is invalid because of a JOIN or SUBST command, you can ignore this message. If you specified the wrong disk drive, issue the PATH command again and provide the complete set of directory paths that you want to use.
The PAUSE command displays a Press any key to continue... message and waits for the user before continuing to execute the batch file. This command is useful if you want the user to be able to abort a batch file, using Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break, before some action is taken. You also can use PAUSE to give the user time to read a screen of messages displayed with the ECHO command.
The
PAUSEcommand simply displays thePress any key to continue...message when it is executed. The next key you press (except Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break; see Note #2) releases the pause, and execution of the batch file continues.Pressing Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break in response to the
Press any key to continue...message displays theTerminate batch job (Y/N)?message. PressingYaborts the batch file, returning you to the DOS prompt. PressingNskips the line that was executing and continues with the next line in the batch file.If you are running the batch file from within a Shell program, such as DOS Shell, the
Terminate batch job (Y/N)?message is not displayed. When you press Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break in these circumstances, the batch file is always aborted.If you want to wait for a keypress but don't want
PAUSEto display thePress any key to continue...message, you can redirect the output of thePAUSEcommand to the NUL device. DOS still waits for a keypress, but no message is displayed.The
CHOICEcommand included with DOS 6 gives you much more flexibility in choosing allowable keys and making decisions thanPAUSE. If you are using DOS 6, consider usingCHOICEinstead ofPAUSEin your batch files.
One very common use for PAUSE is to give the user time to do something. For example, if you want to make certain that a floppy disk had been placed in drive B, you might include the following lines in a batch file:
ECHO Insert the Working Backup disk in drive B: ECHO. ECHO Press Ctrl+Break to abort the backup, or PAUSE
When these commands are executed, the following messages are displayed:
Insert the Working Backup disk in drive B: Press Ctrl+Break to abort the backup, or Press any key to continue...
Note that the PAUSE message is anticipated in the ECHO messages. If you redirect the output from PAUSE to the NUL device, you can control all the text displayed onscreen, as shown in the following:
ECHO Insert the Working Backup disk in drive B: ECHO. ECHO Press Ctrl+Break to abort the backup, or any ECHO other key to update the Working Backup disk. PAUSE > NUL
When these commands are executed, the following messages are displayed:
Insert the Working Backup disk in drive B: Press Ctrl+Break to abort the backup, or any other key to update the Working Backup disk.
If you press Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break at the pause, the following message is displayed (as long as you aren't running this batch file from within a Shell program):
Terminate batch job (Y/N)?
Type Y to abort the batch file; type N to continue with the next line.
Press any key to continue...
Prompt: PAUSE displays this message any time it is executed. DOS waits for a key to be pressed before continuing execution of the batch file. Entering Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break when this message is displayed enables you to terminate the batch file rather than continuing.
Terminate Batch Job (Y/N)?
Prompt: When you press Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break while a batch file is running, DOS displays this message. Typing Y aborts the batch file, returning you to the DOS prompt. Typing N skips the line that was executing and continues with the next line in the batch file. Note that if you run the batch file from within a Shell program, such as DOS Shell, this message isn't displayed, and the batch file is aborted.
PCM enables the DOS version of the online PCMCIA configuration program shipped with PC DOS 7. You use this program to configure input/output (I/O) cards such as fax/modem, LAN, and other I/O cards.
PCMATA.SYS enables the system to access ATA-configured PCMCIA cards as IDE hard drive devices using an IDE partition table. It acts as an I/O client to Card Services.
With the PCMCIA version shipped with PC DOS 7, PCMATA settings are recorded in the PCM.INI file. This file is editable.
PCMCS.EXE functions as an extension to the operating system. It must be loaded directly after Socket Services. It coordinates access to the PCMCIA cards and allocates system resources among client drivers. PCMCS runs as a driver loaded from CONFIG.SYS.
The parameters affecting the way PCMCS operates are added to the PCMCS= line in the PCM.INI file.
PCMDINST enables the PCMCIA support provided with PC DOS 7. The PCMDINST command initiates a program that backs up the current system PC DOS and Windows files as .PCM files. Common command-line statements for prior versions of PCMCIA are commented out of the current configuration files.
PCMFDISK, like the DOS FDISK utility, sets the partition table for ATA rotating disk and solid-state mass-storage PCMCIA cards. PCMFDISK is a full-screen interface available to PCMCIA users who have installed the PCMCIA version shipped with PC DOS 7.
The PCMCIA Resource Management Utility (PCMRMAN), which is a standalone utility, manages and displays the resources used by PCM Plus, such as memory, I/O addresses, and interrupts. It is full-screen interface available to PCMCIA users who have installed the PCMCIA version shipped with PC DOS 7.
The PCMRMAN command-line utility temporarily changes the current runtime values for the allocation of some system resources. The changes take effect when they are invoked and last only for the duration of the current session.
/mem=xx-yy
| Permits PCM Plus to use the memory range xx00:0000 to yyFF:0000 in hexadecimal. The argument range is C0 to EF in hexadecimal. |
/xmem=xx-yy
| Excludes PCM Plus from using the memory range xx00:0000 to yyFF:0000 in hexadecimal. |
/io=xxxx-yyyy
| Permits PCM Plus to use the I/O range specified. Argument ranges must be between 100 and 3FF in hexadecimal. |
/xio= xxxx-yyyy
| Excludes PCM Plus from using the I/O range specified. Argument ranges must be between 100 and 3FF in hexadecimal. |
/irq=x-y
| Permits PCM Plus to use IRQ in the range x to y. The argument range is between 0 and F in hexadecimal (0 to 15 in decimal).
|
/xirq=x-y
| Excludes PCM Plus from using IRQ in the range x to y. The argument range is between 0 and F in hexadecimal (0 to 15 in decimal).
|
/map
| Displays a map of card services and system resources. |
/?
| Displays the abbreviated online help. |
The Phoenix Super Client Driver, PCMSCD, is a Card Services client that increases the efficiency of resource acquisition by requesting system resources from Card Services, such as memory, I/O, and IRQ. When requested in this way, they appear to the system as resident for use by software.
PCMSETUP enables the online configuration part of Phoenix Card Manager Plus Version 3.01. This is the PCMCIA support supplied with PC DOS 7.
For laptop computers that conform to the Advanced Power Management (APM) specification, the POWER command enables you to control the trade-off between extended battery life and maximum performance from your computer. You also can use POWER to switch back and forth between the power-management system built into your laptop and the APM-style idle detection methods. Before you can run POWER from the command line, you must use a DEVICE= command to load the POWER.EXE device driver into memory from your CONFIG.SYS file.
setting
| This value determines how aggressive you want the power-management features to be. setting can be one of the values listed in the following table. You can specify only one setting at a time. If no value is included for setting, POWER displays a short report on the current power settings in your computer. (See item #2 in the following “ Notes” section.)
| |
setting Value
| Description | |
ADV:MAX
| Enables the most aggressive power setting. Power savings can be as much as 25%, but performance may suffer. | |
ADV:REG
| Enables the default setting. | |
ADV:MIN
| Enables the most conservative power setting. You can use this setting when you are running programs that slow down too much when the ADV:REG setting is used.
| |
ADV
| Performs the same as specifying ADV:REG.
| |
STD
| Uses the computer's built-in power-management features for computers that conform to the APM specification. For computers that don't support the APM specification, this setting is the same as OFF.
| |
OFF
| Disables the power-management features. You might want to use this setting (or STD) when you are running communications software.
| |
You must install the
POWER.EXEdevice driver before you can runPOWERfrom the command line. If you try to runPOWERwithout installing the device driver, an error message appears. (See the following “Messages” section.)POWER.EXEis actually two files: a device driver and an executable program. The device driver portion does all the real work. You have to load it into memory by adding aDEVICE=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile for the DOS power-management features to be enabled. After this device driver has been loaded into memory, the executable portion ofPOWER.EXEcommunicates with the device driver to adjust settings and display status information.If you enter the
POWERcommand without specifying a new setting, you see a status report that summarizes the active settings and current power use in your system. On non–APM-compliant systems,POWERdisplays the following report:Power Management Status ----------------------- Setting = ADV:REG CPU: idle 75% of the time
If your system supports the APM specification, a more detailed report, like the following, is displayed:
Power Management Status ----------------------- Setting = ADV:REG CPU: idle 75% of time AC Line Status : OFFLINE Battery status : High Battery life (%) : 90
The computer's ROM BIOS provides the additional information in this report. This information is not displayed on non–APM-compliant computers.
When you are running communications software, CPU-intensive applications, or other applications that don't access your hard disk very often, you might want to turn off power-management features. With an
ADV:MAXsetting,POWERmay think your computer was idle when it was actually busy handling serial communications or recalculating a large spreadsheet. To minimize the possibility of false idle-time detection but still keep power-management features active, use a setting ofADV:MIN. To disable APM features and regain maximum performance from your computer, use a setting ofOFForSTD.POWER.EXEdetects idle time with a variety of methods. It monitors hard disk activity, video functions, and MS-DOS service requests to determine whether your system is busy. In addition,POWER.EXEmonitors the keyboard polling and application-idle interrupts to sense idle time in active programs. When idle time is detected, aCPU HALTinstruction is executed, causing the CPU to sleep until the next hardware interrupt arrives. (The timer interrupt occurs 18.2 times per second, so the CPU sleeps for only 55 milliseconds or less.)If a busy program routinely polls the keyboard, such as communication programs often do,
POWER.EXEmay think your computer is idle when it isn't. False idle detection can interfere with a program's operation, unnecessarily slowing it down. TheADV:MAX,REG, andMINsettings control the level of keyboard polling detection thatPOWER.EXEuses. If you are having performance problems with an application, try turning down keyboard polling detection by using anADV:REGsetting or disabling it by usingADV:MIN.Even if your system doesn't support the APM specification, you still may get some benefit from
POWER.EXE. Microsoft's testing indicates that, on the average, a 5% reduction in power consumption can be realized by usingPOWER.EXEon non–APM-compliant computers. Of course, the power-management features built into your laptop might surpass this savings, in which case you are better off not usingPOWER.EXEat all.
Assuming the POWER.EXE device driver has been loaded from your CONFIG.SYS file, entering the following command requests maximum power savings:
POWER ADV:MAX
If you want to fax some work back to the office, you might want to turn down your power-management features to avoid interfering with your communications software. You could enter the following line:
POWER ADV:MIN
Back in your hotel room, working on deadline, you want to disable the power-management system entirely so that you can get maximum performance out of your laptop computer. After all, you don't need to extend battery life when you are plugged into an AC outlet. In this case, just enter the following command:
POWER OFF
Power Manager (POWER.EXE) not installed
Information: You have attempted to run the POWER program without first installing the POWER.EXE device driver. POWER can adjust the settings of the device driver in memory only, so you must load POWER.EXE by adding a DEVICE= command in your CONFIG.SYS file before you can use any of its features.
For laptop computers that conform to the Advanced Power Management (APM) specification, POWER.EXE enables you to control the trade-off between extended battery life and maximum performance from your computer. You must load POWER.EXE by adding a DEVICE= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file before you can use it from the command line.
You must install the
POWER.EXEdevice driver before you can runPOWERfrom the command line. If you try to runPOWERwithout installing the device driver, an error message appears. (See the following “Messages” section.)POWER.EXEis actually two files: a device driver and an executable program. The device driver portion does all the real work. You have to load it into memory by adding aDEVICE=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile for the DOS power-management features to be enabled. After this device driver has been loaded into memory, the executable portion ofPOWER.EXEcommunicates with the device driver to adjust settings and display status information.POWER.EXEautomatically loads into upper memory if it is available. You do not need to use theDEVICEHIGH=command withPOWER.EXE.When you are running communications software, CPU-intensive applications, or other applications that don't access your hard disk very often, you might want to turn off the power-management features. With an
ADV:MAXsetting,POWERmight think your computer was idle when it was actually busy handling serial communications or recalculating a large spreadsheet. To minimize the chance of false idle-time detection but keep power-management features active, use a setting ofADV:MIN. To disable APM features and regain maximum performance from your computer, use a setting ofOFForSTD.POWER.EXEdetects idle time with a variety of methods. It monitors hard disk activity, video functions, and MS-DOS service requests to determine whether your system is busy. In addition,POWER.EXEmonitors the keyboard polling and application-idle interrupts to sense idle time in active programs. When idle time is detected, aCPU HALTinstruction is executed, causing the CPU to sleep until the next hardware interrupt arrives. (The timer interrupt occurs 18.2 times per second, so the CPU sleeps for only 55 milliseconds or less.)If a busy program routinely polls the keyboard, as communications programs often do,
POWER.EXE may think your computer is idle when it isn't. False idle detection can interfere with a program's operation, unnecessarily slowing it down. TheADV:MAX,REG, andMINsettings control the level of keyboard polling detection thatPOWER.EXEuses. If you are having performance problems with an application, try turning down keyboard polling detection by using anADV:REGsetting or disabling it by usingADV:MIN.Even if your system doesn't support the APM specification, you still may get some benefit from
POWER.EXE. Microsoft's testing indicates that, on the average, a 5% reduction in power consumption can be realized by usingPOWER.EXEon non–APM-compliant computers. Of course, the power-management features built into your laptop might surpass this savings, in which case you are better off not usingPOWER.EXEat all.POWER.EXEis fully compatible with Windows. If you are running Windows 3.1 on a system with an APM-compliant ROM BIOS, you should selectMS-DOS System with APMin Windows's Setup as the type of computer you are using. When you do so, Windows can cooperate and control the power-management features supplied byPOWER.EXE. On non–APM-compliant computer systems, you can usePOWER.EXEwithout selecting a special computer type.
To load the POWER.EXE device driver and enable the ADV:REG (default) level of power management, you could add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:DOSPOWER.EXE
If you want to enable the maximum level of power management, specify the ADV:MAX setting instead of using the default, as shown in the following line:
DEVICE=C:DOSPOWER.EXE ADV:MAX
As long as enough upper memory is available, POWER.EXE loads high without using the DEVICEHIGH= command. If you want to force it to load into conventional memory instead, add the /LOW parameter, as shown here:
DEVICE=C:DOSPOWER.EXE /LOW
Power Manager (POWER.EXE) not installed
Information: You have attempted to run the POWER program without first installing the POWER.EXE device driver. POWER can adjust the settings of the device driver in memory only, so you must load POWER.EXE from your CONFIG.SYS file before you can use any of its features.
The PRINT command is a memory-resident utility that enables you to print files in the background on your computer. Unfortunately, PRINT is limited to printing text files; you can't use it as a general-purpose print spooler.
To load PRINT into memory, use the following format:
PRINT /D:device /B:bufsiz /M:maxticks /Q:maxfiles /S:timeslice /U:busyticks /T textfile /P /C
To add or delete files in the queue, use the following format:
PRINT /T /P /C textfile1 /P /C textfile2 /P /C ...
When you first use the PRINT command after turning on or rebooting your computer, you can specify any of the following switches:
/B:bufsiz
| The size (in bytes) of the memory buffer to be used while the files are printing. bufsiz can be any number from 512 to 16,384. The default is 512 bytes. You don't have to increase this value unless you have a very fast printer.
|
/D:device
| The device to be used for printing. Legal values are PRN, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4. The default is PRN. This parameter must precede any textfile included on the command line.
|
/M:maxticks
| The maximum amount of time (in clock ticks) that PRINT uses to send characters to the printer every time PRINT gets a turn. maxtick can be any number from 1 to 255. The default is 2.
|
/Q:maxfiles
| The number of files that can be held in the queue for printing. maxfiles can be any number from 4 to 32. The default is 10.
|
/S:timeslice
| The number of clock ticks allocated for PRINT. timeslice can be a number from 1 to 255. The default is 8. Increasing timeslice speeds printing and slows other tasks.
|
/U:busyticks
| The maximum amount of time (in clock ticks) PRINT should wait for a busy or unavailable printer before releasing its timeslice. PRINT tries again the next time it gets control. busytick can be any number from 1 to 255. The default is 1.
|
You can specify any of these switches whenever you use PRINT:
If you do not provide a filename, DOS displays the background printing status.
You can specify the switches
/B,/D,/M,/Q,/S, and/Uonly when you first usePRINT. If you use the/Dswitch, you must type this switch first in the line. You can list the remaining five switches in any order before you specify a filename.The
/Dswitch specifies the print device that you want to use (LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4). If you omit/Dthe first time you usePRINT, DOS displays the following prompt:Name of list device [PRN]:
You can respond in either of two ways:
Press Enter to send the files to PRN (normally LPT1:). If LPT1: is redirected (refer to the
MODEcommand entry earlier in this command reference), the files are rerouted.Enter a valid DOS device name. Printing is directed to this device. If you enter a device that is not connected to your system,
PRINTaccepts files in the queue. The files are not processed, however, and you lose processing speed.
After you choose the print device that you want
PRINTto use, you cannot change it without restarting DOS.If you name a file with no switch, DOS assumes that you want to use the
/P(print) switch.Files print in the order in which you list their names. If you use wildcards, files are printed in the order in which they are listed in the directory.
The command
PRINT /Chas no effect if you do not specify a filename.The first time you invoke
PRINT, DOS increases in size by approximately 5,500 bytes. When you increase or decrease certain default settings, you proportionally change the size of DOS. To regain this memory space, however, you must restart DOS.If you use
PRINTto print files to a serial printer, you might need to configure the serial port by using theMODE COM#command.PRINTexpands tab characters in the files it prints the same way theTYPEcommand does. Also,PRINTstops printing a file when it encounters an end-of-file marker (Ctrl+Z). For these two reasons, you should print only straight ASCII files withPRINT. Any other type of file is likely to be garbled by tab expansion and truncated when it encounters a Ctrl+Z character and terminates prematurely.
The
/Bswitch acts like a disk buffer.PRINTreads into memory a portion of the document to be printed. As you increase the value ofbufsiz, you decrease the number of timesPRINTmust read the file from the disk, thereby increasing printing speed. Always use a multiple of 512 (1,024, 2,048, and so on) as the value ofbufsiz. The default size (512 bytes) is adequate for most printers.When the default values are assumed,
PRINTgets 22 percent of the computer's time.The positions of the
/P,/C, and/Tswitches in the command line are important. Each switch affects the file immediately preceding it in the command line, and all subsequent files, until DOS encounters another switch. The following command, for example, uses the/Pswitch to place the filesLETTER.TXTandPROGRAM.DOCin the queue to be printed. The/Cswitch cancels the background printing ofMYFILE.TXTandTEST.DOC:PRINT LETTER.TXT /P PROGRAM.DOC MYFILE.TXT /C TEST.DOC
In this example, the
/Pswitch affects the preceding file (LETTER.TXT) and the following file (PROGRAM.DOC). Similarly, the/Cswitch affects the preceding file (MYFILE.TXT) and the following file (TEXT.DOC).If you use the
/Tswitch, background printing is canceled for all files in the queue, including the file that is currently printing, and any files listed in the command line.If a disk error occurs during background printing, DOS cancels the current print job and places a disk-error message on the printout. The printer then performs a form feed, the bell rings, and DOS prints all remaining files in the queue.
filename is currently being printed filename is in queue
Information: This message tells you which file is printing and names the files that are in line to be printed. This message appears when you use PRINT with no parameters or when you queue additional files.
