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CHAPTER – 1
Introduction

An MS-DOS Stands for Microsoft Disk Operating System. MS-DOS OS does not take much
space for installation (about 8 MB). MS-DOS OS gives more control of the processes as it has a
Command Line user Interface (CLI). MS-DOS OS is a single user, single tasking operating system
and not support graphics. It is not compatible with current browser and the internet.

MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) is a non-graphical command line operating

system created for IBM compatible computers. MS-DOS uses (Character User Interface) or
Command Line User interacts with computer with the help of some predefined commands through
a command line interface. In DOS the commands are executed by a command line interpreter by
translating them into system calls. Generally, this interpreter resides outside the kernel is not
affected by the user. MS-DOS Command Line User Interface some common MS DOS Commands
Include CD, DIR , COPY.DEL, EDIT,MOVE,REN,CLS.

MS-DOS acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System is a discontinued operating

system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. It was the most
commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating
system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s and the early 1990s,
when it was gradually superseded by operating systems offering a graphical user
interface (GUI), in various generations of the graphical Microsoft Windows operating system
by Microsoft Corporation

During its life, several competing products were released for the x86 platform, and MS-DOS
went through eight versions, until development ceased in 2000. Initially MS-DOS
was targeted at Intel 8086 processors running on computer hardware using floppy disks to store
and access not only the operating system, but application software and user data as well.
Progressive version releases delivered support for other mass storage media in ever greater
sizes and formats, along with added feature support for newer processors and rapidly
evolving computer architectures. Ultimately it was the key product in Microsoft's growth
from a programming languages company to a diverse software development firm, providing
the company with essential revenue and marketing resources. It was also the underlying basic
operating system on which early versions of Windows ran as a GUI. It is a flexible operating
system, and consumes negligible installation space

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CHAPTER -2
HISTORY OF MS DOS OPERATING SYSTEM

MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) began as QDOS, acquired by Microsoft in 1981 for
IBM's new PC. The first version, MS-DOS 1.0, was released in August 1981. It was a command-
line OS supporting floppy disks. Subsequent versions introduced features like hard disk support
(2.0), networking (3.x), and improved memory management (5.0). MS-DOS was crucial in the
early Windows era but gradually became less central with Windows 95 and beyond, which
integrated its functionality into more advanced operating systems.

Microsoft acquired the rights to QDOS and rebranded it as MS-DOS. The first version, MS-DOS
1.0, was released on August 12, 1981, as part of IBM’s PC package. MS-DOS 1.0 was a single-
tasking, command-line based OS. It supported only floppy disks and had limited file management
capabilities. The first version of DOS used by IBM was written in 4000 lines of assembly-language
source code and required 8k of memory. (Stallings, 1995) From its start as Version 1.0 in 1981,
MS-DOS underwent significant revisions until it was ultimately retired as a separate product line
in 1994 with the introduction of Windows 95 (though Windows still ran on top of DOS for several
more versions of Windows). In 1989, DOS accounted for 61 percent of the PC operating systems
shipped worldwide and had an installed base of over 45 million. DOS was running more personal
computers than all other operating systems combined. (Duncan et al., 1990)

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CHAPTER -3

FEATURES AND LIMITATIONS OF MS DOS

FEATURES

• It is a minimalist OS which means it can boot a computer and run programs.

• Still usable for simple tasks like word processing and playing games.
• The mouse cannot be used to give inputs instead it uses basic system commands to perform
the task.
• It is a 16-bit, free operating system .
• It is a single-user operating system.
• It is very lightweight due to fewer features available and no multitasking.

