A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF MICROSOFT

WINDOWS AND MS DOS

AND
SOME DOS INTERNAL AND
EXTERNAL DOS COMMANDS

BY:

SAJJAD RASUL CHAUDHRY

Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology

University of the Punjab
Lahore, Pakistan
 Windows at a Glance

Early Attempts:-
The first independent version of
Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, was released
on 20 November 1985. It was originally going
to be called Interface Manager, but Rowland
Hanson, the head of marketing at Microsoft, convinced the company that the name
Windows would be more appealing to consumers. Windows 1.0 was not a
complete operating system, but rather an "operating environment" that extended
MS-DOS. The first version of Microsoft Windows included a simple graphics
painting program called Windows Paint, Windows Write, a simple word processor,
an appointment calendar, a card filer, a notepad, a clock, a control panel, a
terminal, Clipboard, and RAM driver. It also included the MS-DOS Executive and
a game called Reversi.
Microsoft Windows version 2.0 came out on 9 December 1987, and proved
slightly more popular than its predecessor. Much of the popularity for Windows
2.0 came by way of its inclusion as “run-time version” with Microsoft’s new
graphical applications, Excel and Word for Windows. They could be run from MS-
DOS, executing Windows for the duration of their activity, and closing down
Windows upon exit. Later, two new versions were released: Windows/286 2.1 and
Windows/386 2.1. Like previous versions of Windows, Version 2.03, and later 3.0,
faced challenges from Apple over its overlapping windows and other features
Apple charged mimicked the "look and feel" of its operating system.
Microsoft Windows scored a significant success with Windows 3.0, released
in 1990. In addition to improved capabilities given to native applications, Windows
also allows a user to better multitask older MS-DOS based software compared to
Windows/386. A "multimedia" version, Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions
1.0, was released several months later. The features listed above and growing
market support from application software developers made Windows 3.0 wildly
successful, selling around 10 million copies in the two years before the release of
version 3.1. Windows 3.0 became a major source of income for Microsoft, and led
the company to revise some of its earlier plans.
During the mid to late 1980s, Microsoft and IBM had cooperatively been
developing OS/2 as a successor to DOS. OS/2. OS/2 1.0, released in 1987,
supported swapping and multitasking and allowed running of DOS executables. By
the early 1990s, conflicts developed in the Microsoft/IBM relationship. They
cooperated with each other in developing their PC operating systems, and had
access to each others' code. Microsoft wanted to further develop Windows, while
IBM desired for future work to be based on OS/2. In an attempt to resolve this
tension, IBM and Microsoft agreed that IBM would develop OS/2 2.0, to replace
OS/2 1.3 and Windows 3.0, while Microsoft would develop a new operating
system, OS/2 3.0, to later succeed OS/2 2.0.
This agreement soon however fell apart, and the Microsoft/IBM relationship
was terminated. IBM continued to develop OS/2, while Microsoft changed the
name of its (as yet unreleased) OS/2 3.0 to Windows NT. Both retained the rights
to use OS/2 and Windows technology developed up to the termination of the
agreement. In response to the impending release of OS/2 2.0, Microsoft developed
Windows 3.1. Later Microsoft also released Windows 3.11, a touch-up to
Windows 3.1 which includes all of the patches and updates that followed the
release of Windows 3.1 in 1992. Around the same time, Microsoft released
Windows for Workgroups (WfW). There are two versions of Windows for
Workgroups, WfW 3.1 and WfW 3.11.
Meanwhile Microsoft continued to develop Windows NT. Microsoft
marketing desired to make Windows NT appear to be a continuation of Windows
3.1) arrived in Beta form to developers at the July 1992. Driver support in Wndows
NT was lacking. This problem plagued the NT line all the way through Windows
2000. Windows NT would not work for private users because of its resource
demands; moreover, its GUI was simply a copy of Windows 3.1's, which was
inferior to the OS/2 Workplace Shell, so there was not a good reason to propose it
as a replacement to Windows 3.1.

Windows 95:-
After Windows 3.11, Microsoft began to develop
a new consumer oriented version of the operating
system code-named Chicago. Microsoft marketing
adopted Windows 95 as the product name for Chicago
when it was released on 24 August 1995. Microsoft had
a double gain from its release: first it made it
impossible for consumers to run Windows 95 on a
cheaper, non-Microsoft DOS; secondly, although traces
of DOS were never completely removed from the
system and a version of DOS would be loaded briefly
as a part of the booting process.
Microsoft released five different versions of Windows 95:
1. Windows 95 - original release
2. Windows 95 A - included Windows 95 OSR1 slipstreamed into the
installation.
3. Windows 95 B - (OSR2) included several major enhancements, Internet
Explorer (IE) 3.0 and full FAT32 file system support.
4. Windows 95 B USB - (OSR2.1) included basic USB support.
5. Windows 95 C - (OSR2.5) included all the above features, plus IE 4.0. This
was the last 95 version produced.
Later Microsoft released Windows NT 4.0, which features the new Windows 95
interface.