PRINT queue is empty
Information: No files are in line to be printed by PRINT.
PRINT queue is full
Warning: You attempted to place too many files in the PRINT queue. The request to add more files fails for each file past the limit. You must wait until PRINT processes a file before you can add another file to the queue.
Resident part of PRINT installed
Information: The first time you use PRINT, this message indicates that PRINT installed itself in DOS and increased the size of DOS by about 5,500 bytes.
The PRINTER.SYS device driver provides international code page support for certain IBM printers or close compatibles. When combined with the other international utilities DOS provides, PRINTER.SYS enables you to use various international character sets with your printer. You must load PRINTER.SYS by using a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file. Microsoft no longer distributes PRINTER.SYS with MS-DOS, but it is available on the MS-DOS 6 Supplemental Disk.
DEVICE=drive:pathPRINTER.SYS LPTx=(type,hard_cp,num_cp) DEVICEHIGH=drive:pathPRINTER.SYS LPTx=(type,hard_cp,num_cp)
drive:path
| The full path to the PRINTER.SYS file on your system. If the full path to PRINTER.SYS isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive. The PRINTER.SYS file is included on the MSDOS 6 Supplemental Disk.
| |
LPTx=
| The printer port (LPT1=, LPT2=, or LPT3=) your printer is attached to. You can enter a colon between the port name and equal sign (for example, LPT1:=). This parameter is required.
| |
type
| The type code for the printer being used. You must use a type code from the following table, and you must enclose the parameter in parentheses. | |
type Code
| Printer | |
| 4201 | IBM Proprinters II and III, Model 4201 IBM Proprinters II XL and III XL, Model 4202 | |
| 4208 | IBM Proprinter X24E, Model 4207 IBM Proprinter XL24E, Model 4208 | |
| 5202 | IBM Quietwriter III, Model 5202 | |
hard_cp
| The hardware code page built into the printer. See Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS,” for a list of the code pages that MS-DOS supports. | |
num_cp
| The number of software code pages you want to use with the printer. Valid entries for num_cp are 1 and 2.
| |
PRINTER.SYSno longer is distributed with MS-DOS, but it is available on the MS-DOS 6 Supplemental Disk. Three printer code page information files are included as well:4201.CPI,4208.CPI, and5202.CPI. TheMODEcommand requires these files when it is preparing to download code page information to your printer.When
PRINTER.SYSis loaded, it uses about 11KB of memory.Although you can have up to three printers attached to your computer,
PRINTER.SYScan support international code pages on only one of them at a time. To change to a different printer or printer port, you have to edit theDEVICE=line forPRINTER.SYSand reboot your computer.You should always specify a value for
hard_cp. IBM printers often use a hardware code page of 850, but you should check your printer manual to be sure.Even if you don't own one of the printers listed in the table, your printer may be compatible with one of them. To find out whether you can use
PRINTER.SYS, check your printer's documentation or call the manufacturer.To print with a software code page, you must perform a number of additional steps. You use the
MODEcommand to prepare and download code page information to your printer. After you do so, you can useMODEto select the downloaded code page, or you can loadNLSFUNCand use theCHCPcommand to change the active code page for all your devices at once. Additionally, you might want to add theCOUNTRY=command to yourCONFIG.SYSfile to make case conversion and sort order information available.DISPLAY.SYSperforms a similar function for EGA, VGA, Super VGA, and LCD screens.
You can add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file to set up an IBM Proprinter X24E, attached to LPT1, for use with two additional code pages. The hardware code page for the X24E is 850, Multilingual (Latin I):
DEVICE=C:DOSPRINTER.SYS LPT1=(4208,850,2)
If an IBM Quietwriter is attached to LPT2, and you want to load PRINTER.SYS into upper memory, you would use the following command:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSPRINTER.SYS LPT2=(5202,850,2)
CHCP, COUNTRY=, DISPLAY.SYS, MODE device CP, and NLSFUNC
Chapter 14, “Understanding the International Features of DOS”
You can customize the prompt that MS-DOS displays by using the PROMPT command. PROMPT, like PATH, saves its settings in the DOS environment. People often use ANSI control codes in their prompt strings, in which case ANSI.SYS has to be loaded into memory from the CONFIG.SYS file.
promptstring
| The text of the DOS command-line prompt. It can include any of the meta strings defined for use in the PROMPT command (see the following table).
|
If you do not enter the
promptstring, the standard system prompt, which is equivalent toPROMPT $N$G (C>), reappears.A very popular prompt string, and the one that the Setup program for MS-DOS 6 inserts into your
AUTOEXEC.BATfile, isPROMPT $P$G (C:DOS>). Beginning with DOS 6.0,COMMAND.COMinserts the value$P$GinPROMPTif it finds thePROMPTenvironment variable undefined when the system starts up.The new system prompt stays in effect until you restart DOS or reissue the
PROMPTcommand.The
PROMPTcommand establishes the value of an environment variable namedPROMPT. You can view, set, or delete thePROMPTenvironment variable by using theSETcommand, as well as thePROMPTcommand. ThePROMPTcommand is simply shorthand forSET PROMPT=.Any text you type for
promptstringbecomes the new system prompt. You can include special characters by using the meta-strings.A
meta-stringis a group of characters transformed into another character or group of characters. All meta-strings begin with the dollar-sign symbol ($) and have two characters, including the$. The case of the characters isn't significant in a prompt meta-string, but it is significant in ANSI commands. The following table contains the meta-string characters and their meanings:The following meta-strings do not display characters onscreen, but they are useful when you want to make a fancier DOS prompt.
Meta-String Description $_(underscore)Carriage return and line feed—moves the cursor to the first position of the following line $EThe Escape character (ASCII 27)—useful for sending ANSI control codes Meta-String Description $HThe Backspace character (ASCII 8)—erases the preceding character $(any other)Nothing or null character—DOS ignores When you open a DOS window within Windows, the prompt is changed to the value of the
WINPMTenvironment variable if it has been defined. If you want to have a different prompt under Windows, use theSETcommand to define an environment variable namedWINPMTand set it equal to the prompt you want to use. For example, the lineSET WINPMT=**Windows** $P$G
gives you the following prompt in a DOS window within Windows:
**Windows** C:DOS>
This is a handy prompt to remind you that Windows is running.
To use the current drive and path as the prompt, followed by >, use this command:
PROMPT $P$G
Assuming that your CONFIG.SYS file loads ANSI.SYS and that you have white text (foreground) on a blue background, the following command changes the prompt to a blinking red HI, followed by >:
PROMPT &E[5; 3/mHI$E[0; 37; 44m$G
QBasic is the Microsoft QuickBasic programming environment, a full-screen, interactive programming tool for writing programs in BASIC. Traditionally, all operating system software came with a simple set of programming tools. Few microcomputer users have an interest in these programs anymore, but it is nice that Microsoft keeps providing them free for those who want them. QBasic also is the “behind the scenes” program that EDIT and HELP require; so whether or not you actually write any BASIC programs, it's likely that you will be running QBasic on your computer.
/RUN pathname
| Specifies the BASIC file that you want QBASIC to load into memory and run. If no drive is specified, the current drive is assumed. If no subdirectory path is specified, the current directory is assumed. Wildcards are not allowed. You cannot specify the /EDITOR parameter with the /RUN parameter.
|
/EDITOR pathname
| Specifies the ASCII file that you want QBASIC to load into the full-screen text editor (EDIT). If no drive is specified, the current drive is assumed. If no subdirectory path is specified, the current directory is assumed. Wildcards are not allowed. If you don't specify a pathname, the editor starts without a file. You cannot specify the /RUN parameter with the /EDITOR parameter.
|
/B
| Specifies that QBASIC should use colors more appropriate for a black-and-white (monochrome) or LCD screen.
|
/G
| Specifies that QBASIC should use the fastest screen-updating method for a CGA monitor. Don't specify the /G switch if you see “snow” on your monitor.
|
/H
| Specifies that QBASIC should display 43 lines on an EGA monitor or 50 lines on a VGA monitor.
|
/NOHI
| Specifies that QBASIC should limit itself to 8 colors rather than 16.
|
/MBF
| Specifies that QBASIC should use the Microsoft Binary Format for floating-point numbers. Specifically, the /MBF switch converts CVS, CVD, MKS$, and MKD$ so that they act like CVSMBF, CVDMBF, MKSMBF$, and
|
QBasic is a comprehensive development environment for interpreted BASIC and a subset of Microsoft QuickBasic. BASIC, BASICA, and GWBASIC are no longer provided with MS-DOS.
QBASIC.EXEis required to runEDITandHELP.The use and operation of QBasic is beyond the scope of this book. If you want to learn to write BASIC programs with QBasic, you can either try to find your way with the QBasic help system, or you can get a book on programming with QBasic.
QCONFIG displays detailed technical information about the computer.
/a
| Lists all the Micro Channel adapters supported by the QConfig program. |
/c
| Provides specific details on asynchronous ports. |
/d
| Generates a detailed listing of hardware. This list also provides volume label and file system reporting. |
/i
| Displays CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.
|
/o
| Redirects output to the file QCONFIG.OUT.
|
/o filename
| Redirects output. |
/p
| Pauses the output between screens. |
/q
| Indicates that the redirected message is not to be displayed. |
key="text"
| Defines key with text to appear in output. This option must be the last option.
|
/?
| Provides online help for the QCONFIG command.
|
The RAMBOOST command monitors for any changes that take place in the system. It opti-mizes memory and then maintains DOS memory on an ongoing basis. This command is a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) utility that resides in memory.
RAMBOOST.EXE increases the available conventional memory of the computer and reduces the complexity of using the DOS memory manager EMM386.EXE.
A RAM disk is a simulated drive that uses RAM, rather than a magnetic disk, to store files. Because it has no moving parts, a RAM disk is much faster than a hard drive or floppy disk. Unfortunately, whenever you shut down or restart your computer, the contents of a RAM disk are lost. Using RAMDRIVE.SYS, you can create a RAM disk in extended, expanded, or conventional memory. You must load RAMDRIVE.SYS by adding a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
DEVICE=drive:pathRAMDRIVE.SYS disksize sectorsize dir_entries /E /A
To load the RAMDRIVE.SYS device driver into upper memory, use the DEVICEHIGH= command to specify the placement in memory of the driver, not the RAM disk:
DEVICEHIGH=drive:pathRAMDRIVE.SYS disksize sectorsize dir_entries /E /A
drive:path
| Specifies the full path to the RAMDRIVE.SYS file on your system. Setup places the RAMDRIVE.SYS file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. If the full path to RAMDRIVE.SYS isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive.
|
disksize
| Indicates the size, in kilobytes, of the RAM disk you want to create. disksize can be from 4KB to 32,767KB. (For DOS 5, the limits were 16KB to 4,096KB.) If no disksize is specified, a 64KB RAM disk is created.
|
sectorsize
| Indicates the sector size the RAM disk should use. sectorsize can be 128, 256, or 512. If this parameter is omitted, a sectorsize of 512 is assumed. (You should have a very good reason before setting sectorsize to a different value. All DOS disks use a sector size of 512, and many disk utilities fail if a different sector size is used.) To specify sectorsize, you also must specify disksize.
|
dir_entries
| Specifies the maximum number of root directory entries that the RAM disk can hold (in other words, the size of the root directory). dir_entries can be in the range 2 to 1024 and are rounded up to the nearest multiple that fits evenly in sectorsize. Each directory entry takes 32 bytes of disk space. If this parameter is omitted, a root directory with room for 64 entries is created (four 512-byte sectors in size). To specify dir_entries, you also must specify disksize and sectorsize.
|
/E
| Creates the RAM disk in extended memory. An XMS-compatible memory manager, such as HIMEM.SYS, must be available.
|
/A
| Creates the RAM disk in expanded memory. A LIM EMS-compatible memory manager, such as EMM386.EXE, must be available.
|
DEVICEHIGH=loads theRAMDRIVE.SYSdevice driver into upper memory, but the RAM disk still is created in the memory area you have specified with the command's parameters.RAMDRIVE.SYSuses about 1KB of memory for the device driver.If not enough room is available in memory for the RAM disk you have specified,
RAMDRIVE.SYSdecreases the size of the root directory to 16 entries and tries again. If the RAM disk still doesn't fit, the driver aborts with an error message. (See the third item in the following “Messages” section.)A RAM disk runs more efficiently from extended memory than from the simulated expanded memory provided by
EMM386.EXE. Unless you have a hardware EMS board in your computer, always create RAM disks in extended memory.Normally, you don't want to create RAM disks in conventional memory. Although they run efficiently there, they also use up memory that is required to run your application programs. This memory trade-off might be worthwhile only when you are working on a floppy-disk–only system. The increased speed from a RAM disk could be worth the loss of memory for certain operations.
Although RAM disks are very fast, SMARTDrive can provide similar speed increases for all your programs—not just those that use the RAM disk. For many people, committing memory into a disk cache such as
SMARTDRV.EXEmakes more sense than creating a RAM drive. Of course, if you have a lot of RAM that you don't use, you can always do both.One popular use of a RAM disk is to store temporary files generated by programs. When you set the
TEMPandTMPenvironment variables to point to a RAM disk, many programs create their temporary files on the RAM disk. (See Appendix B,“DOS Environment Variables,” for a description of the DOS programs that use theTEMPenvironment variable.) Not only can this technique speed up your applications, but it also can eliminate the need to periodically delete temporary files that, for one reason or another, have escaped automatic deletion by their parent programs.If you run Windows and set the
TEMPvariable to point to a RAM disk, Microsoft advises that the RAM disk be at least 2MB (2,048KB) in size to avoid possible printing problems.You can load
RAMDRIVE.SYSas many times as memory allows fromCONFIG.SYS. Each time you load it, another RAM disk is created. When created, a RAM disk is assigned the next available drive letter by DOS.If
RAMDRIVE.SYSis loaded afterDBLSPACE.SYS, it receives a drive letter that follows the letters allocated by DoubleSpace. To avoid having your RAM disk drive letter change as you create and destroy DoubleSpace drives, always place theDEVICE=line forRAMDRIVE.SYSbefore the line forDBLSPACE.SYSin yourCONFIG.SYSfile.You can use DoubleSpace to compress a RAM disk, but the compressed volume file (CVF) that DoubleSpace creates is lost each time you reboot your computer. To keep from having to create a new CVF file each time you start up, you could clear its attributes with the
ATTRIBcommand and copy it from the RAM disk to your hard disk. YourAUTOEXEC.BATfile could then copy the CVF file back to the RAM disk; restore the system, hidden, and read-only attributes; and mount it for you each time you reboot.
For the following examples, assume that the computer you are using has 8MB of RAM, HIMEM.SYS loaded, EMM386.EXE loaded, and UMB support enabled. To create a 64KB RAM disk in conventional memory, you can load RAMDRIVE.SYS with no parameters, as shown here:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS
The DEVICEHIGH= command locates the RAMDRIVE.SYS driver in upper memory, but the RAM disk itself still is created in conventional memory. To increase the size of the RAM disk to 1MB (1,024KB) and place it in extended memory, you add the disksize and /E parameters, as the following line shows:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1024 /E
Because other values are not specified, the sector size is 512, and the root directory has room for 64 directory entries. If you want to create a RAM disk that is about the same size as a 1.44MB 3 1/2-inch floppy disk, you can use the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSRAMDRIVE.SYS 1450 512 224 /E
To increase the number of root directory entries to 224, you have to specify a sector size of 512, despite the fact that 512 is the default value for sector size.
Messages from the RAMDRIVE.SYS device driver all begin with the word RAMDrive:. You are most likely to encounter the messages listed here.
RAMDrive: Expanded memory manager not present
Error: You have specified the /A switch to create a RAM drive in expanded memory; however, expanded memory is not available, and the RAM disk was not created. Make sure that you have loaded EMM386.EXE (or another EMS provider), with EMS enabled, before the DEVICE= line in the CONFIG.SYS file that loads RAMDRIVE.SYS.
RAMDrive: Extended memory manager not present
Error: You have specified the /E switch to create a RAM drive in extended memory; however, extended memory is not available, and the RAM disk was not created. Make sure that you have loaded HIMEM.SYS (or another XMS provider) before the DEVICE= line in the CONFIG.SYS file that loads RAMDRIVE.SYS.
RAMDrive: Insufficient memory
Error: Not enough memory was available to create the RAM drive you specified. Typically, this problem is caused by forgetting to specify the /E or /A switch, in which case RAMDRIVE.SYS attempts to create the RAM disk in conventional memory. You also may receive this message if you specify the disksize in bytes rather than kilobytes. Edit the DEVICE= line for RAMDRIVE.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file to correct any errors; then restart your computer.
RAMDrive: No extended memory available
Error: You have specified the /E switch to create a RAM drive in extended memory, but no extended memory is available. Usually, this error is caused when EMM386.EXE claims all available XMS memory to use for EMS memory. With the DOS 6 version of EMM386.EXE, you can include a MIN parameter so that EMM386.EXE returns unused EMS memory to the memory pool when another program, such as RAMDRIVE.SYS, requests extended memory.
DEVICE=, DEVICEHIGH=, DBLSPACE.SYS, and SMARTDRV.EXE
“Using a RAM Disk” in Chapter 7 and Appendix B,“DOS Environment Variables”
The RAMSETUP command starts the RAMBoost Setup program. The RAMBoost Setup program installs the RAMBOOST device driver in the CONFIG.SYS file and then reboots the system.