LIMITATION

• It is not a multitasking operating system that is we cannot run too many applications in the
background.
• Files on the system can be easily deleted or the system can also be easily destroyed.
• It does not provide any warning message before you delete or perform any unwanted task
like in windows and Linux .
• It is text-based and it does not have any graphical user interface.
• Not secure to be used in any kind of public network.
• Encryption is not supported.
• Difficulty in memory access.
• Mouse cannot be used to give inputs

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CHAPTER - 4
WORKING OF MS DOS OPERATING SYSTEM

MS-DOS input and output occur at the command line in the form of issued commands and system
results of those commands. When booted, MS-DOS systems display a command prompt. MS-DOS
commands are then entered using a keyboard. Commands are either one of the standard DOS
commands, implemented as part of the OS, or they are the file name of an executable program.
Although it does not natively support a GUI, MS-DOS can run graphical programs if they are
installed on a system disk or diskette. Users enter the command for a graphical program, and the
program takes control of the input and output devices. When the program terminates, the control
reverts to MS-DOS and the command prompt reappears.
MS-DOS uses a command line interface which allows you to type in commands or execute
programs by typing in your names or numbers. This means that you have direct access to the
computer's hardware, memory and all files stored on the diskettes or hard drive.

WORKING OF MS DOS

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CHAPTER – 5
VERSIONS OF MS DOS
MS – DOS 1.X
DOS 1.x was very limited in what it could do. It could start applications (.COM and .EXE), and
process batch files (.BAT). DOS 1.0 worked with 160KB floppies and did not support folders (all
files had to be in the root). The command interpreter supported the following commands:
• DIR, TYPE, COPY, ERASE, RENAME
• PAUSE, REM
No pipes, redirection, or device drivers were supported. The DOS API in 1.0 was very limited.
MS-DOS 1.25, the equivalent of PC-DOS 1.10, was the first version licensed to OEMs beyond
IBM or Seattle Computer Products.
Some vendors labeled their versions of MS-DOS with different names and version numbers. All
of the versions here are believed to be based off of MS-DOS 1.25, even if the vendor called it
something else.
• Version 1.10 (OEM) – possible basis for IBM's Personal Computer DOS 1
• Version 1.11 (OEM) – possible basis for IBM's Personal Computer DOS 1.0
• Version 1.14 (OEM) – possible basis for IBM's Personal Computer DOS 1.0
• Version 1.24 (OEM) – basis for IBM's Personal Computer DOS 1.1
• Version 1.25 (OEM) – basis for non-IBM OEM versions of MS-DOS, including SCP MS-
DOS 1.25

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MS- DOS 2.X

DOS 2.x adds support for sub-directories and larger (as in 10 MB) disks, FAT16, user installable
device drivers, and tree-structure filling system. It was also the first version to support folders.
• Version 2.0 (OEM), First version to support 5.25-inch, 360 kB floppy drives and diskettes.
• Version 2.1 (OEM)
• Version 2.11 (OEM)
• Altos MS-DOS 2.11, an Altos OEM version of MS-DOS 2.11 for the ACT-86C
• Tele Video PC DOS 2.11, an Tele Video OEM version of MS-DOS 2.11

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MS- DOS 4.0

MS-DOS 4 added support for hard drive partitions up to 2GB. It used much more of the base 640K,
and was somewhat buggy.
Microsoft had long planned that MS-DOS "4" would be a multitasking-capable operating system,
but IBM had insisted on creating a new version of regular DOS for use with their PS/2 computers.
The below versions, as released to the consumer market, are based on DOS 3.3x and IBM's PC-
DOS 4.0 enhancements. Although essentially scrapped, some narrow European markets did
receive Microsoft's Multitasking MS-DOS 4.0
Microsoft's initial 4.00 release (File dates 10/6/1988) was quickly followed up by 4.01, making
this an uncommon version. To add to the confusion, most OEMS badged their 4.01 disks as "4" or
"4.0".
Includes a graphical/mouse interface. It had many bugs and compatibility issues.
• Version 4.00 (OEM) – First version to support a single hard disk partition that is greater
than 32 MiB and up to a maximum size of 2 GB
• Version 4.01 (OEM) – Microsoft rewritten Version 4.00 released under MS-DOS label but
not IBM PC DOS. First version to introduce volume serial number when formatting hard
disks and floppy disks (Disk duplication also and when using SYS to make a floppy disk
or a partition of a hard drive bootable).
• Version 4.01a (OEM)

