Over the years there have been many versions of DOS, including PC-DOS, MS-DOS, DR-DOS, and 4DOS.
Although DOS is not used frequently any more, the DOS commands are still available in the Microsoft Windows XP command shell.
Listed below are the commands for the DOS command shell included with Microsoft Windows XP.
ASSOC | Displays or modifies file extension associations. |
AT | Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer. |
ATTRIB | Displays or changes file attributes. |
BREAK | Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking. |
CACLS | Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files. |
CALL | Calls one batch program from another. |
CD | Displays the name of or changes the current directory. |
CHCP | Displays or sets the active code page number. |
CHDIR | Displays the name of or changes the current directory. |
CHKDSK | Checks a disk and displays a status report. |
CHKNTFS | Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time. |
CLS | Clears the screen. |
CMD | Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter. |
COLOR | Sets the default console foreground and background colors. |
COMP | Compares the contents of two files or sets of files. |
COMPACT | Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions. |
CONVERT | Converts FAT volumes to NTFS. You cannot convert the current drive. |
COPY | Copies one or more files to another location. |
DATE | Displays or sets the date. |
DEL | Deletes one or more files. |
DIR | Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory. |
DISKCOMP | Compares the contents of two floppy disks. |
DISKCOPY | Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another. |
DOSKEY | Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates macros. |
ECHO | Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off. |
ENDLOCAL | Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file. |
ERASE | Deletes one or more files. |
EXIT | Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter). |
FC | Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the differences between them. |
FIND | Searches for a text string in a file or files. |
FINDSTR | Searches for strings in files. |
FOR | Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files. |
FORMAT | Formats a disk for use with Windows. |
FTYPE | Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations. |
GOTO | Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in a batch program. |
GRAFTABL | Enables Windows to display an extended character set in graphics mode. |
HELP | Provides Help information for Windows commands. |
IF | Performs conditional processing in batch programs. |
LABEL | Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk. |
MD | Creates a directory. |
MKDIR | Creates a directory. |
MODE | Configures a system device. |
MORE | Displays output one screen at a time. |
MOVE | Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory. |
PATH | Displays or sets a search path for executable files. |
PAUSE | Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message. |
POPD | Restores the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD. |
PRINT | Prints a text file. |
PROMPT | Changes the Windows command prompt. |
PUSHD | Saves the current directory then changes it. |
RD | Removes a directory. |
RECOVER | Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk. |
REM | Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS. |
REN | Renames a file or files. |
RENAME | Renames a file or files. |
REPLACE | Replaces files. |
RMDIR | Removes a directory. |
SET | Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables. |
SETLOCAL | Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file. |
SHIFT | Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch files. |
SORT | Sorts input. |
START | Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command. |
SUBST | Associates a path with a drive letter. |
TIME | Displays or sets the system time. |
TITLE | Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session. |
TREE | Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path. |
TYPE | Displays the contents of a text file. |
VER | Displays the Windows version. |
VERIFY | Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written correctly to a disk. |
VOL | Displays a disk volume label and serial number. |
XCOPY | Copies files and directory trees. |