/25
| Sets screen display to 25 lines (the default). |
/28
| Sets screen display to 28 lines (VGA only). |
/43
| Sets screen display to 43 lines (VGA and EGA). |
/50
| Sets screen display to 50 lines (VGA only). |
/60
| Sets screen display to 60 lines (Video 7 only). |
/in
| Runs the program in color mode even if a color display device is not detected. |
/bw
| Uses the black-and-white color scheme. |
/mono
| Uses the monochrome color scheme (IBM monochrome). |
/lcd
| Uses the LCD color scheme (for laptops). |
/ff
| Speeds up display (CGA only). Can cause a “snow” effect on some display devices. |
/bf
| Uses the BIOS font (use if graphics are not displayed properly). |
/nf
| Does not use fonts (does not use graphics characters). |
/bt
| Allows graphics mouse in Windows, and graphics fonts with DESQview or UltraVision. |
/ngm
| Does not use the graphics mouse pointer. |
/le
| Uses the left-handed mouse. |
/im
| Disables the mouse. |
/ps2
| Resets the mouse hardware. |
/?
| Displays the abbreviated online help. |
RAMSETUP strips all DEVICEHIGH= statements from the CONFIG.SYS file and converts them into DEVICE= statements. It also strips out all LOADHIGH= or LH= statements in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The DOS LOADHIGH, DEVICEHIGH, and DOS=UMB functions are built into RAMBOOST and are no longer required.
You can use the RD (or RMDIR) command to delete empty subdirectories. If the subdirectory still contains any files, RD aborts and displays an error message. To delete a subdirectory and all its files, use the DELTREE command.
drive:
| The drive containing the subdirectory you want to delete. If drive: is omitted, the current drive is assumed.
|
path
| The subdirectory you want to delete on drive:. path can either be absolute or relative—that is, specified from the root directory or specified from the current directory (see item #4 in the following “ Notes” section). If only the subdirectory name is specified with no path information, the subdirectory in the current directory with that name is deleted. You cannot delete the current directory.
|
You must explicitly name the subdirectory you want to delete.
The subdirectory you want to delete must be empty of all files, including hidden files.
You cannot delete the current directory of any drive.
If a backslash (
) is the first (or only) character in a subdirectory path, it is considered absolute and is specified starting from the root directory. If the subdirectory path begins with a subdirectory name, it is considered relative, and the current directory is used as its starting point. A drive letter, followed by a colon, can precede either an absolute or a relative path.
Invalid path, not directory or directory not empty
Error: RMDIR did not remove the specified directory because one of the following errors occurred:
You listed an invalid directory in the path.
Files other than the
.and..entries still exist.You misspelled the path or directory name.
Check each possibility and try again.
You can delete all the files in a directory and remove the directory in one step by using DELTREE.
Attempt to remove current directory - drive:path
Error: RMDIR did not remove the specified directory for one of the following reasons:
The directory is the current directory of the current drive.
The directory is the current directory of another drive.
The directory is redirected with the
SUBSTcommand.
For the first two cases, perform a CHDIR operation on a directory that is not a subdirectory of the directory that you want to delete and then attempt the RMDIR operation again. For the third case, perform an RMDIR operation on the actual directory affected by the SUBST command.
CD (or CHDIR), DELTREE, and MD (or MKDIR)
RECOVER is a dangerous utility that can do more harm than good. If a disk develops a bad sector within a file, DOS is unable to copy any part of the file. If the root directory of a disk becomes damaged, DOS may not be able to read the disk at all. RECOVER is supposed to help you in these situations, but at times it is a case of a little help being worse than no help at all. With DOS 6, Microsoft stopped distributing RECOVER, and it's not even available on the Supplemental Disk. If you have a copy of RECOVER on your disk, you might want to delete it to keep from running it accidentally.
Situations like the ones that RECOVER was supposed to address do arise. DOS 6.22 includes the ScanDisk utility, which can repair many of the problems that can arise on your disks. If ScanDisk can't fix the problem, or if you aren't running DOS 6.22 when disaster strikes, reach for a good third-party utility package. The Norton Utilities, PC Tools, and the Mace Utilities are just a few of the packages that offer excellent tools to help you recover damaged files and disks. Any one of these packages will pay for itself many times over the first time you lose access to your hard disk due to a runaway program overwriting your root directory.
You can use the REM command to insert comments into batch files or your CONFIG.SYS file. Any text on the line after REM (with a few exceptions in batch files) is ignored when DOS is processing that line in the file. Using this command can be extremely handy for documenting or temporarily “commenting out” lines in the file.
comment
| Can be any text. DOS truncates any line longer than 127 characters, but this usually doesn't matter in a comment line. In batch files, comments are read by the parser, so the pipe character (|) and redirection symbols (< and >) should be avoided.
|
REMshould be placed at the beginning of a line, with only spaces or tabs preceding it. A legal delimiter of some sort (for example, a space) needs to follow theREMso that DOS can recognize it.In batch files, the pipe (
|) and redirection symbols (<and>) should be avoided in comments because the parser may see and act on them. Including a greater-than sign in a comment line may cause an empty file to be created with the next eight characters as its name.DOS has a maximum line length of 127 characters; any line longer than that is truncated. Still, as long as you are not depending on the comment line being displayed, it really doesn't matter whether DOS cuts it off. Comments are for you to read when you are working on the file, and the length of the line is really limited by your editing software, not DOS.
In
CONFIG.SYS, you can use a semicolon rather thanREMas an easier and somewhat cleaner way to mark comments. The semicolon comment isn't valid in batch files or versions of DOS before MS-DOS 6.Blank lines can make your batch files and
CONFIG.SYSfile much easier to understand. DOS ignores any blank lines in these files, so you don't need to mark them as comments withREM.Although
REMis legal at the DOS prompt, it serves no purpose.REMis useful only for inserting comments in batch files andCONFIG.SYS.
If you want to document why a particular environment variable is being created in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you might include something like this:
REM I set DIRCMD here to avoid always telling DIR that I prefer my REM filenames in lowercase letters with screen pauses. SET DIRCMD=/L /P
Or perhaps you want to “comment out” the line that loads the driver for your tape drive until the replacement driver arrives in the mail:
REM DEVICE=C:DOSTAPESQ55.SYS
You also could use a semicolon to comment out the preceding line, like this:
;DEVICE=C:DOSTAPESQ55.SYS
REMOVDRV deletes the Stacker stacvol file and all the data from the specified Stacker drive.
REN (or RENAME) is a utility you can use to rename files. Unlike many third-party utilities, REN cannot move files from one subdirectory to another, and it cannot rename subdirectories. To rename subdirectories, see the MOVE command.
old_name
| The file, or files, that you want to rename. A full pathname (such as drive:path...filename.ext) can be specified, and wildcards are allowed.
This parameter is required and must include a filename ( |
new_name
| The new filename, or names, you want to use. Only a filename and extension can be specified; you can't include any drive or path information. Wildcards are allowed; if they are used, they are filled in with the corresponding characters from old_name. This parameter is required.
|
REN(or the long form,RENAME) changes the name of a file on the disk. The command does not rename directories. You can use theMOVEcommand to rename a directory.Because you are renaming an established disk file, the file's drive or path designation goes with the old name so that DOS knows which file to rename.
Wildcard characters are acceptable in either the old or new name.
Duplicate filename or File not found
Error: You attempted to change a filename to a name that already exists, or you asked DOS to rename a file that does not exist in the directory. Check the directory for conflicting names, make sure that the filename exists and that you spelled the name correctly, and then reissue the command.
You can use the RENDIR command to rename a directory or subdirectory.
The REPLACE command enables you to selectively update files on one disk from matching files on another disk, thereby overwriting old copies of files. REPLACE has other options that can help you maintain backup floppy disks, such as adding new files only or prompting you for confirmation before copying each file.
source_files
| Specifies the file, or files, that you want to selectively copy. A full pathname (such as drive:path...filename.ext) can be specified, and wildcards are allowed. The filename portion of this parameter is required.
|
destination_path
| Specifies the location you want to selectively copy the source_files to. You can include a drive and a path, but you cannot specify a filename. If this parameter is omitted, the current drive and subdirectory are used as the destination.
|
/A
| Adds all the files specified by source_files that do not exist on the destination_path. You cannot combine the /A switch with the /S or /U switches.
|
/S
| Replaces all the files specified by source_files that are found in destination_path or any subdirectories below it. You cannot combine the /S switch with the /A switch.
|
/U
| Updates (replaces) all the files specified by source_files that are found in destination_path with dates and times preceding the source file's date and time. You cannot combine the /U switch with the /A switch.
|
/P
| Prompts you as each file is replaced or added to destination_path.
|
/R
| Enables REPLACE to overwrite read-only files on the destination_path. Normally, REPLACE terminates with an error if it attempts to overwrite a read-only file.
|
/W
| Tells REPLACE to display the Press any key to continue... message and wait for a keystroke before beginning the replace operation. Using this switch gives you time to switch floppy disks if necessary.
|
ERRORLEVEL Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Replace operation successful |
| 1 | Incorrect DOS version running (6.0 and later) |
| 1 | Invalid command-line syntax (3.2 and 3.3) |
| 2 | Source file(s) not found |
| 3 | Source or destination path not found |
| 5 | Unable to replace files—access denied |
| 8 | Insufficient memory to complete replace operation |
| 11 | Invalid command-line syntax (4.0 and later) |
| 15 | Source or destination drive invalid (undocumented) |
If you do not name the source drive, DOS uses the current drive.
If you do not name the source path, DOS uses the current directory.
You must specify a source filename. Wildcards are allowed.
If you do not name the destination drive, DOS adds files to, or replaces files in, the current drive.
If you do not name the destination path, DOS adds files to, or replaces files in, the current directory.
Use
REPLACEwith caution because this command's speedy find-and-replace capability can have the effect of an unrelenting search-and-destroy mission on your data. Be careful when you unleashREPLACEon several subdirectories at a time, particularly when you useREPLACE/Son the entire disk. BecauseREPLACEupdates a file based only on the filename, you could accidentally replace a file somewhere on the disk that you intended to save.To prevent such unwanted replacements, limit the destination pathname to cover only the directories that hold the files you want replaced. Check the source and destination directories for matching filenames. If you find conflicts or have doubts, use the
/Pswitch;REPLACEasks for approval before replacing files.If you use DOS 4.0 or later, the
/Uswitch can help you avoid replacing wrong files./Ucompares the files' date and time stamps. The destination file is replaced only if the file is older than the source file.
File cannot be copied onto itself filename
Warning: The source and destination disk and directories are identical. You probably did not specify a destination, so the source disk and directory are the current disk and directory. Otherwise, you specified the same drive and directory twice. REPLACE does not process filename.
Check the command line to ensure that you specified the correct source and destination for REPLACE and then try the command again.
nnn file(s) added
or
nnn file(s) replaced
Information: REPLACE indicates how many files are added or replaced. The first message appears when you use the /A switch; the second message appears if you do not use the /A switch. The message does not indicate that potential files are added or replaced; rather, the message appears when at least one file is added or replaced, regardless of errors that occur later.
No files found filename
Error: REPLACE could not find any files that matched the source filename. One of the following errors probably occurred:
You misspelled the source filename.
You provided the drive and directory names but omitted the filename.
You provided the wrong drive or directory name for the source.
You inserted the wrong floppy disk into the drive.
Check the command line to ensure that the correct disk is in the drive and then retry the command.
Invalid parameter combination
Error: You used both the /A and /S switches or the /A and /U switches, which you cannot use together in a REPLACE command. To replace files, omit /A. Because you cannot add files to more than one directory at a time, you cannot use /S with /A. To add files to more than one directory, issue separate REPLACE commands, each time specifying a different directory to which files are to be added.
COPY and XCOPY
“Combining Copying and Directory Management with XCOPY” and “Using the COPY Command” in Chapter 8
The REPORT command reports statistics for Stacker drives. Typing REPORT at the DOS command prompt displays an online interface window that enables you to examine how the files are compressed.
You can use the RESTORE command to restore from one disk to another disk one or more backup files created with the BACKUP command. If your backup file was created by MSBACKUP, you must use MSBACKUP to restore data from that file.
drive1:
| Indicates the drive that holds the backup files. |
drive2:
| Indicates the drive that is to receive the restored files. |
path
| Specifies the path to the directory that is to receive the restored files. This parameter must be the same as the directory from which the files were backed up. |
filename.ext
| Indicates the file, or files, that you want to restore. Wildcards are allowed. |
/A:date
| Restores all files that were created or modified on or after the date you specify. The format of date depends on the COUNTRY in your CONFIG.SYS file.
|
/B:date
| Restores all files that were created or modified on or before the date you specify. The format of date depends on the COUNTRY in your CONFIG.SYS file.
|
/D
| (DOS 5.0 and later) Lists files to be restored without actually performing the restoration. You must specify drive2:.
|
/E:time
| Restores all files that were created or modified either at the time or earlier than the time you specify. The format of time depends on the COUNTRY in your CONFIG.SYS file.
|
/L:time
| Restores all files that were created or modified either at the time or later than the time you specify. The format of time depends on the COUNTRY in your CONFIG.SYS file.
|
/M
| Restores all files that were modified or deleted since the backup set was made. |
/N
| Restores all files that no longer exist in the destination directory. |
/P
| Prompts you before restoring a file that was changed since the last backup or before restoring a file marked as read-only. |
/S
| Restores files in the current directory and all subdirectories. When you use this switch, RESTORE re-creates all necessary subdirectories that were removed and then restores the files in the re-created subdirectories.
|
ERRORLEVEL Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Restore operation successful |
| 1 | No files found to restore |
| 2 | Halted by file-sharing violation (undocumented) |
| 3 | Halted by user (Ctrl+C) |
| 4 | Halted by fatal disk error |
You must provide the name of the drive that holds the backup files. If the current disk is to receive the restored files, you do not have to specify the destination drive.
If you do not name a path,
RESTOREuses the current directory of the receiving disk.If you do not provide a filename,
RESTORErestores all backup files from the directory. Omitting the filename is the same as using*.*.RESTOREprompts you to insert the backup disks in order. If you insert a disk out of order,RESTOREprompts you to insert the correct disk.Do not combine the
/B,/A, and/Nswitches in the sameRESTOREcommand.Be cautious when you restore files that were backed up while an
ASSIGN,SUBST, orJOINcommand was in effect. When you useRESTORE, clear any existingAPPEND,ASSIGN,SUBST, orJOINcommands. Do not useRESTORE /MorRESTORE /NwhileAPPEND /Xis in effect.RESTOREattempts to search the directories for modified or missing files.APPENDtricksRESTOREinto finding files in the paths specified to theAPPENDcommand.RESTOREmay then restore files that should not be restored, and not restore files that should be restored. To disableAPPEND, issue theAPPEND ;command.RESTOREcannot restore DOS system files (for example,IO.SYSandMSDOS.SYS) to the appropriate positions in the file structure so that the disk is bootable.
BACKUP and RESTORE in DOS 3.3 and later are radically different from the corresponding commands in previous versions. These commands place all backed-up files in one larger file and maintain a separate information file on the same disk. In DOS 3.3 and later, RESTORE handles the new and old backup-file formats, which means that these newer versions of RESTORE can restore backups created by any version of BACKUP.
Insert backup diskette nn in drive d: Strike any key when ready
Information: RESTORE wants the next disk in sequence. This message appears when you are restoring files that were backed up onto floppy disks. Insert the next floppy disk (in the proper sequence) into drive d: and then press any key.
Insert restore target in drive d:
Strike any key when ready
Information: RESTORE is asking you to insert the floppy disk that is to receive the restored files. This message appears only when you restore files onto floppy disks. Insert the target disk into drive d: and then press any key.
***Listing files on drive A:***
Information: You used the /D switch with RESTORE, and the files that would be restored are displayed. The listed files follow the file specification that you used for restoration.
Source does not contain backup files
Error: RESTORE found no files that were backed up with the BACKUP command. BACKUP may have malfunctioned when backing up files, or you may have inserted the wrong disk.
Source and target drives are the same
Error: RESTORE determined that the drive that holds the backup files is the same as the drive that you designated to receive the restored files. You may have forgotten to specify the drive that holds the backup files or the target disk. If your system has one floppy drive and you tried to restore files onto a floppy disk, specify drives A and B.
System files restored Target disk may not be bootable
Warning: You restored the three system files (IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM) from the backup floppy disks. These files may not have been restored to the proper location on the disk, and you cannot use them to start DOS.
Warning! Diskette is out of sequence Replace the diskette or continue if okay Strike any key when ready
Warning: You inserted a backup floppy disk out of order. Place the correct disk in the drive and continue.
Warning! File filename
was changed after it was backed up
or is a read-only file
Replace the file (Y/N)?
Warning: This message appears when you use the /P switch. Either the file filename already exists on the hard disk and is marked as read-only, or the date of the file on the target disk is more recent than that of the backup copy (which may mean that the backup copy is obsolete). Type Y to replace the existing file with the backup copy or N to skip the file.
Warning! No files were found to restore
Warning: The files you wanted to restore are not on the disk from which you tried to restore them. Try again with another disk or another file specification. If you did not create a log file when you created the BACKUP floppy disk, you can determine which directories and files are on the floppy disk by using the TYPE command to display the floppy disk's binary CONTROL.xxx file and then interpreting what you see. The xxx in the filename reflects the backup disk's number. For example, the first disk in the backup set would have the file CONTROL.001 on it.
RMDIR is the alternative name for the RD command. For information on using the RD or RMDIR command, see the entry for RD in this command reference.
The ScanDisk program can locate and fix errors on disks. It works on most local drives, including DoubleSpace compressed drives. ScanDisk also can perform a surface scan, which reads every sector on the disk to make sure that it is error free and readable.
To check one or more disk drives for errors, use the following format:
SCANDISK drive: ... /ALL /CHECKONLY /AUTOFIX /NOSAVE /CUSTOM /SURFACE /MONO /NOSUMMARY
To check an unmounted DoubleSpace volume file for errors, use the following format:
SCANDISK cvf_file /CHECKONLY /AUTOFIX /NOSAVE /CUSTOM /MONO /NOSUMMARY
To check the degree of fragmentation in a group of files, use the following format:
SCANDISK /FRAGMENT pathname
To undo the changes ScanDisk previously made fixing files, use the following format:
SCANDISK /UNDO undo: /MONO
If you enter
SCANDISKwith no parameters, ScanDisk scans the current drive.Normally, if any errors are found, a dialog box appears with information explaining what the error is. You can choose to have ScanDisk fix the error or leave it alone. If you have specified the
/AUTOFIXparameter, these dialog boxes are skipped.After the disk has been checked for errors in its logical structure, ScanDisk asks whether you want to perform a surface scan. If you have specified the
/SURFACEparameter, the surface scan takes place automatically. If you have specified the/CHECKONLYparameter, no surface scan is done.ScanDisk can find and repair errors on most hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, DoubleSpace drives, RAM disk drives, and memory card drives.