Windows 98:-
On 25 June 1998, Microsoft released
Windows 98, which was widely regarded as a
minor revision of Windows 95, but generally
found to be more stable and reliable than its
1995 predecessor. It includes new hardware drivers and better support for the
FAT32 file system which allows support for disk partitions larger than the 2 GB
maximum accepted by Windows 95. The USB support in Windows 98 is far
superior to the token. It also controversially integrated the Internet Explorer
browser into the Windows GUI and Windows Explorer file manager. In 1999,
Microsoft released Windows 98 Second Edition, an interim release whose most
notable feature was the addition of Internet Connection Sharing, allowing several
machines on a LAN (Local Area Network) to share a single Internet connection.
Hardware support through device drivers was increased. Many minor problems
present in the original Windows 98 were found and fixed which make it, according
to many, the most stable release of Windows 9x.s

Windows 2000:-
Microsoft released Windows 2000, known
during its development cycle as Windows NT
5.0, in February 2000. It was successfully
deployed both on the server and the workstation
markets. A number of features from Windows 98 were incorporated as well, such
as an improved Device Manager, Windows Media Player, and a revised DirectX
that made it possible for the first time for many modern games to work on the NT
kernel. While Windows 2000 upgrades were available for Windows 95 and
Windows 98, it was not intended for home users. It lacked device drivers for many
common consumer devices such as scanners and printers. The original release of
Windows 2000 had a buggy and counterintuitive installation procedure and this
was not fully rectified until Service Pack 4 in June, 2003, after XP had been
released.
Windows 2000 was available in six editions:
1. Windows 2000 Professional
2. Windows 2000 Server
3. Windows 2000 Advanced Server
4. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
5. Windows 2000 Advanced Server Limited Edition
6. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Limited Edition

Windows Me:-
In September 2000, Microsoft introduced
Windows Me (Millennium Edition), which
upgraded Windows 98 with enhanced multimedia
and Internet features. It also introduced the first
version of System Restore, which allowed users to
revert their system state to a previous "known-
good" point in the case of system failure. System
Restore was a notable feature that made its way
into Windows XP. The first version of Windows
Movie Maker was introduced as well. Windows Me was conceived as a quick one-
year project that served as a stopgap release between Windows 98 and Windows
XP. Many of the new features were available from the Windows Update site as
updates for older Windows versions, (System Restore and Windows Movie Maker
were exceptions). As a result, Windows Me was not acknowledged as a unique
Operating System along the lines of 95 or 98. Windows Me was widely criticized
for serious stability issues, and for lacking real mode DOS support, to the point of
being referred to as the "Mistake Edition". Windows Me was the last operating
system to be based on the Windows 9x (monolithic) kernel and MS-DOS. It is also
the last 32-bit release of Microsoft Windows that did not include Product
Activation.

Windows XP:-
In 2001, Microsoft introduced Windows
XP (codenamed "Whistler"). The merging of the
Windows NT/2000 and Windows 95/98/Me lines
was finally achieved with Windows XP. The
initial release met with considerable criticism,
particularly in the area of security, leading to the
release of three major Service Packs. Windows
XP SP1 was released in September of 2002, SP2
came out in August, 2004 and SP3 came out in
April, 2008. Service Pack 2 provided significant improvements and encouraged
widespread adoption of XP among both home and business users. Windows XP
was the current edition longer than any other version of Windows, from 2001 all
the way to 2007 when Windows Vista was released to consumers. The Windows
XP line of operating systems was succeeded by Windows Vista on 30 January
2007.
Windows XP is available in a number of versions:
• Windows XP Home Edition, for home desktops and laptops (notebooks)
• Windows XP Home Edition N, as above, but without a default installation of
Windows Media Player.
• Windows XP Professional, for business and power users
• Windows XP Professional N, as above, but without a default installation of
Windows Media Player.
• Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE), released in November 2002 for
desktops and notebooks with an emphasis on home entertainment
• Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, for tablet PCs (PCs with touch screens)
• Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
• Windows XP Embedded, for embedded systems
 • Windows XP Starter Edition, for new computer users in developing
countries
• Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, released on 25 April 2005 for home
and workstation systems utilizing 64-bit processors based on the x86-64
instruction set developed by AMD as AMD64; Intel calls their version “Intel
64”.