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MS – DOS 5.X

MS-DOS 5 introduced numerous new features and was a flagship release for Microsoft. A full
screen text editor EDIT has replaced the former line editor EDLIN supplied since the early days of
DOS. Microsoft QBasic also shipped in DOS 5 replacing GW-BASIC. MS-DOS 5 also supported
2.88MB 3.5" floppy disks as well as hard disks up to 2GB in size. The memory management was
rewritten to allow DOS to utilize the High Memory Area and Upper Memory Area to reduce its
usage of conventional memory. Numerous bugs were noticed shortly after launch which lead to
the 5.0a update.
This release of DOS was the last of the collaboration between Microsoft and IBM and as a result
will be the last result where PC-DOS and MS-DOS are near-identical. This was also the version
of DOS used in the OS/2 and Windows NT virtual DOS machine.
When MS-DOS 5 was released the entire market had become dominated by IBM and compatible
systems, so specific OEM versions of DOS for machines not using an IBM BIOS were not shipped
as in prior releases.
• Version 5.0 (Retail) – includes a full-screen editor. A number of bugs required re issue.
First version to support 3.5-inch, 2.88 MB floppy drives and diskettes. Hard disk partitions
greater than 32 MiB and up to a maximum size of 2 GB was now provided by the MS-DOS
kernel. First version to load portions of the operating system into the high memory area.
• AST Premium Exec DOS 5.0 (OEM) – a version for the AST Premium Exec series of
notebooks with various extensions, including improved load-high and extended codepage
support
• Version 5.0a (Retail) – With this release, IBM and Microsoft versions diverge
• Version 5.50 (Windows NTVDM) – All Windows NT 32-bit versions ship with files from
DOS 5.0

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MS – DOS 6.X
MS-DOS 6.0 includes many new utilities and features, including a disk defragmenter, disk
compression, anti-virus, a new backup system, and pc-pc file transfer tools. It was heavily
criticized as buggy by the media, primarily due to file corruption issues with DoubleSpace
and the lack of tools to repair such issues.
Note that the boot sector OEM ID of "MSDOS6.0" is correct and genuine. Microsoft
reverted to using "MSDOS5.0" on later disks.

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CHAPTER - 6
COMMANDS OF MS – DOS OPERATING SYSTEM
6.1 What Are MS-Dos Commands?
MS-DOS is a text-based system of Microsoft Operating System, The users interact with the
computer by typing text-based commands rather than a Graphical User Interface. These commands
allow users to perform various tasks, such as copying, deleting, or moving files, and managing
programs.

6.2 Why are MS-Dos Commands used?

• File Management: MS-Dos commands enable users to navigate through directories and
create, delete, or copy files, enabling efficient file management.
• System Configuration: Users can configure system settings, manage drives, and analyze
hardware issues using MS Dos commands, providing a robust toolkit for system
customization.
• Program Execution: MS-Dos for commands facilitate the execution of programs and
scripts, offering a streamlined approach to launching applications without the need for
graphical interfaces.

6.3 TYPES OF DOS COMMAND

• Internal Commands − Internal commands are the commands that are built into the
command interpreter or the command prompt of the DOS operating system. These
commands do not require a separate executable file to run and can be used directly from
the command prompt.
• External Commands − External commands in DOS are commands that are not built into
the command interpreter, but are separate executable files that need to be located in the
system's path or directory to be executed from the command prompt. External commands
are usually more complex and are used for more advanced tasks than internal commands.