ScanDisk can check only local disk drives. Do not attempt to run ScanDisk on any network, CD-ROM, or Interlnk drives attached to your system. You also shouldn't run ScanDisk on any alias drives created by the
ASSIGN,JOIN, orSUBSTcommands.If you try to run ScanDisk when other programs are running, ScanDisk refuses to fix any problems it encounters because the other programs might try to access the disk while ScanDisk is working, and more serious problems could be created. If Windows is running and you try to start ScanDisk, you see the message shown in the third item in the following “Messages” section.
If you run ScanDisk with the
/CHECKONLYparameter, it checks your disks for errors while other software, such as Windows, is running. If ScanDisk finds any errors, quit all your active programs, including Windows, and run ScanDisk again. In multitasking situations, ScanDisk might find errors when none really exist. By running ScanDisk again with no outside interference, you can find out for sure.If you ask ScanDisk to check a mounted or unmounted DoubleSpace drive, it asks whether it should first check the host drive for errors. Normally, you should answer
Yes. It is best to fix the host drive and then the DoubleSpace volume if errors exist in either of them. AnswerNoonly if you have just finished checking the host drive and are sure that no errors exist.After ScanDisk repairs errors on a drive, it asks whether you want to create an undo disk. It is usually a good idea to make an undo disk. You must have a blank, formatted floppy disk that you can place in drive A or B for the undo information to be written to. After you have exited ScanDisk, try not to write anything to the disk until you are sure that you don't want to undo the changes ScanDisk has made. Do not undo changes after writing to the disk; otherwise, serious damage could result.
ScanDisk can find and repair the following types of problems on your drives:
You can customize many of ScanDisk's settings by editing the
SCANDISK.INIfile. Setup places this file in theC:DOSsubdirectory by default. By setting the features you want to use inSCANDISK.INIand using the/CUSTOMparameter, you can automate a ScanDisk session and run it all from a batch file. For instructions on editing theSCANDISK.INIfile, see the comments included in theSCANDISK.INIfile itself.
To scan drives C and D for errors, you enter the following command:
SCANDISK C: D:
If you want to perform a surface scan as well, and not be prompted about fixing errors, you include the /SURFACE and /AUTOFIX options as follows:
SCANDISK C: D: /AUTOFIX /SURFACE
If Windows is running, you have to do the surface scan later and for now specify the /CHECKONLY parameter, as in the following:
SCANDISK C: D: /CHECKONLY
To find out if it is time to run DEFRAG, you can check on the fragmentation level of the files in your correspondence subdirectory, like this:
SCANDISK C:LETTERS*.* /FRAGMENT
Invalid switch: parameter
Error: The parameter you specified is unknown to ScanDisk. Check the command line for typing errors. To see a list of legal parameters for ScanDisk, enter the SCANDISK /? command.
parameter is not a valid name for a DoubleSpace volume file
Error: You have entered an incorrect parameter for ScanDisk. You see this message if you omit one of the slashes (/), which begin most of ScanDisk's parameters. Of course, you may have mistyped the name of a DoubleSpace CVF file as well.
You cannot use ScanDisk to fix problems while Windows is running. To check for disk problems without fixing them, type SCANDISK /CHECKONLY at the command prompt.
Error: You have attempted to run ScanDisk without the /CHECKONLY parameter while Microsoft Windows is running. Specify the /CHECKONLY parameter and try again.
SCANREG, which is a Windows 98 tool (not available with Windows 95), can back up, restore, or fix the data files that make up the Windows Registry.
/backup
| Backs up the Registry data files to .CAB files.
|
/restore
| Displays a list of available backup files that can be used to restore the Registry. |
/fix
| Repairs any damaged Registry settings and optimizes the Registry by removing unused space. |
/opt
| Optimizes the Registry by removing unused space. |
/scanonly
| Scans the Registry and displays any error messages but does not back it up. |
/autoscan
| Scans the Registry and backs it up without prompting if there are no backups already on the same date. |
/comment="comment"
| Adds the "comment" to the .CAB file created by /backup.
|
filename
| Scans the specified Registry file and displays messages about any errors without backing up the Registry. The allowable files are as follows: SYSTEM.DAT USER.DAT |
/?
| Displays the abbreviated online help. |
SCANREG requires extended memory to run and does not run anything except the /restore option from the Windows Safe Mode command prompt.
If you restore an older backup, you lose any customizations and configurations you have made since that backup. This can cause your system to be unstable if you have installed new software or hardware since the backup.
When Windows is first installed, Setup creates an original Registry file named SYSTEM.1ST in the root directory. You can use it to restore the original Registry if the Registry is ever damaged.
The SCHEDULE command starts the Schedule program, which is a full-screen utility program to specify a future date and time to automatically run DOS programs.
The CPSCHED terminate-and-stay resident program must be loaded for scheduled events to run at the preset date and time.
SCREATE.SYS compresses RAM drives. It is one of the installable device drivers provided with PC DOS 7 and must be loaded by a DEVICE= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file.
SCRIPT is a command-line utility for printing PostScript files. It also can be used to redirect output from the result of other commands to a PostScript file or output device.
/O=P|L
| Sets the page orientation to portrait or landscape. |
/T=size
| Sets the top margin to size inches.
|
/L=size
| Sets the left margin to size inches.
|
/P=size
| Sets the font to size in points.
|
/TI=time
| Defines a printer timeout of time seconds.
|
/R
| Resets the printer. |
/U
| Uninstalls the utility from memory. |
drive:pathfilename
| Specifies the source file to be printed. Specifying no source sends all output to the specified device until the utility is unloaded from memory. |
device
| Specifies the device to print to, such as LPT1. Can also be a filename. |
/?
| Displays abbreviated help. |
The SDEFRAG command runs the Stacker Optimizer to defragment or recompress a Stacker drive. It also can change the size of a Stacker drive, resulting in a corresponding change to its uncompressed drive.
SDEFRAG drive: /r /p=n /f /d /u /b /gl /gp /sorder /batch /skiphigh /noxms /lcd /bw /h /v /buffer=nnnn /restore=drive:stacvol.ext: /?
The SDIR command displays the compression ratio for a list of files and directories. It should be used only for Stacker-compressed drives.
The SET command enables you to view, add, delete, or change variables contained in the DOS environment. Starting with DOS 6.0, you can use the SET command in your CONFIG.SYS file. MS-DOS uses several environment variables to control different aspects of its operation.
To display all the variables defined in the environment, use the following format:
SET
To add or replace an environment variable, use the following format:
SET name=string
name
| The string that you want to add to the environment. DOS converts these characters to uppercase before storing the variable in the environment. |
string
| The text that you want associated with name. string is stored in the environment exactly as you enter it—with upper- and lowercase characters and including any spaces you specify.
|
The environment is an area of memory that DOS sets aside to store a series of text strings in the form
name=string. Thenameportion is converted to uppercase before being stored in memory, but thestringportion is stored as is.If
SETis executed with no parameters, the current contents of the DOS environment are displayed. (Don't use this form of theSETcommand in yourCONFIG.SYSfile.) To display the value of a single environment variable, pipe the output fromSETthrough theFINDfilter. (See the following “Examples” section.)Entering
SETwith thenameof the variable and an equal sign but nostringdeletes the specified variable from the environment. Note that if no variable with thenameyou've specified is found, nothing happens, and no error message is displayed.When
SETis executed with bothnameandstringparameters, DOS searches the current environment looking for a variable that matchesname. If a match is found, DOS replaces the variable with the new value specified instring. If no match is found, a new variable is defined in the current environment.The total length of an environment variable, including the name and equal sign, cannot exceed the DOS 127-character limit. When you use
SETto create environment variables, the limit is actually 123 because theSETcommand itself uses 3 characters and a space.Spaces are legal in both the
nameandstringportion of an environment variable. In fact, spaces are not ignored when searching for environment variables; so any trailing spaces you include after thename, but before the equal sign, become a significant portion of that variable's name. Keep this point in mind when you define new environment variables.Avoid using redirection symbols (
<,>, and|) and equal signs (=) in environment variables. Although you can use them in some cases, they can cause strange, hard-to-predict side effects when you use these variables in a batch file.The DOS environment is limited to the size specified by the
/E:sizeparameter specified in theSHELL=statement that names the command interpreter (usuallyCOMMAND.COM) in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. If you haven't specified an/E:sizeparameter, it defaults to 256 characters. When a program is run, it is passed a copy of the current environment that has been shrunk to the smallest multiple of 16, which is big enough to hold all the variables currently defined.One annoying side effect of this behavior is that, if you normally run DOS from a Shell program, you will never have much environment space available—no matter how big you make it in your
CONFIG.SYSfile. To avoid theOut of environment spaceerror messages, you might have to define aDUMMYvariable that you can delete from a batch file whenever you need more environment space. (See the following “Examples” section.)Several DOS commands use the environment to store their current values.
PATHandPROMPTboth store their settings in the environment. If you are runningAPPENDwith the/Eparameter, it stores its settings in the environment as well.DOS defines a number of environment variables when you start up your computer, and certain commands modify their behavior if certain variables are defined. For more information about the environment variables DOS uses, refer to Appendix B,“DOS Environment Variables.”
To display the contents of the current DOS environment, enter SET with no parameters, as shown here:
SET
A series of definitions similar to the following is then displayed on your screen:
CONFIG=WIN COMSPEC=C:DOSCOMMAND.COM MOUSE=C:DOS TEMP=C:TEMP TMP=C:TEMP DIRCMD=/L PATH=C:BAT;C:NORTON;C:DOS;C:UTIL PROMPT=*Windows* $p$g windir=d:win
You can tell many interesting things from this list. First of all, the computer uses a startup menu, and the configuration that was chosen is named WIN (CONFIG=WIN). Also, notice that the WINDIR environment variable is shown in lowercase. Microsoft Windows inserts this variable into the environment as a flag to indicate that it is active. Inserting it in lowercase is a trick that prevents you from changing or deleting it with the SET command.
If you want to see how a particular environment variable is defined, pipe the output of the SET command through the FIND filter, like this:
SET | FIND "COMSPEC"
Only the lines that contain "COMSPEC" are displayed. Note that FIND is case sensitive by default, so make sure that you enter the name of the variable you are looking for in all uppercase (or specify the /I switch).
To change the defaults for the DIR command to lowercase filenames (/L) five columns wide (/W), sorted by date with directories first (/OGD), you can define (or replace) the DIRCMD environment variable by using the following SET command:
SET DIRCMD=/L /W /OGD
Note that you can't include any spaces before the equal sign; otherwise, a new variable (DIRCMD<space>) that the DIR command does not recognize is defined. To delete the DIRCMD variable entirely and let DIR use its built-in defaults, use the following command.
SET DIRCMD=
If you want to make sure that an environment variable you define in a batch file was successfully created, add an IF command after the SET command that defines the new variable:
SET NEWVAR=Do we have space for this? IF "%NEWVAR%"=="" GOTO OUT_OF_SPACE
One technique to help you avoid Out of environment space error messages when you run batch files from a Shell program is to define a DUMMY variable in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to simply take up space:
SET DUMMY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When you need space in the environment, simply delete the DUMMY variable, as follows, before you define any new variables that your batch file needs:
SET DUMMY= SET NEWVAR=Now we have space for this
When your batch file terminates, returning you to your Shell program, the copy of the environment that the batch file was using is discarded. Because it is being thrown away, there is no reason to restore the DUMMY variable before the batch file ends.
If you might run this batch file when your Shell program is not running, you should reset the DUMMY variable and delete the NEWVAR variable before exiting the batch file like this:
SET NEWVAR= SET DUMMY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Otherwise, the next time you need the DUMMY variable, it might not be there.
Out of environment space
Error: You see this message if the environment is not large enough to hold the string you want to add with the PATH, PROMPT, or SET command. To increase the size of the environment, use the /E:size parameter in the SHELL= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
Syntax error
Error: SET displays a syntax error message if you forget to include the equal sign. This error most often happens after you have been using the PATH and PROMPT commands, which get you out of the habit of including an equal sign between the variable name and its value.
COMMAND, PATH, PROMPT, and SHELL=
“Changing DOS Variables” in Chapter 11 and Appendix B,“DOS Environment Variables”
When programmers write software, they often add code to check the version of DOS that is running. To be on the safe side, they may prevent their program from running if the preliminary check reveals the presence of a version of DOS that they didn't test. In many cases, this paranoia is unnecessary, and lying to the program about which version of DOS is running enables the software to operate safely. The SETVER.EXE device driver maintains in memory a version table that tells it exactly which programs to lie to and what version of DOS to tell the program it is running. When you run SETVER from the command line, you can view, add, change, or delete entries in SETVER.EXE's version table. These changes take effect the next time SETVER.EXE is loaded into memory.
drive:path
| Specifies the drive and path to the SETVER.EXE file. Setup places the SETVER.EXE file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. If drive:path is not specified, SETVER searches the current directory and along the DOS PATH to find the SETVER.EXE file. You usually can omit this parameter.
|
filename
| Specifies the full name of the program you want SETVER to locate in the version table. Include the filename and extension, but do not include any path information. No default extensions are assumed, and wildcards are not allowed. If you include this parameter, you also must include either an n.nn, /DELETE, or /D parameter.
|
n.nn
| Specifies the DOS version number that SETVER.EXE reports to the program specified by the filename parameter. Valid entries are in the range 2.11 to 9.99. You are required to enter the period delimiting the major and minor version numbers, and you should always enter the value with two decimal places (that is, 2.00, not 2.0 or 2). If you specify this parameter, you cannot specify the /DELETE, /D, or /QUIET parameters.
|
/DELETE
| Deletes the version table entry for the program file specified by filename. If you specify /DELETE, you cannot specify the n.nn parameter.
|
/D
| Same as /DELETE.
|
/QUIET
| Suppresses the two-line successful update message that appears after an entry is deleted from the version table. (Refer to the actual message in the following “Messages” section.) You can specify /QUIET only with /DELETE or /D.
|
If you enter
SETVERwithout any parameters, DOS displays all entries it comes across from the version table contained in the first copy ofSETVER.EXE. DOS searches the current directory for theSETVER.EXEfile, followed by all the subdirectories specified in your DOSPATH. If you enterSETVERdrive:path, the entries in the version table contained in thedrive:pathSETVER.EXEfile are displayed. In this case, no other directories are searched ifSETVER.EXEisn't found in thedrive:pathsubdirectory.Microsoft ships
SETVER.EXEwith a version table that lists programs known to work safely with MS-DOS 6, but which have to be fooled in order to run.Microsoft's
SETVER.EXEVersion Table for MS-DOS 6filenamen.nnfilenamen.nnKERNEL.EXE5.00 JOIN.EXE5.00 NETX.COM5.00 RECOVER.EXE5.00 NETX.EXE5.00* GRAFTABL.COM5.00 NET5.COM5.00 LMSETUP.EXE5.00 BNETX.COM5.00 STACKER.COM5.00 BNETX.EXE5.00[*] NCACHE.EXE5.00 EMSNETX.EXE5.00[*] NCACHE2.EXE5.00 EMSNET5.EXE5.00 IBMCACHE.SYS5.00 XMSNETX.EXE5.00[*] XTRADRV.SYS5.00 XMSNET5.EXE5.00 2XON.COM5.00 DOSOAD.SYS5.00 WINWORD.EXE4.10 REDIR50.EXE5.00 EXCEL.EXE4.10 REDIR5.EXE5.00 LL3.EXE4.01 REDIRALL.EXE5.00 REDIR4.EXE4.00 REDIRNP4.EXE5.00 REDIR40.EXE4.00 EDLIN.EXE5.00 MSREDIR.EXE4.00 BACKUP.EXE5.00 WIN200.BIN3.40 ASSIGN.COM5.00 METRO.EXE3.31 EXE2BIN.EXE5.00 [*] The
n.nnentry for these files was changed to 6.00 in MS-DOS 6.22.Note
If you look through the version table provided by Microsoft, you see that
WINWORD.EXEandEXCEL.EXEare listed as requiring DOS version 4.10. However, Word for Windows 2.0 and Excel 4.0 can run under DOS 6.22 withoutSETVER. These entries are for older versions of these programs. If your Windows software is up to date, you don't have to worry about usingSETVERto fool these two programs.In the version table, you also see entries for the DOS utilities that were not distributed with DOS 6. When you use the DOS 5 versions of these utilities, they have to be included in the version table for
SETVER; otherwise, they do not run. Instead, anIncorrect DOS versionmessage is displayed. If you install updated versions of these utilities with the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk Setup program, their version table entries are deleted.Do not specify the DOS version number with the filename if you are trying to delete an entry in the version table. Doing so causes this error message to be displayed:
Too many command line parameters. (Read more about this message in the following “Messages” section.)Don't add a program to the
SETVER.EXEversion table unless you are sure that it can run safely with DOS 6. There is a chance that an incompatible program might appear to run and still cause system instabilities or data loss. This is the reason Microsoft displays theWARNINGparagraph whenever you add or update an entry in the version table. (Read more about this message in the following “Messages” section.) To be safe, contact the manufacturer of the software program in question to find out whether the version you have can be run safely under DOS 6.Any changes you make to the version table with
SETVERare written to theSETVER.EXEfile on disk, not to the device driver in memory. These changes do not take effect until you reload theSETVER.EXEdevice driver into memory by restarting your computer.Specify the drive and path to the
SETVER.EXEfile you want to update and not the drive and path to the program you are looking for in the version table. If you don't specify the drive and path correctly,SETVERusually fails to findSETVER.EXE, and an error message is displayed (see the second item in the following “Messages” section). Normally,SETVER.EXEis located on your DOSPATH, and you can omit thedrive:pathparameter to avoid this confusing syntax.Remember to specify only the filename (with extension) of the program file you want to add, update, or delete from the
SETVERversion table. No path information is stored in the table, so only the filename is needed to locate the entry. The extension is included in the table, so you must specify it as well. No default extensions are assumed, and wildcards are not allowed.Device drivers, as well as executable programs, can be included in the version table. If
SETVER.EXEis already in memory when the device driver loads in yourCONFIG.SYSfile,SETVER.EXEcan lie to it about the version of DOS that is running.
To display the contents of the version table in the SETVER.EXE file located on your DOS PATH, enter SETVER on the command line as follows:
SETVER
You don't use the METRO.EXE program, and you want to delete the entry from the version table. To do so, enter the following command:
SETVER METRO.EXE /DELETE
You can abbreviate the /DELETE switch as /D if you want to. To add METRO.EXE back into the version table and restore its setting to DOS 3.31, you enter the following command:
SETVER METRO.EXE 3.31
If all goes well, you see the WARNING paragraph. (See the last item in the following “Messages” section.)