Windows Server 2003:-

On 24 April 2003 Microsoft launched Windows Server 2003, a notable
update to Windows 2000 Server encompassing many new security features, a new
"Manage Your Server" wizard that simplifies configuring a machine for specific
roles, and improved performance. It has the version number NT 5.2. In December
2005, Microsoft released Windows Server 2003 R2, which is actually Windows
Server 2003 with SP1 (Service Pack 1) plus an add-on package. Among the new
features are a number of management features for branch offices, file serving,
printing and company-wide identity integration.

Windows Vista:-
The current client version of Windows,
Windows Vista (codenamed Longhorn) was
released on 30 November 2006 to business
customers, with consumer versions following on
30 January 2007. Windows Vista intends to
have enhanced security by introducing a new
restricted user mode called User Account
Control, replacing the "administrator-by-default"
philosophy of Windows XP. Vista also features
new graphics features, the Windows Aero GUI, new applications (such as
Windows Calendar, Windows DVD Maker and some new games including Chess,
Mahjong, and Purble Place), a revised and more secure version of Internet
Explorer, a new version of Windows Media Player, and a large number of
underlying architectural changes.
Windows Vista ships in several editions:
• Starter (only available in developing countries)
• Home Basic
• Home Premium
 • Business
• Enterprise (only available to large businesses and enterprises)
• Ultimate (combines both Home Premium and Enterprise)
All editions (except Starter edition) are available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
The biggest advantage of the 64-bit version is breaking the 4 gigabyte memory
barrier, which 32-bit computers cannot fully access. In the first year after Vista's
release, most installations were still 32-bit, due to poor driver support of the 64-bit
version.

Windows Server 2008:-

Windows Server 2008, released on 27 February 2008, was originally known
as Windows Server Codename "Longhorn". Windows Server 2008 builds on the
technological and security advances first introduced with Windows Vista, and is
significantly more modular than its predecessor, Windows Server 2003.
Windows 7:-

Windows 7 is the next major release after Windows Vista and is planned for a
three-year development timeframe. It was previously known by the code-names
Blackcomb and Vienna.

Relation of DOS with Windows

Before the rule of windows took over the PC world, people actually used DOS to
operate their PCs. Even in this new-age high-tech world of the mouse, DOS is
important. All versions of Microsoft Windows have had an MS-DOS like
command-line interface (CLI). Versions of Windows (up to 3.11) ran as a
Graphical User Interface (GUI) running under MS-DOS. Windows 95 and 98 had
an MS-DOS prompt which behaved very much like MS-DOS, with added facilities
for such features as long file names. The true 32-bit versions of Windows, from
Windows NT, are not based on DOS but provide a command-line interface similar
to MS-DOS's character-mode interface known as the console. This is provided by a
native executable, cmd.exe. Many Windows console applications are incorrectly
referred to as DOS applications. However, in reality they are Windows
applications, using Windows system calls, using the text console for input and
output rather than a graphical interface. Both true MS-DOS programs and
Windows console programs can be run from the command line in the same console
window.

32-bit Windows can run MS-DOS programs through the use of the NTVDM
(NT Virtual DOS Machine), and the 16-bit command.com interpreter from MS-
DOS 5.0 is still included to maintain application compatibility with programs that
expect it (see the output produced by the command "command.com /k ver", which
displays "MS-DOS Version 5.00.500" in the console window). The command
"ver" returns the string "Microsoft(R) Windows DOS" when executed under
command.com, but "Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]" (or similar
depending on the version of 32-bit Windows) when run from cmd.exe. Recent
versions of Windows for x64 architectures, including Windows XP Professional
x64 Edition, Windows Server 2003 x64 and Windows Vista x64, no longer include
the NTVDM and can therefore no longer natively run MS-DOS or 16-bit Windows
applications. For MS-DOS and Windows 3.11 or earlier programs, however, there
exist alternatives in the form of emulators such as Microsoft's own Virtual PC,
Bochs, DOSBox, etc.
Although DOS is no longer being used as a standalone operating system
now a days but still it is an essential part of all Windows operating systems and
none of the new GUI operating systems can be used without a DOS prompt
running in back ground for each command which is used by a user via graphical
interface such as COPY, PASTE, FORMAT etc. It is DOS what allows us to have
directories and run more than one program on our computer.