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6.3.1 INTERNAL DOS COMMANDS

Internal or Basic DOS commands are simple and essential commands that users can use to interact
with the file system and execute simple tasks. Here are some examples of basic DOS commands

COMMANDS:-
• DIR − Displays a list of files and directories in the current directory.
• CD − Changes the current directory to a specified directory.
• MD − Creates a new directory.
• RD − Removes an empty directory.
• COPY − Copies a file from one location to another.
• DEL − Deletes a file.
• REN − Renames a file or directory.
• TYPE − Displays the contents of a text file.
• ECHO − Displays messages or turns command echoing on or off.
• VER − Displays the version number of the operating system.
• DATE − Displays or sets the system date.
• TIME − Displays or sets the system time.
• CLS − Clears the screen.
• PROMPT − Change the command prompt.
• TREE − Displays a graphical representation of the directory structure.
• FC − Compares two files or sets of files and displays the differences between them.
• FIND − Searches for a specific string of text in a file or files.
• FINDSTR − Searches for a specific string of text in a file or files, with advanced search
options.
• PATH − Displays or sets the system's path variable, which tells the system where to look
for executable files.
• SET − Displays or sets the values of environment variables, which are used by the system
and other programs.
• SHIFT − Changes the position of command line arguments.

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• SORT − Sorts the contents of a file alphabetically or numerically.

• TIMEOUT − Pauses the command processor for a specified number of seconds.
• VERIFY − Turns file verification on or off.
• VOL − Displays the volume label and serial number of a disk
• APPEND − Allows programs to open data files in specified directories as if they were in
the current directory.
• ASSOC − Displays or modifies file extension associations
• ATTRIB − Displays or modifies the attributes of a file.
• BREAK − Controls the handling of extended keyboard CTRL+C and CTRL+BREAK
input.
• CHCP − Displays or sets the active code page number.
• CHKDSK − Checks a disk for errors and attempts to repair them.
• CLIP − Redirects command output to the Windows clipboard.
• COMP − Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
• CONVERT − Converts a FAT partition to NTFS.

• DEBUG − Starts Debug, a command-line tool for testing and debugging executable
programs.
• DISKCOMP − Compares the contents of two floppy disks.
• DISKCOPY − Copies the entire contents of one floppy disk to another.
• DOSKEY − Provides command-line editing and recall capabilities.
• FCBS − Sets the number of file control blocks used by the system.
• GRAPHICS − Turns graphics mode on or off.

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6.3.2 EXTERNAL COMMAND

COMMANDS :-
• ATTR − Displays or changes file attributes.
• BOOTCFG − Configures, queries, or changes in the system startup settings.
• CHOICE − Allows for a choice to be made from a list of options.
• CIPHER − Displays or changes the encryption of directories and files on NTFS volumes.
• CMDKEY − Creates, lists, or deletes stored user names and passwords or credentials.
• COMMAND − Starts a new instance of the command interpreter.
• DEBUGGER − Starts the kernel debugger for debugging the operating system.
• DEFRAG − Optimizes the file system and increases the performance of the computer.
• DISKPART − Manages disks, partitions, and volumes from the command line.
• DRIVERQUERY − Displays a list of installed device drivers.
• EVENTCREATE − Writes an entry to the application event log.
• EXIT − Exits the command interpreter or batch script.
• FORMAT − Formats a disk for use with Windows.
• FSUTIL − Displays or configures file and volume properties.
• HELP − Provides help information for Windows commands.
• IPCONFIG − Displays network settings information.
• LINK − Creates hard links and symbolic links to files and directories.
• MMC − Starts Microsoft Management Console, a system administration tool.
• NBTSTAT − Displays statistics for NetBIOS over TCP/IP protocols.
• NET − Manages network resources, such as computers, printers, and services.
• OPENFILES − Displays information about open files and the users who opened them.
• PACKAGER − Packages and unpackages files to and from CAB files.
• PING − Verifies network connectivity.
• RDPSIGN − Signs Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) files.

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• REMOTEACCESS − Manages remote access connections and virtual private network

(VPN) connections.
• SC − Configures and manages Windows services.
• SCHTASKS − Schedules commands and programs to run at specific times or events.
• SFC − Scans and verifies the integrity of all protected system files and replaces incorrect
versions with correct Microsoft versions.
• SHUTDOWN − Shut down or restart the local or remote computer.
• TASKLIST − Displays a list of all running processes on the computer.