An invalid path to SETVER.EXE was specified
Error: A subdirectory you specified in the path to SETVER.EXE is invalid.
Could not find the file SETVER.EXE
Error: SETVER.EXE was not found along the DOS search path or in the subdirectory you specified. (ERRORLEVEL value 6 returned)
ERROR: Reading SETVER.EXE file
Error: A disk error occurred while the SETVER.EXE file was being read. This problem could be the result of file-sharing violations, errors in the disk's FAT, corrupted formatting information, or bad sectors on the disk. The SETVER.EXE file may be corrupted. (ERROR LEVEL value 10 returned)
ERROR: Writing SETVER.EXE file
Error: A disk error occurred while the SETVER.EXE file was being written to. This problem can happen if the disk fills up or a bad sector is encountered. The SETVER.EXE file may be corrupted. (ERRORLEVEL value 14 returned)
Insuffient memory
Error: Not enough memory is available to run SETVER. (Note: The spelling error is Microsoft's, not ours.) (ERRORLEVEL value 3 returned)
Invalid drive specifier
Error: The disk drive you specified in the path to SETVER.EXE isn't a valid DOS drive. (ERRORLEVEL value 7 returned)
Invalid filename
Error: An invalid filename was specified on the command line, or the specified file doesn't exist. (ERRORLEVEL value 2 returned)
Invalid switch
Error: On the command line, you have specified a switch that SETVER doesn't understand. (ERRORLEVEL value 1 returned)
Invalid version number, format must be 2.11 - 9.99
Error: The version number you specified is invalid. You can report DOS versions 2.11 through 9.99 only. You also may see this message if you specify DELETE or D without the slash (/R). (ERRORLEVEL value 4 returned)
Missing parameter
Error: You specified a filename, but you have not included either a version number (to add or update an entry) or /D (to delete an entry). (ERRORLEVEL value 9 returned)
No entries found in version table
Information: You asked SETVER to display the version table, but the copy of SETVER.EXE it found has no entries in the version table. This can happen if you delete all the entries (one by one) in SETVER.EXE by using the SETVER /D command.
NOTE: SETVER device not loaded. To activate SETVER version reporting you must load the SETVER.EXE device in your CONFIG.SYS.
Warning: When you use SETVER without loading the SETVER.EXE device, it displays this message to remind you that the version table is active only when the SETVER.EXE device driver is loaded.
Specified entry was not found in the version table
Warning: You have tried to delete an entry that is not in the version table. Check to see whether you mistyped the name of the program or included the wrong extension. If everything looks correct, type SETVER and take another look at the current version table to make sure that the program you are trying to delete is indeed included in it. (ERRORLEVEL value 5 returned)
There is no more space in version table new entries
Error: The version table in SETVER.EXE is full. You must delete one or two entries before you can add any more. (Microsoft seems to have misplaced the for in this message.) (ERRORLEVEL value 13 returned)
Too many command line parameters
Error: Too many command-line parameters were specified, and SETVER doesn't know what to do with them all. (ERRORLEVEL value 8 returned)
Version table is corrupt
Error: The version table stored within SETVER.EXE has become damaged. You need to delete the damaged file and replace it with a fresh copy from your MS-DOS 6 distribution disks. SETVER.EXE is compressed on the distribution disks, and you must use the EXPAND command to expand it so that you can use it. (ERRORLEVEL value 11 returned)
Version table successfully updated The version change will take effect the next time you restart your system
Information: You have successfully deleted an entry in the version table. This is the message you can suppress by using the /QUIET parameter. (ERRORLEVEL value 0 returned)
WARNING - Contact your software vendor for information about whether a specific program works with MS-DOS version 6.0. It is possible that Microsoft has not verified whether the program will successfully run if you use the SETVER command to change the program version number and version table. If you run the program after changing the version table in MS-DOS version 6.0, you may lose or corrupt data or introduce system instabilities. Microsoft is not responsible for any loss or damage, or for lost or corrupted data. Version table successfully updated The version change will take effect the next time you restart your system
Information: You have successfully updated the version table. The warning paragraph is a reminder that lying to software programs can be a risky business, and you do so at your own risk. To be safe, contact the manufacturer of the program you are trying to fool and ask whether it's safe to run that software under DOS 6. (ERRORLEVEL value 0 returned)
When programmers write software, they often add code to check the version of DOS that is running. To be on the safe side, they may prevent their program from running if the preliminary check reveals the presence of a version of DOS that they didn't test. In many cases, this paranoia is unnecessary, and lying to the program about which version of DOS is running enables the software to operate safely. The SETVER.EXE device driver maintains in memory a version table that tells it exactly which programs to lie to and what version of DOS to tell the program it is running. SETVER.EXE must be loaded in a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file.
drive:path | The drive and path to the SETVER.EXE file on your system. Setup places the SETVER.EXE file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. If the full path to SETVER.EXE isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive. |
Microsoft ships
SETVER.EXEwith a version table that lists programs known to work safely with MS-DOS 6, but which need to be fooled in order to run. You can add or subtract programs from the version table by runningSETVERfrom the command line. To activate any changes you make, you must reboot your computer.Microsoft's
SETVER.EXEVersion Table for MS-DOS 6filenamen.nnfilenamen.nnKERNEL.EXE5.00 JOIN.EXE5.00 NETX.COM5.00 RECOVER.EXE5.00 NETX.EXE5.00[*] GRAFTABL.COM5.00 NET5.COM5.00 LMSETUP.EXE5.00 BNETX.COM5.00 STACKER.COM5.00 BNETX.EXE5.00[*] NCACHE.EXE5.00 EMSNETX.EXE5.00[*] NCACHE2.EXE5.00 EMSNET5.EXE5.00 IBMCACHE.SYS5.00 XMSNETX.EXE5.00[*] XTRADRV.SYS5.00 XMSNET5.EXE5.00 2XON.COM5.00 DOSOAD.SYS5.00 WINWORD.EXE4.10 REDIR50.EXE5.00 EXCEL.EXE4.10 REDIR5.EXE5.00 LL3.EXE4.01 REDIRALL.EXE5.00 REDIR4.EXE4.00 REDIRNP4.EXE5.00 REDIR40.EXE4.00 EDLIN.EXE5.00 MSREDIR.EXE4.00 BACKUP.EXE5.00 WIN200.BIN3.40 ASSIGN.COM5.00 METRO.EXE3.31 EXE2BIN.EXE5.00 [*] The
n.nnentry for these files was changed to 6.00 in MS-DOS 6.22.Note
If you look through the version table provided by Microsoft, you see that
WINWORD.EXEandEXCEL.EXEare listed as requiring DOS version 4.10. However, Word for Windows 2.0 and Excel 4.0 can run under DOS 6.22 withoutSETVER. These entries are for older versions of these programs. If your Windows software is up-to-date, you don't have to worry about usingSETVERto fool these two programs.In the version table, you also see entries for the DOS utilities that were not distributed with DOS 6. When you use the DOS 5 versions of these utilities, they have to be included in the version table for
SETVER; otherwise, they do not run. Instead, anIncorrect DOS versionmessage is displayed. If you install updated versions of these utilities with the DOS 6 Supplemental Disk Setup program, their version table entries are deleted.If upper memory is available on your computer,
SETVER.EXEcan be loaded there with theDEVICEHIGH=command.SETVER.EXErequires about 500 bytes of memory with its original version table.The Setup program for DOS 6 automatically includes a
DEVICE=line loadingSETVER.EXEin yourCONFIG.SYSfile. You might want to look over the contents of the version table to see whether you are using any of the programs listed in it. If you are not using any of the programs and the rest of your software is happy running under DOS 6, you can safely delete theSETVER.EXEdevice driver from yourCONFIG.SYSfile.Besides lying to programs,
SETVER.EXEcan also lie to device drivers. Just make sure thatSETVER.EXEis loaded before the device driver loads and that the name of that device driver is included in the version table.
To load the DOS version table driver into memory, include the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:DOSSETVER.EXE
This line assumes that the SETVER.EXE file is in the C:DOS subdirectory. If your computer has upper memory available, you might want to load SETVER.EXE into upper memory by using the following command:
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSSETVER.EXE
Version table is corrupt
Error: The version table stored within SETVER.EXE has become damaged. You must delete the damaged file and replace it with a fresh copy from your MS-DOS 6 distribution disks. SETVER.EXE is compressed on the distribution disks, so you must use the EXPAND command to expand it before you can use it.
The SHARE program enables DOS support for file and record locking. When you run SHARE, it remains resident in memory, becoming a part of DOS. If you use any multitasking software, such as Microsoft Windows, you should run SHARE in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You can load SHARE into upper memory by using the LOADHIGH command on systems that have upper memory available.
/F:name_space | The amount of memory space in bytes to use for file sharing. The default is 2,048. |
/L:numlocks | The maximum number of file/record locks that are available to programs. The default is 20. |
When
SHAREis loaded, DOS checks for file and record locks as each file is opened, read, and written.SHAREnormally enlarges DOS by approximately 6,192 bytes in DOS 5.0 and approximately 5,248 bytes in DOS 6.0. If the number of locks (/Lswitch) or memory space (/Fswitch) increases or decreases, DOS also increases or decreases proportionately. You can loadSHAREinto upper memory by using theLOADHIGHcommand.The only way to remove
SHAREis to restart DOS.In DOS 4.0, use
SHAREif your hard disk is formatted with partitions larger than 32MB.SHAREis not required to use large partitions in DOS 5.0 and later versions.You can load
SHAREby usingINSTALL=in yourCONFIG.SYSfile (DOS 4.0 and later versions).You should be running
SHAREif you use any multitasking software on your computer. In a multitasking environment, two programs might attempt to update the same file. If that happens, data can be lost. Examples of multitasking environments include the DOS Shell's Task Swapper, Microsoft Windows, and DESQview.
Use
SHAREwhen two or more programs or processes share a computer's files. AfterSHAREis loaded, DOS checks each file for locks whenever the file is opened, read, or written. If a file is open for exclusive use, an error message results from subsequent attempts to open the file. If one program locks a portion of a file, an error message results if another program tries to read or write the locked portion.SHAREis most effective when all file-sharing programs can handle the DOS functions for locking files and records (DOS 3.0 and later versions).SHAREis either partially or completely ineffective with programs that do not use the DOS file- and record-locking features.SHAREaffects two or more programs running on the same computer, not two or more computers using the same file (networked computers). For networks, record- and file-locking are made possible by software provided with the network.You must use
SHAREif you use DOS 4.0 or 4.01 and if your hard disk is formatted larger than 32MB. For convenience, you can useINSTALL=in theCONFIG.SYSfile to activateSHARE. In theCONFIG.SYSfile, for example, the following command activatesSHAREifSHARE.EXEis located in theDOSsubdirectory of drive C:INSTALL=C:DOSSHARE.EXE
You use SHELL= to specify the name and location of the command interpreter that MS-DOS should use. Normally, you use COMMAND.COM, but other third-party shells, such as 4DOS and NDOS, can use SHELL= to gain control of the command line. Another common use of the SHELL= command is to change the size of the environment. SHELL= can be used only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
drive:path | The drive and path to the command interpreter must be specified here if the command interpreter isn't located in the root directory of the startup drive. |
filename | The name of the program to use as the command interpreter for DOS. Normally, it is COMMAND.COM. |
parameters | Any parameters or switches that the specified command interpreter requires. (For the parameters and switches that COMMAND.COM uses, see the description for COMMAND earlier in this command reference.) |
Be careful when you experiment with the
SHELL=command and be sure that you have a bootable floppy disk handy. If you set something incorrectly, chances are you either will have to reboot from a floppy disk or perform a “clean boot” by pressing F5.If no
SHELL=command exists inCONFIG.SYS, DOS attempts to loadCOMMAND.COMfrom the root directory of the startup drive. IfCOMMAND.COMcannot be found or is from a different version of DOS, an error message is displayed (see the following “Messages” section). When you receive this error message, you must either enter the full pathname of a valid copy ofCOMMAND.COMor reboot the computer from a bootable floppy disk.Do not confuse the
SHELL=command with theDOSSHELLprogram.SHELL=is aCONFIG.SYScommand that designates the program to be used as the command-line interface to MS-DOS.DOSSHELLis a program that provides a graphical interface from which you can operate your computer if you choose. TheDOSSHELLprogram andSHELL=command have nothing to do with each other.MemMaker “comments out” the
SHELL=line in yourCONFIG.SYSfile if theSHELL=line specifies a command interpreter other thanCOMMAND.COM. If you are using a third-party shell program, be sure thatCOMMAND.COMis in the root directory of the startup drive before you run MemMaker. After MemMaker is done, you must manually “uncomment” theSHELL=line that loads your command-line interpreter to restore the use of your third-party shell.Many third-party shell programs do not require the
/Pswitch to tell them that they should install themselves permanently in memory. Instead, they look for a valid environment. If one is present, they assume that they have already been run, do not install themselves permanently, and do not execute theAUTOEXEC.BATfile. In DOS 6, an environment already may be present when the shell programs are loaded from theSHELL=line inCONFIG.SYS, which can lead to problems.If you find yourself in the situation just described, try including the
/Pswitch on theSHELL=line that loads your command-line interpreter. Also, you should contact the manufacturer of your shell program to see whether an upgrade that is more compatible with MS-DOS 6 is available.
The setup program for DOS 6 may insert a SHELL= line in your CONFIG.SYS file that looks something like this:
SHELL=C:DOSCOMMAND.COM C:DOS/E:512 /P
It sets the command interpreter to COMMAND.COM, located in the C:DOS subdirectory, with a reload path of C:DOS and an environment size of 512 bytes. The final /P switch tells COMMAND.COM to remain in memory permanently. Never specify the /P switch for COMMAND.COM except in the SHELL= line in your CONFIG.SYS file.
Bad or missing Command Interpreter Enter correct name of Command Interpreter (eg, C:COMMAND.COM)
Error: If the SHELL= command in your CONFIG.SYS file does not point to a valid command interpreter, and the copy of COMMAND.COM in the root directory of your startup drive is missing or invalid, this message is displayed. To continue, you have to enter the full path to a valid (DOS 6) copy of COMMAND.COM so that DOS can load it into memory. DOS has already checked the copy of COMMAND.COM in your root directory, so entering C:COMMAND.COM as suggested in the error message usually does not work. You can try entering C:DOSCOMMAND.COM because Setup places a copy of COMMAND.COM in the subdirectory in which DOS was installed. If a valid copy of COMMAND.COM can't be found, you must reboot from a floppy disk.
Even if you locate a valid copy of COMMAND.COM and load it into memory, this copy of COMMAND.COM is only temporary; so typing EXIT brings this error message right back onscreen. Also, your AUTOEXEC.BAT file is not executed by temporary copies of COMMAND.COM, so none of the settings or resident software you typically use will be available. Use the COPY command to transfer a new copy of COMMAND.COM to the root directory of your startup disk (usually C:) and reboot by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to set things back to the way they should be.
The SHIFT command shifts a batch file's command-line parameters one position to the left. You have to use the SHIFT command if your batch file requires more than nine parameters. SHIFT also is handy for batch files that repeat an operation for each command-line parameter. SHIFT is useful only when used in a batch file.
When you use
SHIFT, DOS moves the command-line parameters one position to the left. That is, the parameter%1becomes%0,%2becomes%1,%3becomes%2, and so on.DOS discards the former first parameter (
%0). Any parameter shifted off the left end is gone for good.DOS shifts parameter 10, if it exists, into
%9, parameter 11 into parameter 10, and so on. UsingSHIFTis the only way to access more than nine command-line parameters from within a batch file.
MemMaker uses the SIZER program to help it optimize memory use on your computer. MemMaker requires this program while optimizing your system, but it is not necessary at any other time. You cannot use this program yourself. SIZER aborts if MemMaker (and possibly CHKSTATE.SYS) is not in control when it is run, displaying the following message:
SIZER.EXE is used by MemMaker during the memory-optimization process and is not intended to be started from the command prompt.
Very few details about SIZER's operation are documented. When MemMaker is optimizing, it adds a SIZER.EXE command to the beginning of every command that loads device drivers or resident programs in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Load size information about these drivers and programs is written to the MEMMAKER.STS file by SIZER. When optimization is complete, MemMaker removes all references to the SIZER program from your startup files.
When used from the command line, SMARTDRV loads or configures SMARTDrive, a disk-caching utility that can speed disk operations significantly. The first time you run SMARTDRV, it loads itself into memory (upper memory if space is available) and establishes the disk cache. To unload SMARTDRV from memory, you have to reboot your computer.