Desktop of Windows XP
The very first screen which we see just after logging on into a Windows user
account is Desktop. Desktop in Windows XP contains Icons which are actually
shortcuts to the programs and documents we have placed here. By default
Windows XP has only one desktop icon, Recycle Bin, but we can add as many as
we like. My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and Internet Explorer
and Recycle Bin are some important icons which are a part of every one’s Desktop.

My Documents:

It contains folder like My Pictures, My Music etc and documents of a

user account (i.e. Excel spread sheets, Word Documents).
My Computer:

Through My Computer we can access the hard drives and their

partitions connected to our PC. Also contains documents of all users. Control Panel
can also be accessed through My Computer where we can change the settings of
Windows.

Recycle Bin:

Recycle Bin is a place where all deleted files go before being deleted
permanently so that we can restore those files which were deleted by mistake. The
function of Recycle Bin is just like a “Trash Can”.
 A view of a Windows Desktop with some common icons

Some Internal and External DOS Commands

External DOS Commands:-
1. Format The Format command is used to format a floppy disk or hard
drive. This command has the drive to be formatted as an argument, and has several
switches.
FORMAT volume [/FS:file-system] [/V:label] [/Q] [/A:size] [/C] [/X]

FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q] [/F:size]

FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q] [/T:tracks /N:sectors]

FORMAT volume [/V:label] [/Q]

FORMAT volume [/Q]

Volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon),

mount point, or volume name.

/FS:filesystem Specifies the type of the file system (FAT, FAT32, or NTFS).

/V:label Specifies the volume label.

/Q Performs a quick format.

/C NTFS only: Files created on the new volume will be compressed

by default.

/X Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary. All opened

handles to the volume would no longer be valid.

/A:size Overrides the default allocation unit size.

/F:size Specifies the size of the floppy disk to format (1.44)

/T:tracks Specifies the number of tracks per disk side.

/N:sectors Specifies the number of sectors per track.

But formatting a disk will destroy all the data on it so one must be careful while
using this command. At the same time formatting a disk many times will make it
permanently unusable as it will be destroyed.
2. Copy The COPY command , as the name implies, copies files from one
place to another.
COPY [/D] [/V] [/N] [/Y | /-Y] [/Z] [/A | /B ] source [/A | /B] [+ source [/A | /B] [+ ...]]
[destination [/A | /B]]

source Specifies the file or files to be copied.

/A Indicates an ASCII text file.

/B Indicates a binary file.

/D Allow the destination file to be created decrypted

destination Specifies the directory and/or filename for the new file(s).

/V Verifies that new files are written correctly.

/N Uses short filename, if available, when copying a file with a

non-8dot3 name.

/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an

existing destination file.

/-Y Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an

existing destination file.

/Z Copies networked files in restart able mode.

3. DISKCOPY This commands Copies the contents of one floppy disk to

another.
DISKCOPY [drive1: [drive2:]] [/V]

/V Verifies that the information is copied correctly.

This command is used to make an exact copy of a diskette. It cannot be used to

clone a hard drive. This would copy the contents of the diskette in the A: drive to
the diskette in the B: drive. If the diskette in the B: drive had any data on it, that
data is erased in the copying process. If the diskette in the A: drive was a bootable
diskette with system files, the diskette in the B: drive will be as well.
 4. XCOPY The XCOPY command is designed to copy entire directories,
along with all of their sub-directories, and all of the files contained in those sub-
directories.
XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W] [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L]
[/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U] [/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z]
[/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...]

Source Specifies the file(s) to copy.

Destination Specifies the location and/or name of new files.

/A Copies only files with the archive attribute set,

doesn't change the attribute.

/M Copies only files with the archive attribute set,

turns off the archive attribute.

/D:m-d-y Copies files changed on or after the specified date.

If no date is given, copies only those files whose

source time is newer than the destination time.

/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...

Specifies a list of files containing strings

/P Prompts you before creating each destination file.

/S Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.

/E Copies directories and subdirectories, including empty ones.

Same as /S /E. May be used to modify /T.

/V Verifies each new file.

/W Prompts you to press a key before copying.

/C Continues copying even if errors occur.

/I If destination does not exist and copying more than one file,

assumes that destination must be a directory.

/Q Does not display file names while copying.

/F Displays full source and destination file names while copying.

 /L Displays files that would be copied.

/G Allows the copying of encrypted files to destination that does

not support encryption.

/H Copies hidden and system files also.

/R Overwrites read-only files.

/T Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does not

include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes

empty directories and subdirectories.

/U Copies only files that already exist in destination.

/K Copies attributes. Normal Xcopy will reset read-only attributes.