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CHAPTER – 7
Why is MS-DOS Operating System Used?

• Education and research: It is used in the Education and research field to know how simple
MS-DOS is and how it works. The source code is available from Microsoft in two
versions.
• Legacy systems: Some organizations prefer using MS-DOS because it has been used
reliably over decades whereas others don’t have the budget to upgrade the application since
this process is costly.
• Embedded systems Embedded System are dependent on MS-DOS especially new devices
with x86 processor architecture. It is also used on legacy Embedded systems which have
been used for decades.
• Classic Computer Games: There are still some games that were developed on MS-DOS
and still support only MS-DOS.

HOW TO USED DOS ?

There are currently at least four ways to use MS-DOS:

• Legacy systems, specifically older IBM PC-compatible computers, are still in use. Many
are still running some version of MS-DOS.
• Compatible OSes have been published over the years, including at least two Open Source
implementations of MS-DOS that are still actively maintained. Other MS-DOS-compatible
OSes are commercially available for use in embedded systems.
• MS-DOS emulators are software constructs that virtually reconstruct the experience of
working with MS-DOS.
• Microsoft released the source code and binaries for two versions of MS-DOS to be used
for education and experimentation.

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CHAPTER – 8
ADVANTAGES OF DISADVANTAGES OF MS DOS

ADVANTAGES :
• It is a very lightweight operating system.
• It has less latency as it does not support multitasking.
• The system boot-up process is faster in MS-DOS compared to other OS.
• BIOS [Basic Input Output System] can be directly accessed in the disk operating system
[DOS].
• The programs and applications are considerably fast compared to other OS.

• They are simple to install and update.

• It takes considerably less time to install.

DISADVANTAGES:
• It is limited to very few applications.
• It has a command-line interface that is not very user-friendly.
• The user needs to memorize dos commands to use them.
• Fewer security features.
• Tasks and operating can not be performed on spelling errors.
• The dos command can sometimes be difficult to memorize and learn and execute.

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CHAPTER – 9

9.1 Is MS DOS still used?

MS DOS is not being actively worked on anymore, and it's no longer used widely as a main
operating system. But, there are few special uses for MS DOS today. Some old software and
embedded systems could still depend on MS DOS. Also, people might use MS DOS for solving
problems with computers at low-level tasks like managing systems or running previous programs
using emulators or virtual machines.

9.2 Where is MS DOS used?

MS DOS is applied mainly in outdated systems, embedded devices, and particular environments
where there's a need for compatibility with old software or hardware. It can also be used for
educational purposes, like teaching students about operating system ideas and command-line
interfaces.

9.3 Why is MS DOS important?

MS DOS was very important at the beginning of personal computing. It gave a base for software
to run and hardware sources to be managed, leading to the creation of operating systems that are
more complex such as Microsoft Windows. MS DOS also impacted how modern command-line
interfaces are designed and structured.

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CHAPTER 10
CONCLUSION

MS-DOS allows the user to navigate, open, and otherwise manipulate files on their computer from
a command line instead of a GUI like Windows. Although it is not widely used nowadays,
however, the command shell, also known as the Windows command line, is still used by many
users. Legacy systems, specifically older IBM PC-compatible computers, are still in use. Many
are still running some versions of MS-DOS. Compatible OSes have been published over the years,
including at least two open-source implementations of MS-DOS that are still actively maintained.
It’s still around supporting legacy usually standalone applications, generally because they work
well and the applications would be expensive and risky to “modernize”.

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REFERENCES

BOOKS

Title of Books Author Publication

Operating system Silberschatz, Galvin John wiley and sons , Ninth

Concepts Edition , 2015

Operating System Das, Sumitabha McGraw Hill Education ,

2015

LINKS:

o https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/ms-dos-operating-system/
o https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/definition/M
S-DOS
o https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/DOS

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