To start SMARTDrive from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or from a command prompt, use the following format:
SMARTDRV /X drive ± ... initsize winsize /U /C /R /F /N /V /Q /S /L /E:esize /B:bsize
After SMARTDrive is running, use the following format:
SMARTDRV drive +|- ... /C /R /Q /S
With DOS version 6.22, you also can use the /X, /F, and /N parameters after SMARTDrive is running:
SMARTDRV /X drive +|- ... /C /R /F /N /Q /S
/X | Specifies that you want to disable write-behind caching for all drives by default. You can then enable or disable individual drives by using the drive ± parameter. | ||
drive ± ... | Specifies one or more drives for which you want to enable or disable disk caching. drive enables read caching and disables write caching. drive+ enables read and write caching. drive- disables caching. | ||
| If you start SMARTDrive but do not specify a drive, floppy and Interlnk drives are read cached only; hard drives are read and write cached; and CD-ROM, network, compressed, and Microsoft Flash memory card drives are not cached. | |||
| CD-ROM drives are read cached by default. | |||
initsize | Specifies the size (in kilobytes) of the cache when SMARTDrive starts. The following table shows the default values for this parameter: | ||
| Extended Memory | initsize | winsize | |
| Up to 1MB | All | 0 (no caching) | |
| Up to 2MB | 1024KB | 256KB | |
| Up to 4MB | 1024KB | 512KB | |
| Up to 6MB | 2048KB | 1024KB | |
| More than 6MB | 2048KB | 2048KB | |
winsize | Specifies the size (in kilobytes) by which SMARTDrive reduces its cache when Microsoft Windows starts, freeing that memory for Windows to use. When you quit Windows, that memory is returned to SMARTDrive and defaults to the values listed in the preceding table. If winsize is larger than initsize, SMARTDrive acts as though the two parameters were the same. | ||
/U | Specifies that you do not want SMARTDrive to load the CD-ROM caching module. If you specify this switch, SMARTDrive cannot cache any CD-ROM drives. If you don't specify /U, you can enable or disable CD-ROM caching at any time by using the drive ± parameter. | ||
/C | Clears SMARTDrive by writing all write buffers to disk. | ||
/R | Resets SMARTDrive by clearing all caches and restarting SMARTDrive. | ||
/F | Writes cached data to the disk after each command finishes, before the DOS command prompt reappears. This is the default behavior. | ||
/N | Writes cached data to the disk whenever the system is idle. To ensure that all data is written to disk, use the /C (Clear) switch. | ||
/N | (Not DOS 6.22) Forces “verbose” mode, so status messages appear when SMARTDrive starts. In DOS 6.22, this switch has been renamed to /V. You cannot use this switch with /Q. | ||
/V | Forces “verbose” mode, so status messages appear when SMARTDrive starts. You cannot use this switch with /Q. | ||
/Q | Forces “quiet” mode, so status messages do not appear when SMARTDrive starts. (Error messages always appear.) /Q is the default. You cannot use this switch with /N. | ||
/S | Displays SMARTDrive's status, including what and how drives are cached and a cache hit statistic. | ||
/L | Forces SMARTDrive to load into low (conventional) memory even if room exists in upper memory. | ||
/E:esize | The element size (in bytes), which is the amount of cache data that SMARTDrive moves in one operation. Values can be 1024, 2048, 4096, and 8192. The default is 8192. The smaller the number, the less memory SMARTDrive takes and the slower the performance. | ||
/B:bsize | The size of the read-ahead buffer (in bytes that are a multiple of esize), which is how much SMARTDrive reads beyond a disk request. The default is 16384. The smaller the number, the less memory SMARTDrive takes and the slower the performance. | ||
Before you turn off or reset your computer, you must perform a
SMARTDRV /Coperation to guarantee that no data is lost from SMARTDrive's write buffers. SMARTDrive performs the operation automatically if you press Ctrl+Alt+Del.For SMARTDrive to use extended memory, you must load
HIMEM.SYSor some other extended memory manager.By default,
SMARTDRV.EXEtries to load into upper memory. You do not need to use theLOADHIGHcommand.If you are using double buffering and your system runs slowly, try loading SMARTDrive with the
/Lswitch.Double buffering is required only by some ESDI and SCSI hard disk interfaces.
If you have a compressed disk drive, use SMARTDrive on the underlying uncompressed (host) drive.
If you are using a third-party
CONFIG.SYSandAUTOEXEC.BATfile manager, that utility needs to be set up to perform aSMARTDRV /Coperation before it reboots your computer.DOS 6.0 comes with
SMARTMON.EXE, a Windows program for monitoring and adjusting SMARTDrive.
To start SMARTDrive with all the defaults (a good fit for most systems), use the following command:
C:DOSSMARTDRV
To enable read caching for drive C, read and write caching for drive D, and using a 4MB cache for DOS that can get no smaller than 2MB when Microsoft Windows is running, issue the following command:
C:DOSSMARTDRV C D+ 4096 2048
BUFFERS=, EMM386.EXE, HIMEM.SYS, SMARTDRV.EXE, and SMARTMON
When used as a device driver, SMARTDRV.EXE enables double buffering, which is required by certain types of hard disk controllers that cannot work with the memory provided by EMM386.EXE.
drive:path | Specifies the full path to the SMARTDRV.EXE file on your system. Setup places the SMARTDRV.EXE file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. If the full path to SMARTDRV.EXE isn't specified, DOS looks for the file in the root directory of the startup drive. |
/DOUBLE_BUFFER | Enables double buffering. Inserting this switch into your CONFIG.SYS file does not hurt if your system does not need it, but it does take up memory. You can remove the switch if all the entries in the buffering column of the SMARTDRV /S display are no. (It may take a while for - entries to turn into no entries.) |
Double buffering is required only by some ESDI and SCSI hard disk interfaces when used on a computer that provides upper memory blocks for DOS to use.
If you are using double buffering and your system runs slowly, try loading SMARTDrive with the
/Lswitch.
The SMARTDrive Monitor (SMARTMON) is a Windows program that can display the status of the SMARTDrive disk cache and adjust its settings. SMARTMON can even help you update the setting you use to load SMARTDRV in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. For SMARTMON to be useful, you must be running the SMARTDrive disk cache on your computer.
SMARTMON cannot be run from the DOS command line. You can start SMARTMON from within Windows, for example, by opening the Program Manager's File menu and choosing the Run command. For instructions on using the program, run SMARTMON and press F1 or choose Help from the menu.
SORT is a program that reads lines from the standard input device, performs an ASCII sort on those lines, and then writes them to the standard output device. The sort can be in ascending or descending order and can start at any column in the line. SORT is one of the filter programs provided by MS-DOS for use with redirection symbols from the command line.
< source_file | Specifies the name of a file that you want SORT to sort. All the normal defaults for drives and subdirectories apply. Wildcards are not allowed. |
> dest_file | Specifies the name of a file that you want SORT to write the sorted output to. All the normal defaults for drives and subdirectories apply. Wildcards are not allowed. If the output of SORT is not redirected, it is written to the screen. |
command | | Pipes the screen output from a command into the SORT program, which displays it sorted. command can be any legal DOS command that writes its output to the standard output device (normally the screen). |
/+column | Starts sorting with the characters in column number column. column needs to be a positive integer. The default is 1. |
/R | Sorts in descending order. Thus, the letter Z comes first and the letter A comes last, followed by the numbers 9 to 0. The default sort order is ascending. |
If you do not redirect the input or output, all input is from the keyboard (standard input), and all output is to the video display (standard output). If you redirect input and output, use different names for the input and output files.
SORTcan handle a maximum file size of 64KB (65,535 characters).SORTsorts text files and discards any information after, and including, the end-of-file marker (Ctrl+Z).SORTuses the collating sequence appropriate to your country code and code-page settings if you are using them.SORTis not case sensitive; that is, the command treats b and B alike.You cannot set the maximum column that
SORTcan use to resolve equalities.SORTstarts at the/+columnspecified and continues the comparison until the lines are proven unequal or the end of the line is reached. Because of this sorting method, you cannot useSORTto perform a multikey sort by sorting the file more than once.
To sort the lines in the file WORDS.TXT and display the sorted lines onscreen, use the following command:
SORT < WORDS.TXT
To sort, in reverse order, the lines in the file WORDS.TXT and display the lines onscreen, use this command:
SORT < WORDS.TXT /R
To start sorting at the eighth character of each line in WORDS.TXT and display the output onscreen, use this command:
SORT /+8 < WORDS.TXT
To display directory information, sorted by file size, use the following command:
DIR | SORT /+14
(The file size starts in the 14th column.) Unfortunately, other lines, such as the volume label, also are sorted, starting in the 14th column. DIR /O provides a more direct and elaborate way of sorting directory information.
SSETUP sets up Stacker software for use by moving the Stacker files from the C:DOS directory to the C:Stacker directory.
STACHIGH.SYS loads Stacker high. You must load this device driver by inserting a DEVICE= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file.
Whenever a device needs the computer's attention, it generates an interrupt. Before switching to the appropriate interrupt service routine, DOS stores the information it needs to resume the interrupted task in an area called a stack. You can use the STACKS= command to determine how many stacks DOS sets aside for this purpose and how big each stack is. You can use STACKS= only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
numstacks | The number of stacks to set aside for hardware interrupts. Legal values are 0 and 8 through 64. The default value is 0 for 8088- and 8086-based computers and 9 for all others. |
size | The size of each stack in bytes. Legal values are 0 (only if you specify 0 stacks as well) and 32 through 512. The default value is 0 for 8088- and 8086-based computers and 128 for all others. |
Both parameters for the
STACKS=command are required. Note that asizeof 0 is allowed only if you are using 0numstacksas well.There is considerable controversy over whether separate hardware stacks are needed for the average computer system, but in general, using at least MS-DOS's default values is a good idea. This uses some memory, but if it saves you from losing your work, it's worthwhile. Almost all the devices attached to your computer generate interrupts and if they all want attention at once, they can quickly exhaust a low
STACKS=setting. When the internal DOS stacks overflow, an error message appears (see the first item,Internal Stack Overflow, in the following “Messages” section), and the system halts. MemMaker often increases theSTACKS=setting to 9,256.STACKS=0,0forces DOS to use the active program's stack space when servicing hardware interrupts. Many people run their computers with this setting and never experience any problems. But be warned thatSTACKS=0,0may work for months and then, without warning, overflow a program's stack space, crashing your computer. If you are using this setting and see aStack Overflowerror message, increase theSTACKS=setting to at least 9,128 or 9,256.If you are not using the
STACKS=0,0setting, try to limit your choices for thesizeparameter to 128, 256, or 512. Using these settings isn't required, but specifying asizethat is an even power of two makes the stacks easier for DOS to manage. Also, except when you're using theSTACKS=0,0setting, avoidsizevalues less than 128. A small stack is much more likely to overflow, and you are just asking for trouble if you set the size of DOS's hardware stacks to anything less than 128.
To use the default number of stacks but increase their size to 256 bytes each, use the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file. (This setting has virtually become the standard for people who are not disabling internal stacks in their computers.)
STACKS=9,256
To instruct DOS not to set up any internal stacks, and use the active program's stack space for servicing interrupts, include the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
STACKS=0,0
Internal stack overflow System halted
Error: The stack that MS-DOS was using to service interrupts has overflowed, and the system has been halted. You need to restart your computer. If you have this problem, increase the numstacks and/or size setting for the STACKS= command in your CONFIG.SYS file.
Exception Error 12
Error: Same as the preceding message, except that this message is displayed when you are running in protected mode (for example, under Windows).
Invalid STACK parameters
Warning: You have specified an invalid parameter on the STACKS= line in your CONFIG.SYS file. Check the entry to make sure that you have specified values for both numstacks and size and that these values are within the legal range for the STACKS= command.
SUBMENU= is one of the new CONFIG.SYS menu commands. With it, you can create a multilevel menu from which to choose your startup configuration. You can use SUBMENU= only inside a menu block in your CONFIG.SYS file.
blockname | The name of the menu block that you want to display when this menu item is chosen. / , ; = [ ] (For more details, see the entry for |
menutext | The text you want DOS to display for this menu line. menutext can be up to 70 characters long and contain any text you want, including spaces. Separate menutext from blockname with a comma. If no menutext is provided, DOS displays the blockname in the menu. |
The
SUBMENU=command can appear only inside menu blocks inCONFIG.SYS.Note
CONFIG.SYSallows two types of blocks: menu blocks and configuration blocks. Each block begins with a[blockname], and includes all the lines that follow, up to the next[blockname]. Menu blocks, which are blocks named[MENU]or defined with aSUBMENU=command, can include only menu-related commands. All otherCONFIG.SYScommands belong in configuration blocks.Up to nine choices can be displayed in a menu, so you are limited to nine
MENUITEM=andSUBMENU=commands in each menu block. Each menu item appears onscreen in the order that it appears in the menu block, numbered from 1 to 9.If DOS cannot find the block referred to by a
SUBMENU=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile, it doesn't display that choice in the menu. Your startup menu may fail ifSUBMENU=doesn't refer to a valid menu block.In a multiconfiguration submenu, you can return to the previous menu by pressing the Backspace key.
Suppose that you're using a main menu that enables you to choose from three basic configurations for your computer: Windows, DOS, and Maintenance. For the DOS configuration, you want to add a submenu with two variations: One configures memory for normal DOS programs, and the other provides your CADD program with the special memory interface it requires. To do so, add the following lines to your CONFIG.SYS file:
[MENU] MENUITEM=WIN, Configure for Windows (Default) SUBMENU=DOS, Configure for MS-DOS MENUITEM=MAINT, Configure for File & Disk Maintenance MENUDEFAULT=WIN, 30 [DOS] MENUITEM=NORMAL, Configure for Normal MS-DOS Programs MENUITEM=CADD, Configure for CADD with INT15 Interface MENUDEFAULT=NORMAL, 30
When you include these lines in your CONFIG.SYS file, DOS searches for blocks named [WIN], [DOS], and [MAINT]. If those blocks exist in the file, the main menu that DOS displays looks something like the following:
MS-DOS 6 Startup Menu ===================== 1. Configure for Windows (Default) 2. Configure for MS-DOS 3. Configure for File & Disk Maintenance Enter a choice: 1
Entering 1, 2, or 3 at this menu instructs DOS to execute the [WIN], [DOS], or [MAINT] block, respectively. If no entry is made within about 30 seconds, DOS chooses the [WIN] configuration by default. As long as the [NORMAL] and [CADD] blocks exist in CONFIG.SYS, choosing 2 brings up the following submenu.
MS-DOS 6 Startup Menu ===================== 1. Configure for Normal MS-DOS Programs 2. Configure for CADD with INT15 Interface Enter a choice: 1
Entering 1 or 2 at this menu instructs DOS to execute the [NORMAL] or [CADD] configuration block, respectively. If you do not make an entry within about 30 seconds, DOS chooses the [NORMAL] configuration by default. To return to the first menu, press the Backspace key.
[blockname], MENUCOLOR=, MENUDEFAULT=, and MENUITEM=
SUBST is one of the pretender commands. It can create a drive alias for a subdirectory and fool many (but not all) programs. You might need to use SUBST to get older programs that don't understand subdirectories to run. Unless you have a specific use for SUBST, however, avoid it. You can easily make a mistake and lose data when you are pretending.
alias: | Specifies a valid drive name that becomes the alias, or nickname. alias: may be a nonexistent drive, but it must be available for use and less than or equal to the value specified by the LASTDRIVE= command in your CONFIG.SYS file. |
drive:path | Specifies the drive name and directory path to be nicknamed alias:. The default for drive: is the current drive. You cannot specify the /D parameter when you create an alias by using drive:path. |
/D | Deletes the alias drive. Do not specify a drive:path parameter when you are deleting an alias drive. |
Entering
SUBSTwith no parameters displays a list of all the drive substitutions currently defined.The drive letter you use as the alias drive must be available and within the range specified with the
LASTDRIVE=command in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. You cannot use drive letters reserved by Interlnk asSUBSTdrive aliases. If a drive letter is already in use as aSUBSTdrive alias, you must delete the previous assignment before assigning that drive letter to anotherdrive:path.You cannot create
SUBSTalias drives that refer to subdirectories on a drive that is not local to your computer. Network, CD-ROM, and Interlnk drives are all redirected drives and cannot be used withSUBST.When you delete an alias drive created by the
SUBSTcommand, include the drive letter of the alias drive, not the subdirectory that the alias refers to. For example, to delete the alias drive E, enter the following line at the DOS prompt:SUBST E: /D
You can't use any of the following DOS commands on an alias drive created by the
SUBSTcommand:ASSIGNFORMATBACKUPJOINCHKDSKLABELDEFRAGMIRRORDISKCOMPRECOVERDISKCOPYRESTOREFDISKSYSThe preceding commands refuse to work on an alias drive created by
SUBST, so if you do try to use them, no harm will be done.Do not create or delete any
SUBSTalias drives while Microsoft Windows is running. If you create theSUBSTaliases before starting Microsoft Windows, you can use the alias drives from within a DOS session in Windows.
Cannot SUBST a network drive
Error: You tried to use a nonlocal drive as the alias drive. You cannot use network, Interlnk, or CD-ROM drives with SUBST.
Drive already SUBSTed
Error: You are trying to create a new SUBST drive alias using a drive letter that already is a SUBST drive alias. Delete the previous assignment by entering SUBST drive: /D and try again.
Invalid parameter
Error: The value that you specified for the alias drive (alias:) is invalid. You might need to increase the value specified by the LASTDRIVE= command in your CONFIG.SYS file. This message is also displayed if you try to create an alias for a subdirectory on an alias drive. The drive:path parameter for the SUBST command must refer to a real local disk drive.
You can use the SWITCH command to enable several different optional subroutines in a CONFIG.SYS file.
The SWITCHES= command is a collection of options that configure DOS for certain circumstances. Options enable you to move the WINA20.386 file out of the root directory, cause an enhanced keyboard to behave like a standard keyboard, and disable DOS 6's new startup keys. You can use SWITCHES= only in your CONFIG.SYS file.
/K | Forces an enhanced keyboard to behave as though it were an older, standard keyboard. |
/F | (DOS 6 only) Eliminates the two-second pause that occurs when the Starting MS-DOS... message appears onscreen. |
/N | (DOS 6 only) Disables the F5 Clean and F8 Interactive boot keys. |
/W | Enables you to move the WINA20.386 file out of the root directory of your startup drive. |
The
SWITCHES=command can be located anywhere in yourCONFIG.SYSfile. DOS scans the file looking for it before displaying theStarting MS-DOS...message.If you are having problems with an older application incorrectly interpreting your enhanced keyboard, the
/Kswitch might solve your problems. Enhanced keyboards normally generate certain key codes that were not available on the older 84-key keyboards. Specifying/Kforces DOS to translate these new key codes into their equivalent 84-key keyboard codes.The
/Kswitch affects only programs that get their keyboard input from DOS. Many programs bypass DOS, getting keyboard input from the BIOS or, in some cases, directly from the keyboard. For these programs, the/Kswitch has no effect.If you are using both the
/Kswitch andANSI.SYSdevice driver, make sure to include a/Kswitch on the line that loadsANSI.SYSas well.By disabling DOS 6.22's F5 Clean and F8 Interactive boot keys with the
/Nswitch, you force your computer to always start up with theCONFIG.SYSandAUTOEXEC.BATfiles that are present in your root directory. If security is a concern, and you load security features in these files, you might want to specify this switch. To truly secure your computer, however, you might need to lock your floppy drives, protect your startup files, and take other precautions as well. This switch is only a minor obstacle to a determined user and is meant as a simple means to perhaps “user-proof” a menu system.Note
Before you specify the
/Nswitch, be sure that you have a bootable floppy disk that starts up your system in a usable condition. (You need access to your hard drive and at least a text editor such asEDITto fix your startup files.) Never specify this switch until you have completely debugged yourCONFIG.SYSandAUTOEXEC.BATfiles.The
/Fswitch is intended to be used with the/Nswitch. After you have disabled the F5 and F8 keys, you don't need a two-second pause at startup so that you can press them.Windows 3.0 in enhanced mode requires the
WINA20.386driver file to be available before it loads. (See the first message in the following “Messages” section.) If you want to move theWINA20.386file out of your root directory, you need to specify the/Wswitch inCONFIG.SYSand add the following line to the[386Enh]section of yourSYSTEM.INIfile:DEVICE=drive:pathWINA20.386You should specify the full drive and path to
WINA20.386in the device line inSYSTEM.INI.