/N Copies using the generated short names.

/O Copies file ownership and ACL information.

/X Copies file audit settings (implies /O).

/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing

destination file.

/-Y Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an

existing destination file.

/Z Copies networked files in restart able mode.

5. CHKDSK Checks a disk and displays a status report.

CHKDSK [volume[[path]filename]]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]]

Volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name.

filename FAT/FAT32 only: Specifies the files to check for fragmentation.

/F Fixes errors on the disk.

/V On FAT/FAT32: Displays the full path and name of every file on the disk.

/R Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.

 /L:size NTFS only: Changes the log file size to the specified numberof kilobytes. If size is
not specified, displays current size.

/X Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary.

/I NTFS only: Performs a less vigorous check of index entries.

/C NTFS only: Skips checking of cycles within the folder structure.

6. HELP Provides help information for Windows XP commands.

HELP [command]

command - displays help information on that command.

7. LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.

LABEL [drive:][label]

LABEL [/MP] [volume] [label]

drive: Specifies the drive letter of a drive.

label Specifies the label of the volume.

/MP Specifies that the volume should be treated as a mount point or volume name.

Volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name. If
volume name is specified, the /MP flag is unnecessary.

8. TREE Graphically displays the folder structure of a drive or path.

TREE [drive:][path] [/F] [/A]

/F Displays the names of the files in each folder.

/A Uses ASCII instead of extended characters.

9. REPLACE Replaces stores files with files of the same name from a
different storage location.
REPLACE [drive1:][path1]filename [drive2:][path2] [/A] [/P] [/R] [/W]

REPLACE [drive1:][path1]filename [drive2:][path2] [/P] [/R] [/S] [/W] [/U]

[drive1:][path1]filename Specifies the source file or files.

[drive2:][path2] Specifies the directory where files are to bereplaced.

 /A Adds new files to destination directory. Cannot use with /S or /U
switches.

/P Prompts for confirmation before replacing a file or adding a source file.

/R Replaces read-only files as well as unprotected files.

/S Replaces files in all subdirectories of the destination directory. Cannot

switch.

/W Waits for you to insert a disk before beginning.

/U Replaces (updates) only files that are older than source files. Cannot use
with the /A switch.

10. FIND Searches for a text string in a file or files.

FIND [/V] [/C] [/N] [/I] [/OFF[LINE]] "string" [[drive:][path]filename[ ...]]

/V Displays all lines NOT containing the specified string.

/C Displays only the count of lines containing the string.

/N Displays line numbers with the displayed lines.

/I Ignores the case of characters when searching for the string.

/OFF[LINE] Do not skip files with offline attribute set.

"string" Specifies the text string to find.

[drive:][path]filename Specifies a file or files to search.

Internal DOS Commands:-

1. COPY Copies one or more files to another location.
COPY [/D] [/V] [/N] [/Y | /-Y] [/Z] [/A | /B ] source [/A | /B] [+ source [/A | /B] [+ ...]]
[destination [/A | /B]]

source Specifies the file or files to be copied.

/A Indicates an ASCII text file.

/B Indicates a binary file.

/D Allow the destination file to be created decrypted

destination Specifies the directory and/or filename for the new file(s).

/V Verifies that new files are written correctly.

 /N Uses short filename, if available, when copying a file with a non-8dot3 name.

/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination

file.

/-Y Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.

/Z Copies networked files in restart able mode.

2. CLS Clears the command prompt screen.

Cls

3. DATE Displays or sets the date.

DATE [/T | date]

Type DATE without parameters to display the current date setting anda prompt for
a new one. Press ENTER to keep the same date. If Command Extensions are
enabled the DATE command supports the /T switch which tells the command to
just output the current date, without prompting for a new date.
4. TIME Displays or sets the system time.
TIME [/T | time]
Type TIME with no parameters to display the current time setting and a prompt for
a new one. Press ENTER to keep the same time. If Command Extensions are
enabled the TIME command supports the /T switch which tells the command to
just output the current time, without prompting for a new time.
5. DEL (ERASE) Deletes one or more files.
DEL [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names

ERASE [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names

Names Specifies a list of one or more files or directories. Wildcards may be used to
delete multiple files. If a directory is specified, all files within the directory will be
deleted.

/P Prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.

/F Force deleting of read-only files.

/S Delete specified files from all subdirectories.

/Q Quiet mode, do not ask if ok to delete on global wildcard

/A Selects files to delete based on attributes

attributes R Read-only files S System files

H Hidden files A Files ready for archiving

- Prefix meaning not