Note
Windows 3.1 can load successfully in enhanced mode without access to the WINA20.386 driver, but any version 3.0 drivers that you're using may still require the services of the WINA20.386 driver. If they do and that driver is unavailable, Windows may become unstable or crash. Because enhanced-mode drivers for Windows are distributed with many software packages, most people are running Windows 3.1 with Windows 3.0 drivers without knowing it. To be safe, be sure that the WINA20.386 driver is available, either in the root directory or through the /W switch and a device line in SYSTEM.INI.
You depend on an older application that doesn't respond to the right-side Shift and Ctrl keys properly. To force your enhanced keyboard to return the same keycodes for both the left and right Shift and Ctrl keys, you include the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
SWITCHES=/K
If you use ANSI.SYS, remember to add the /K switch to the DEVICE= line that loads ANSI.SYS as well.
Perhaps you have set up a menu system that you want everyone who uses your computer to use. To avoid having people bypass it, you might want to disable the new DOS 6 interactive startup features by adding the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
SWITCHES=/F /N
Although you use Windows 3.1, you're not sure whether all your Windows enhanced-mode drivers have been updated yet and want to make sure that the WINA20.386 driver is available, just in case. Because you've moved the WINA20.386 file into the C:DOS subdirectory with your other DOS 6.x files, you need to include the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
SWITCHES=/W
Now that DOS knows you've moved WINA20.386, you need to tell Windows where you put it. To do so, add the following line to the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file, which is located in your main Windows subdirectory:
DEVICE=C:DOSWINA20.386
You must have the file WINA20.386 in the root directory of your boot drive to run Windows in Enhanced Mode
Error: This message is displayed only if you are running Windows 3.0 in enhanced mode and the WINA20.386 file is not present in your root directory. To enable Windows 3.0 to run in enhanced mode with the WINA20.386 driver located somewhere else, specify the SWITCHES=/W command in your CONFIG.SYS file and enter a DEVICE=drive:pathWINA20.386 line in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI.
SYS can make a floppy disk bootable without reformatting the disk. It places a copy of DOS (the hidden system files IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM for MS-DOS; the files IBMBIO.COM, IBMDOS.COM, and COMMAND.COM for IBM DOS) on the specified disk. In DOS 6, DBLSPACE.BIN also can be copied.
source | The source drive and path for the system files. This parameter defaults to the root directory of the current drive for the system files and to the file pointed to by the environment variable COMSPEC for the command-line interpreter (generally, COMMAND.COM). |
drive: | The drive that is to receive the copies of the DOS files from the root directory of the current drive. The trailing colon (:) is required. |
You must specify the drive that will receive a copy of DOS.
In pre-4.0 versions of DOS, the disk that was to receive the DOS operating system files was required to have sufficient contiguous free space for the files
IO.SYSandMSDOS.SYS(IBMBIO.COMandIBMDOS.COMin IBM DOS). Subsequent versions of DOS require only that enough free space exist, not that the space be contiguous.SYScopies the DOS system files from the root directory of the current disk (orsourceif it was specified) to the destinationdrive:. If the DOS system files (IO.SYSandMSDOS.SYS) are not found and the source drive is a floppy disk drive, you are prompted to insert a system disk into the drive. If the source disk is a hard drive, reenter theSYScommand and specify where the DOS system files are located by adding thesourceparameter.You cannot use
SYSin a networked drive; in a drive formed byASSIGN,JOIN, orSUBST; or in an Interlnk drive.In pre-5.0 versions of DOS, you have to copy
COMMAND.COMto the target disk in a separate step.SYSlooks for a copy ofCOMMAND.COMeither in the root directory of the current drive or in the subdirectory specified by thesourceparameter if one is specified. IfCOMMAND.COMis not found, a warning message is displayed. When you see this message, use theCOPYcommand to add a copy ofCOMMAND.COMto the disk.With DOS 6,
SYScopies theDBLSPACE.BINfile to the system disk you are creating even if you do not use DoubleSpace. IfSYSis unable to find theDBLSPACE.BINfile, no error message is displayed.SYSsearches the DOSPATHforDBLSPACE.BINif the file isn't found in the same location as the other system files.
Could not copy COMMAND.COM onto target disk
Warning: SYS was unable to find the file COMMAND.COM in the root directory of the current drive or, if you specified a source parameter, in the source subdirectory. To make the disk bootable, use the COPY command to copy COMMAND.COM to the disk.
Insert system disk in drive d:
and strike any key when ready
Prompt: SYS cannot find the DOS system files (IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS) on the floppy drive that you specified with the source parameter (or the root directory of the current drive if you didn't specify a source parameter). Insert a floppy disk that contains the DOS system files.
Invalid path or System files not found
Error: You executed the SYS command with a source parameter, but SYS cannot find the DOS system files in the subdirectory you specified. This message is displayed if the source subdirectory is invalid or does not contain the files IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS. Correct your source parameter entry and retry the command.
No room for system on destination disk
Error: The disk you are trying to make bootable with SYS doesn't have enough free space for the system files. Delete some of the files on the disk and try the SYS command again.
No system on default disk drive
Error: You executed the SYS command without specifying a source parameter, but SYS cannot find the DOS system files (IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS) on the current hard drive. Reenter the SYS command, specifying the location of the DOS system files by adding the source parameter.
SYS cannot operate on target drive
Error: SYS cannot transfer the system files (IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS) to the target drive. You may get this message if you try to use SYS to make a DoubleSpace-compressed drive bootable. SYS can transfer the DOS system files to the host drive but not to the DoubleSpace-compressed drive. SYS is unable to transfer the DOS system files to network and Interlnk drives as well.
System transferred
Information: SYS has placed the files IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, COMMAND.COM, and possibly DBLSPACE.BIN on the target disk.
SYSINFO gathers and displays information about the computer system. This information is gathered in a file called SYSINFO.TXT or a filename designated. You can view it in browse mode by using the E editor.
TASKMGR is a menu-driven utility to load more than one DOS program simultaneously and switch between them. The following syntax and parameters are valid for systems with a 386 or higher processor and at least 2MB of memory. Background programs continue to run when in multitasking mode.
/M | Allows you to switch with the numbers on the main keyboard. Normally, you switch between tasks in TASKMGR by using the keys on the numeric keypad. |
/S | Loads TASKMGR in task-switching mode instead of multitasking. In task-switching mode, background applications are suspended. |
/? | Displays abbreviated help for multitasking. |
/S? | Displays abbreviated help for task switching. |
The TIME command can display and set the current time for your computer. Normally, DOS and your computer's hardware attempt to keep the time set properly. If you don't have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, DOS prompts you to enter the current date each time your computer reboots.
TIME hh:mm:ss.xx A|P
To display the time and have DOS prompt you to enter a new time, use the following format:
TIME
hh | The one- or two-digit number that represents hours (0 to 23). To set the time, this parameter is required. |
mm | The one- or two-digit number that represents minutes (0 to 59). This param eter is optional. |
ss | The one- or two-digit number that represents seconds (0 to 59). This parameter is optional. |
xx | The one- or two-digit number that represents hundredths of a second (0 to 99). This parameter is optional. |
A|P | Entering an A or a P can designate a.m. or p.m., respectively. You can use upper- or lowercase letters. If you do not use A or P, you must enter the time in 24-hour (military) format. |
Depending on the country code setting in your
CONFIG.SYSfile, a comma may be the separator between seconds and hundredths of seconds. (Refer to the section on theCOUNTRYcommand earlier in this command reference.)The
TIMEcommand sets the computer's internal 24-hour clock. The time and date are recorded in the directory when you create or change a file. This information can help you find the most recent version of a file when you check your directory.Most PCs use an internal clock, backed up by a battery, that is accurate to about one minute a month, so you rarely have to set the time after you set it initially. If your system does not retain the time after you turn off your computer, however, put
TIMEandDATEcommands in yourAUTOEXEC.BATfile so that DOS does not default to a nonsense time and date when you turn on your computer.If you press Enter after the time prompt, DOS does not change the current time.
TIMEOUT specifies how long to wait for a user response to a SWITCH or ? statement in a CONFIG.SYS file. In the case of SWITCH, after the specified TIMEOUT period, the first option is executed. In the case of ?, the command that ? applies to is skipped. TIMEOUT should precede the SWITCH or ? statement in the CONFIG.SYS file.
TOUCH modifies the date and time DOS lists for a file or set of files.
The TREE command displays a visual representation of the subdirectory structure on your disk, which is often referred to as the directory tree. TREE can be useful for printing a map of your hard drive if you redirect its output to your printer.
drive: | Specifies the drive that holds the disk for which you want to display the directory structure. If you omit drive:, DOS assumes the current drive. |
path | Specifies the subdirectory in which you want the examination to start. If you omit path, DOS displays a directory tree that starts with the current directory. |
/F | Displays all files in each directory. Using the /F switch can make the output generated by TREE rather lengthy. |
/A | Uses ASCII characters rather than the default graphics characters to display the connection of subdirectories. If you are redirecting the output of TREE to your printer, you might want to use this switch. Not all printers can print the block graphics characters that TREE uses in its display. |
CD or CHDIR, DELTREE, MD or MKDIR, MOVE, and RD or RMDIR
TUNER displays the Stacker online tuner interface, allowing the choice of compression speed for the system.
The TYPE command displays the contents of a file onscreen. If the file is an ASCII text file, you are able to read it. If it's a binary file, however, the screen may seem to fill up with gibberish while beeping, and you may think you've broken your computer. No harm has been done, but displaying binary files onscreen is a fairly useless operation. The CLS command cleans up the mess for you.
pathname | The file that you want TYPE to display. If you do not specify a drive, DOS assumes the current drive. If you do not specify a subdirectory path, DOS assumes the current directory. The filename portion of this parameter is required. Wildcards are not allowed. |
The
TYPEcommand displays a file's characters onscreen. You can useTYPEto see a file's contents.Strange characters appear onscreen when you use
TYPEfor some data files and most program files becauseTYPEtries to display the machine-language instructions as ASCII characters.As you can with most other DOS commands, you can redirect the output of
TYPEto the printer by adding> PRNto the command line or by pressing Ctrl+PrtSc. Don't forget to press Ctrl+PrtSc again to turn off the printing instruction.To keep the contents of a long file from scrolling off the screen before you can read them, you can pipe the output of
TYPEthroughMORE. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+S to stop the display and Ctrl+Q to restart it.
UMBCGA.SYS maps the video memory of a color adapter as upper memory blocks (UMBs) that are used for loading programs with the LOADHIGH command if a CGA, EGA, or VGA adapter also is present in combination with a monochrome adapter.
UMBCGA.SYS is one of the installable device drivers provided with DOS. You must load it by using either a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= command in the CONFIG.SYS file.
UMBEMS.SYS maps a 64KB block of EMS memory as upper memory blocks (UMBs) that are used for loading programs with the LOADHIGH command if an EMS card with at least 64KB of EMS also is present in a computer.
UMBEMS.SYS is one of the installable device drivers provided with DOS. You must load it by using either a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= command in the CONFIG.SYS file.
UMBHERC.SYS maps the video memory of a Hercules adapter as upper memory blocks (UMBs) that are used for loading programs with the LOADHIGH command if a Hercules graphics adapter or Hercules Graphics Adapter Plus also is present.
UMBHERC.SYS is one of the installable device drivers provided with DOS. You must load it by using either a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= command in the CONFIG.SYS file.
UMBMONO.SYS maps the video memory of the monochrome adapter as upper memory blocks (UMBs) that are used for loading programs with the LOADHIGH command if a CGA, EGA, or VGA adapter also is present.
UMBMONO.SYS is one of the installable device drivers provided with DOS. You must load it by using either a DEVICE= or DEVICEHIGH= command in the CONFIG.SYS file.
UNCOMP uncompresses all the data stored in the Stacker drive, storing it on the original uncompressed disk. The stacvol file is deleted.
UNDELETE recovers files that were deleted with the DEL command. In DOS 5.0, UNDELETE uses MIRROR's delete tracking file (if available) to restore a deleted file. In DOS 6, UNDELETE uses a delete sentry file or a delete tracking file (if either exists) to restore a deleted file. Either version may be able to restore a deleted file without any special files if the file was deleted recently and little disk activity has occurred since the deletion.
In DOS 5.0, use the following format:
UNDELETE pathname /LIST /DT /DOS /ALL
In DOS 6, to load the memory-resident program that UNDELETE uses for delete sentry and delete tracking protection, use the following format:
UNDELETE /LOAD /Sdrive /Tdrive-entries
In DOS 6, to manipulate UNDELETE, use the following format:
UNDELETE /LIST /ALL /PURGEdrive /STATUS /UNLOAD
In DOS 6, to undelete one or more files, use the following format:
UNDELETE pathname /DT /DS /DOS /LIST /ALL
pathname | Specifies the file or files that you want to undelete. If you do not specify a drive, DOS assumes the current drive. If you do not specify a subdirectory path, DOS assumes the current directory. Wildcards are allowed. If you omit this parameter, DOS undeletes all deleted files in the current directory. | ||
/ALL | Restores files without prompting. The Delete Sentry method is used if it is available. Otherwise, the Delete Tracker method is used, if it is available. If neither method is available, the normal DOS directory method is used (see the “Notes” section for this command). You can use /ALL with any of the other switches. | ||
/DOS | Restores files that DOS lists as deleted. UNDELETE prompts you before each file is restored. | ||
/DS | Recovers only the files listed in the SENTRY directory. UNDELETE prompts you before each file is restored. | ||
/DT | Restores only the files listed in the delete tracking file. UNDELETE prompts you before each file is restored. | ||
/LIST | Provides a list of deleted files but does not undelete them. The type of list produced varies with the use of the /DT, /DS, and /DOS switches. | ||
/LOAD | Loads the Undelete memory-resident program into conventional memory, using the UNDELETE.INI file. If that file does not exist, UNDELETE creates a default UNDELETE.INI file. | ||
/PURGEdrive | Deletes the contents of the SENTRY directory created by Delete Sentry protection. drive defaults to the current drive. | ||
/Sdrive | Enables Delete Sentry protection and loads the Undelete memory- resident program into memory, using the UNDELETE.INI file. drive defaults to the current drive. | ||
/STATUS | Displays the type of protection in effect for each drive. | ||
/Tdrive-entries | Enables Delete Tracker protection and loads the Undelete memory- resident program into memory, using the UNDELETE.INI file. The drive parameter is the drive for which you want Delete Tracker protection. entries is a number (ranging from 1 through 999) that specifies the maximum number of entries in the delete tracking file, PCTRACKR.DEL. DOS determines the default value by the factors in the following list: | ||
| Disk Size | Entries | PCTRACKR.DEL Size | |
| 360KB | 25 | 5KB | |
| 720KB | 50 | 9KB | |
| 1.2MB | 75 | 14KB | |
| 1.44MB | 75 | 14KB | |
| 20MB | 101 | 18KB | |
| 32MB | 202 | 36KB | |
| Larger than 32MB | 303 | 55KB | |
/UNLOAD | Unloads the Undelete memory-resident program from memory, disabling Delete Tracker or Delete Sentry protection if either was active. UNDELETE is unable to release the memory it was using if any other memory-resident software has been loaded after it. | ||
UNDELETEcannot restore deleted subdirectories.UNDELETEcannot restore a file if you deleted the subdirectory that contained the file.Do not use Delete Tracker for any drive that has been redirected with
JOINorSUBST.
UNDELETErestores deleted files, using the delete tracking or delete sentry file (if either exists), or the standard DOS directory.Delete Sentry provides the highest level of protection by saving deleted files in a
SENTRYdirectory. The size of theSENTRYdirectory (including the files that it contains) is limited to approximately 7 percent of your disk. DOS purges old files to make room for new ones.Delete Tracker provides an intermediate level of protection by maintaining a hidden file called
PCTRACKR.DELthat records the locations of a file's allocation units (clusters). You can recover a deleted file until its freed allocation units are allocated to a new file. Delete Tracker takes the same amount of memory as Delete Sentry.When you delete a file, DOS removes the first character in the filename. If you use
UNDELETEwith the/DOSswitch, you are prompted for a character to replace the missing first character. If you use the/ALLswitch, and if a delete tracking or delete sentry file does not exist,UNDELETErestores each deleted file without prompts, using the character#as the first character of the filename. A deleted file namedBETTER.TXT, for example, is undeleted as#ETTER.TXT.If
BETTER.TXTandLETTER.TXTare deleted, DOS restoresBETTER.TXTas#ETTER.TXTandLETTER.TXTas%ETTER.TXT.UNDELETEtries the following replacement characters for the first letter of the filename, in the order shown, until a unique filename is found:The pound sign (
#)The percentage sign (
%)The ampersand (
&)The digits 0 through 9
The characters A through Z
Although
UNDELETEenables you to recover files that you deleted accidentally, do not use this command as a substitute for backing up data. Be sure to keep up to date backups of your data.
For the following examples, assume that the DOS commands are stored in a directory that is in your PATH.
To restore all deleted files in the root directory of drive C without prompting for confirmation on each file, use this command:
C:UNDELETE /ALL
To provide a list of all currently deleted files, use the following command:
UNDELETE /LIST
To create C:PCTRACKR.DEL to track up to 200 deleted files on drive C and load the memory-resident portion of UNDELETE, use this command:
The UNFORMAT utility can recover a disk that was inadvertently reformatted. In DOS 5.0, UNFORMAT uses the files produced by the MIRROR command (if those files are available) to restore the disk to its condition before reformatting. In DOS 5.0 and 6, you probably can unformat disks if they were not formatted with FORMAT /U. The UNFORMAT command works on both hard disks and floppy disks.
drive: | Specifies the drive where the deleted file resides. This parameter is required. |
/J | Confirms that the MIRROR command contains the necessary information to restore the disk. This switch does not unformat the disk. |
/L | Lists all files and directory names found. If used with the /PARTN switch, /L displays current partition tables. The default (no /L) is to list only subdirectories and fragmented files. |
/P | Directs all output to the printer connected to LPT1. |
/PARTN | Restores the partition table of a hard disk. You must use the PARTNSAV.FIL file created by the MIRROR /PARTN command. |
/TEST | Shows how UNFORMAT will re-create the information on the disk. Like the /J switch, this switch does not actually unformat the disk. |
/U | Unformats without using the mirror files. |
To unformat your hard disk, you first must reboot from drive A, using a specially prepared floppy disk (see the “Notes” section for this command).
If you format a floppy disk by using the
FORMAT /Uswitch,UNFORMATcannot restore the disk.UNFORMATworks only on disks that use sector sizes of 512, 1024, or 2048 bytes.The
/J,/U, and/PARTNparameters forUNFORMATwere omitted from the documentation for MS-DOS 6, butUNFORMATstill supports them. They are included in theFASTHELPthat you display by enteringUNDELETE /?at the DOS command prompt.
UNFORMATattempts to recover a formatted disk by using theMIRROR.FILandMIRORSAV.FILfiles created by theMIRRORcommand or by using information in the disk's root directory and file allocation table. The second process is slower and less reliable than the first.To prepare for the eventuality that you may need to use
UNFORMAT, format a floppy disk (using the/Sswitch to make the disk bootable) and then transfer theUNFORMAT.EXEfile to that disk. Also, transfer theCONFIG.SYSfiles, theAUTOEXEC.BATfiles, and any device drivers needed for the computer's operation. Thereafter, if you accidentally format the hard disk, you can boot from the floppy disk and perform anUNFORMAToperation.Before you use
UNFORMATto recover the disk, use the command with the/Jor/TESTswitches to determine whether your mirror files are up to date or whether theUNFORMATcommand can recover files in the way that you want.In DOS 6,
UNFORMATcannot recover fragmented files. DOS asks you whether you want to recover such files by truncating them at the end of their contiguous sectors.
If you install DR DOS on a system that already contains an operating system, UNINSTALL removes DR DOS and restores the previous operating system if you saved the OS during DR DOS setup. UNINSTALL also is used to delete the saved old OS files if you determine that you no longer need them. When you do that, you cannot uninstall DR DOS and restore the old OS by using this command.
UNPACK2 unpacks bundled files from PC DOS disks.
UNPACK2 drive:path source_drive:destination_path /v /p /c /n:specific_file /?
or
UNPACK2 drive:path source_ drive:destination_path /show /sizes /?
drive:path | Indicates the location of the UNPACK2 file. |
source | Specifies the name of the bundle from which to unpack files. |
destination_path | Specifies the directory to unpack to. |
/v | Writes with VERIFY. |
/p | Prepends the command-line path to the packed file path. |
/c | Creates a target directory if it does not exist. |
/n:specific_file | Unpacks a designated file from a bundle. |
/show | Shows all packed files in a bundle. |
/sizes | Shows the size of packed files in a bundle. |
/? | Displays the abbreviated online help. |
VER is a simple command that displays the version number of MS-DOS onscreen. If you ever wonder what version of DOS is running on the computer you are using, type VER at the DOS command prompt.
The
VERcommand displays a one-digit DOS version number, followed by a two-digit revision number, reminding you which DOS version the computer is using.If a computer is running a customized OEM version of MS-DOS, the name of that company is normally included in the line that
VERdisplays. For instance, Compaq computers usually display the nameCOMPAQalong with the DOS version number. IBM versions normally displayPC DOSinstead ofMS-DOS.VERis unaffected by theSETVERprogram.VERalways displays the actual version of DOS that the computer is running.
To display the version of MS-DOS that's running on a computer, enter the VER command at the DOS prompt as follows:
VER
For MS-DOS 6.22, the following line is displayed onscreen:
MS-DOS Version 6.22
Normally, when DOS writes information to a disk, it trusts the disk hardware to make sure that the data was stored safely. If you want to be absolutely sure, you can enter VERIFY ON; DOS then reads back all the data written to disk and compares it to make sure that it was stored safely. Using VERIFY ON, however, slows down disk-write operations substantially, so this additional level of protection doesn't come without a price.
onoff | Specifies whether you want to turn on (VERIFY ON) or off (VERIFY OFF) this command. If you omit this parameter, the current state of the verify flag is displayed. |
By default, when DOS starts up,
VERIFYisOFF.VERIFYaccepts only the parametersONandOFF.VERIFYworks by instructing the disk controller to read back all data written to disk, calculate a new CRC (error checking) value from the data read, and compare it to the CRC value stored on the disk. (The disk controller normally does this every time data is read from the disk, which is how DOS discovers bad sectors when copying files.) Any differences between the two CRC values indicates that an error has occurred. SettingVERIFY ONdoesn't compare the data on disk to the data that DOS was requested to write; it only makes sure that the data written to the disk is readable.If
VERIFYis setON, you have more assurance that your data is being safely stored on disk. IfVERIFYis setOFF, writing data to disk takes less time. When deciding which setting to use, you have to choose between data integrity and speed.Specifying the
/Vparameter forCOPY,DISKCOPY, orXCOPYsetsVERIFY ONfor the duration of the command. When the copy operation is finished, these commands setVERIFYback to the state it was in before the command executed.The
VERIFYstate can be changed by a running program. Programming etiquette dictates that, when done, an application should reset any flag, such asVERIFY, to the state in which it was found. Still, you might run across applications that forget to resetVERIFY. If this causes problems, run the application from a batch file to restore theVERIFYstate when the program terminates.
If you are about to update your company's accounts receivables, you might want to turn on the verify flag, as follows, before starting your accounting software:
VERIFY ON
After you are finished, you might set the verify flag off again, as follows, so that your routine computer tasks aren't unnecessarily slowed down:
VERIFY OFF
If you ever want to know whether the verify flag is off or on, enter the VERIFY command with no parameters at the DOS prompt like this:
VERIFY
Must specify ON or OFF
Error: The only parameters that the VERIFY command accepts are ON or OFF. Entering anything else displays the preceding error message.
VERIFY is on
or
VERIFY is off
Information: If you enter VERIFY with no parameters, one of the preceding messages is displayed, informing you of the current state of the verify flag.
Setup installs the VFINTD.386 device driver in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI to allow Microsoft Backup for Windows access to your floppy disk drives. If you have any other Windows backup software installed, this driver often conflicts with the drivers installed for that software.
To use Microsoft Backup for Windows, you must include the following line in the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file:
DEVICE=drive:pathVFINTD.386
drive:path | The full path to the VFINTD.386 file on your system. The setup program for DOS 6 places this file in the C:DOS subdirectory by default. |
Almost all backup software for Windows adds a device driver to
SYSTEM.INIthat allows access to your tape drives and floppy disk drives. Unfortunately, few of these drivers can get along with each other, and you're usually forced to remove all but one driver before any of them will work. The following list includes some of the more common third-party drivers to look for inSYSTEM.INI:Driver Filename Backup Program VFINTD.386Microsoft Backup for Windows (with DOS 6) and Norton Backup for Windows CMSDTAPE.386Colorado Tape Backup MYABU.386My Advanced Backup FASTBACK.386Fastback for Windows VFD.386Central Point Backup for Windows CPBVXD.386Central Point Backup for Windows Microsoft suggests that you disable any third-party drivers you find in
SYSTEM.INIby adding a semicolon to the front of theDEVICE=line that loads them. Be aware that doing so may cause your other backup software to stop working.If your computer fails the compatibility test that Microsoft Backup for Windows runs, you are probably having a driver conflict in
SYSTEM.INI. If this happens, quit Windows, “comment out” any lines inSYSTEM.INIthat load third-party backup drivers (see the preceding Driver table), restart Windows, and try the test again. As long as you comment out the driver lines (by placing a semicolon at the beginning of the line) instead of deleting them, you can easily restore them when you want to use your other backup software.Be aware that Windows does not recognize any changes you make in
SYSTEM.INIuntil you quit Windows completely and restart it from the DOS prompt.
Setup for DOS 6 adds the following line to the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file when it installs Microsoft Backup for Windows on your computer:
DEVICE=C:DOSVFINTD.386
Setup does not, however, comment out third-party drivers in SYSTEM.INI that are known to cause conflicts with the VFINTD.386 driver.
VOL displays the volume label and serial number of a disk if they exist. The volume label is simply a name that you can assign when you format a disk or later when you use the LABEL command. DOS began adding serial numbers to disks with DOS 4.0.
drive: | The drive whose label and serial number you want to display. If you omit this parameter, DOS assumes the current drive. |
You can add a label to a disk when you format it by using the
FORMAT /Vcommand or later by using theLABELcommand.The serial number is a unique identifier assigned to the disk when it's formatted. DOS uses the serial number to verify that a disk hasn't been changed in disk drives that don't have change line support. Preformatted disks often do not have serial numbers on them, and some third-party formatting utilities neglect to add them, as well. DOS may be unable to tell whether you have changed a floppy disk if it has no serial number and your drive doesn't have change line support.
DOS can assign serial numbers to a disk only with the
FORMATcommand. You can't add or change the serial number of a disk without reformatting it.
To display the volume label of a floppy disk in drive B:, enter the following command at the DOS prompt:
VOL B:
If you omit the drive: parameter (B:), DOS assumes the current disk.
VOL displays the following messages if the disk specified has both a volume label and a serial number:
Volume in drive B: is NEW WORK Volume Serial Number is 4EF7-9C30
If the disk has no serial number, the second line is omitted. If the disk has no volume label, the following message is displayed:
Volume in drive B: has no label
Invalid drive specification
Error: You specified an invalid drive letter in the drive: parameter.
Invalid switch - switch
Error: You specified an invalid switch parameter. The only parameter that VOL accepts is a single disk drive.
Too many parameters - parameter
Error: You've specified more than one parameter on the command line. The only parameter that VOL accepts is a single disk drive.
VSAFE is a memory-resident utility that can monitor the activity in your computer. If any program is acting suspiciously, VSAFE can halt the process and request guidance from you as to what to do about it.
/Akey | Sets the hot key as Alt plus the key specified by key. | |
/Ckey | Sets the hot key as Ctrl plus the key specified by key. | |
/D | Turns off checksumming. | |
/N | Instructs VSAFE to monitor network drives. | |
/NE | Prevents VSAFE from loading into expanded memory. | |
/NX | Prevents VSAFE from loading into extended memory. | |
/option+|- ... | Specifies how VSAFE checks for viruses. Use a plus sign (+) after option to enable the switch; use a minus sign (-) after option to disable it. Choose option from the following list: | |
| 1 | Warns of low-level formatting that could erase your hard disk (default: on) | |
| 2 | Warns of a program's attempt to stay resident in memory (default: off) | |
| 3 | Prevents programs from writing to any of your disks (default: off) | |
| 4 | Checks executable files that DOS opens for viruses (default: on) | |
| 5 | Checks all disks for boot sector viruses (default: on) | |
| 6 | Warns of attempts to write to the boot sector or to the partition table of the hard disk (default: on) | |
| 7 | Warns of attempts to write to the boot sector of a floppy disk (default: off) | |
| 8 | Warns of attempts to modify executable files (default: on) | |
/U | Disables and unloads VSAFE from memory. If VSAFE wasn't the last resident program loaded, the memory it was using will not be released. | |
Turn off
VSAFEbefore you install Microsoft Windows.Do not use
VSAFEafter you start Microsoft Windows.If you use
VSAFEwith Microsoft Windows, run theMWAVTSR.EXEmemory-resident program by adding the following line to yourWIN.INIfile:LOAD=C:DOSMWAVTSR.EXE
MWAVTSR.EXEenablesVSAFEmessages to be displayed in Windows.The default hot key is Alt+V.
VSAFE is a memory-resident program that takes up a varying amount of conventional, extended, and expanded memory. In DOS 6.0 and higher, VSAFE takes up 44KB of conventional memory, 23KB of conventional and 23KB of extended memory, or 7KB of conventional and 64KB of expanded memory.
Windows 3.0 enhanced-mode drivers often require the help of the WINA20.386 driver to perform their duties. Setup for MS-DOS 6 places this driver in the root directory if it finds Windows installed on your system. If you move the WINA20.386 file to another subdirectory, you need to tell Windows where it is and add a SWITCHES=/W line to your CONFIG.SYS file.
To tell Windows where you have located the WINA20.386 driver, include the following line in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI:
DEVICE=drive:pathWINA20.386
drive:path | The full path to the WINA20.386 file on your system. The setup program for DOS 6 places this file in the root directory of the startup drive by default. |
Windows 3.0 in enhanced mode requires the WINA20.386 driver file to be available before it can load. (See the first message in the following “Messages” section.) If you want to move the WINA20.386 file out of your root directory, you need to specify the /W switch in CONFIG.SYS and add a DEVICE=drive:pathWINA20.386 line to the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file. You should specify the full drive and path to WINA20.386 in the device line in SYSTEM.INI.
Note
Windows 3.1 will load successfully in enhanced mode without access to the WINA20.386 driver, but any version 3.0 drivers that you're using may still require the services of the WINA20.386 driver. If they do and that driver is unavailable, Windows may become unstable or crash. Because enhanced-mode drivers for Windows are distributed with many software packages, most people are running Windows 3.1 with Windows 3.0 drivers without knowing it. To be safe, be sure that the WINA20.386 driver is available, either in the root directory or through the /W switch and a device line in SYSTEM.INI.
Although you use Windows version 3.1, you're not sure whether all your Windows enhanced-mode drivers have been updated yet and want to make sure that the WINA20.386 driver is available, just in case. Because you've moved the WINA20.386 file into the C:DOS subdirectory with your other DOS 6 files, you need to include the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file:
SWITCHES=/W
Now that DOS knows you've moved WINA20.386, you need to tell Windows where you put it. To do so, add the following line to the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file, which is in your main Windows subdirectory:
DEVICE=C:DOSWINA20.386
You must have the file WINA20.386 in the root directory of your boot drive to run Windows in Enhanced Mode
Error: This message is displayed only if you are running Windows 3.0 in enhanced mode and the WINA20.386 file is not present in your root directory. To allow Windows 3.0 to run in enhanced mode with the WINA20.386 driver located somewhere else, specify the SWITCHES=/W command in your CONFIG.SYS file and enter a DEVICE=drive:pathWINA20.386 line in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI.
XCOPY can copy groups of files and subdirectories from one disk to another. When copying large groups of files, XCOPY is somewhat faster than COPY because it reads more than one file at a time into memory.
You must specify the source drive, path, and filename first, and then the destination drive, path, and filename.
Do not use a device name other than a drive for
sourceordestination. For example, you cannot useLPT1:orCOM1:.The source file specified must include one or both of the following:
A valid filename. Wildcards are permitted.
A drive name, a pathname, or both.
If you do not specify the source drive name, DOS uses the current drive.
If you do not specify the source path, DOS uses the drive's current directory.
If you specify a drive or path for the source but do not specify a source filename, DOS assumes all files (
*.*).If you omit a new name for the destination file, the copied file has the same name as the source file.
If you do not specify a
destinationparameter, thesourceparameter must include one or both of the following:A drive name other than the current drive.
A pathname other than the current disk's current directory.
- Starting with DOS 6.22, the
XCOPYcommand, when run from the command line, prompts you for confirmation before overwriting files. However, to avoid forcing you to rewrite all your batch files,XCOPYdoes not prompt you before overwriting a file when run from a batch file.If you don't like
XCOPY's new behavior, you can change it by defining an environment variable namedCOPYCMD. SettingCOPYCMDequal to/YforcesXCOPYto act as it did in all previous versions of DOS, never prompting for confirmation before overwriting a file. If you setCOPYCMDequal to/-Y,XCOPYalways prompts for confirmation, even when it's run from within a batch file. To use
XCOPYto copy more files than fit on one destination disk, make sure that the files' archive attribute is on. You can use theATTRIBcommand to perform this step. Then use theXCOPYcommand repeatedly with the/Mor/M /Sswitches.When the destination floppy disk is full, change floppy disks and reissue the command. The files that were copied now have their archive attribute turned off, so
XCOPYskips these files.XCOPYcopies the files not already copied—those files that have the archive attribute turned on.XCOPYandAPPEND /Xare a troublesome combination. To useXCOPYon a disk that is in volved in anAPPENDcommand, disconnectAPPENDbefore you execute theXCOPYcommand.Use
XCOPY, rather thanDISKCOPY, to copy files to a device that is not the same format as the source.
Cannot perform a cyclic copy
Error: You used the /S switch, and at least one of the destination directories is a subdirectory of the source directories. When you use /S, XCOPY cannot copy files to destination directories that are part of the source directories. If you must copy files from more than one directory, issue individual XCOPY commands to copy the directories one at a time.
Cannot XCOPY from a reserved device
Error: You specified one of DOS's reserved device names (for example, LPT1) as the source of the files to be copied. Reissue XCOPY, using a disk path and directory.
Does pathname specify a filename or directory name on the target (F = file, D = directory)?
Information: You specified a destination filename in which the final name does not exist as a directory. XCOPY does not know whether the final name in the destination is a filename or a directory.
If the destination name is a directory name, press D. XCOPY creates the needed directory and begins copying files. If the destination name is a filename, press F. XCOPY copies files to this file.
nnn File(s) copied
Information: XCOPY copied nnn files to the destination disk. This message appears regardless of any errors that occur.
Insufficient disk space
Error: The destination disk ran out of space. The file that you were copying when the error occurred was erased from the destination. Delete any unneeded files from the destination disk, or use a different disk and then retry the command.
Reading source file(s)...
Information: XCOPY is reading the source directories for filenames.
Unable to create directory
Error: XCOPY cannot create a subdirectory on the destination disk for one of the following reasons:
Part of the destination pathname is wrong or misspelled.
The disk's root directory is full.
The disk is full.
A file with the same name as the created directory already exists.
You used a directory name that actually is a device name.
Be sure that the destination name is correct. Use the DIR command to check the destination disk. If the disk or the root directory is full, erase files or use another destination disk. If a file that uses the same name as the intended directory already exists, rename the file or change the directory's name when you reissue the XCOPY command.
XCOPY32 is functionally equal to XCOPY, but it is the 32-bit version for use with long filenames and 32-bit Windows 95 and Windows 98. All the syntax and parameters used with XCOPY are also used with XCOPY32. The following additional parameters also are available with XCOPY32:
XDEL is a utility to delete multiple files across subdirectories and delete empty subdirectories.
Using the XDF command starts the XDF program, a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program that supports XDF-formatted disks.
XDFCOPY copies the contents of an eXtended Density Format (XDF) disk.
XDFCOPY creates a temporary file on drive C during the copy process. When copying to a disk, XDFCOPY automatically formats (prepares) the target disk during the copy process. The target disk must be the same size and type as the source disk.
source_drive | Specifies the drive that contains the disk to be copied. On systems with only one disk drive, use XDFCOPY by specifying the same drive as the source and target. |
target_drive | Specifies the drive where you want to copy the disk to. If the disk to be used is not empty, any existing information is overwritten. |
/y | Starts without waiting for a disk change. |
/nv | Turns off read-after-write verify. |
/? | Displays the abbreviated online help. |
XDIR is an enhanced version of the standard DIR command.