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Is DOS Really Dead?

Is DOS dead? The short but ambiguous answer is: yes and no. MS-DOS is no longer available as a stand-alone operating system, but the DOS kernel is still there under the hood, up through Windows 98. Even Windows 2000 and Windows XP, which are built on the NT kernel, have a command line where you can enter text-based DOS commands. Of course in Windows XP it’s now hidden away, like some senile old relative that you don’t want to take out in public. You can find it at All Programs-Accessories-Command Prompt.

Any of you old enough to have become familiar with the DOS command line know that it gives you an extra edge, a level of control and understanding that is not available to those young whippersnappers who cut their teeth on a GUI. In fact, our latest A+ course includes 3 chapters on DOS even though it’s not on the exam, for the simple reason that it gives you a grasp of what the operating system is doing that you just can’t get from point-and-click.

So, although you could say that DOS is dead, the DOS command line is still alive and well. In fact, it’s so versatile that XP has actually added some command-line functions that weren’t even around the last time you used plain old DOS. Below you will find a list of some of these new commands, along with some old ones you might have forgotten. As always, you can use them with a switch of /? to learn more about the command and its available options (arguments). Happy typing!

Bootcfg -View your boot loader settings, such as the default OS and the selection timeout, as well as boot entries and load options.

Diskpart - Manages the disk partitions. After you type "diskpart" into your command prompt, your prompt will become "DISKPART." Type a question mark to get a list of possible arguments. Type exit to leave diskpart.

Driverquery –This will get you a nice list of your drivers and their properties.

Fsutil – Here’s a handy command. You can do everything from managing your hardlinks to querying the free space in a volume. Type "fsutil" into your command prompt, and you'll see a list of options. I choose "fsinfo" from the list, so I type "fsutil fsinfo" into the prompt. Now I get even more options, but I choose drives by typing "fsutil fsinfo drives." It's fun, it's easy, and you'll get the hang of it. Explore this utility. There are a lot of cool features and hidden twists.

Getmac - This gets the MAC (Media Access Control) address.

Gpresult - Get the RSoP, user settings, and computer group policy settings. (RsoP is a utility to monitor and organize network group policies. It stands for Resultant Set of Policy).

Helpctr - Starts the Help and Support Center.

Ipseccmd - Configures Internet protocol security (IPSec) policies in the directory service or in a local or remote Registry. Ipseccmd is a command-line version of the IP Security Policies snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

Netsh - A network configuration tool. Type "netsh" to enter the tool, or "netsh /?" to learn more about it. To exit this tool, type "exit" at the"netsh>" prompt.

Openfiles - Allows an administrator to display or disconnect open files in XP professional. Type "openfiles /?" for a list of possible parameters.

Pagefileconfig - Displays and configures the paging file Virtual Memory settings of a system.

Prncnfg - Configures or displays configuration information about a printer.

Prnjobs - Pauses, resumes, cancels, and lists print jobs.

Recover - This command attempts to recover readable information from a damaged disk. Type "recover" to get the syntax.

Reg - The console registry tool. Get syntax help when you type "reg" into the prompt. You can export the registry, copy, restore, compare, and more.

Schtasks - The administrator can schedule, run, change, or delete tasks on a local or remote machine. Type "schtasks /?" (without the quotes) for a list of options.

Sfc - The system file checker scans protected system files and if you (or your applications) have hacked any beyond repair, it will replace them with the real, official Microsoft versions. Type "sfc" into the command prompt to get a list of options.

Shutdown - You can shut down or restart your own computer, or an administrator can shut down or restart a remote computer. Type "shutdown" into your command prompt to see a list of possible arguments.

Systeminfo - Basic system configuration information, such as the system type, the processor type, your time zone, your virtual memory settings, and much more.

Tasklist - Want to know what's going on behind the scenes? Type "tasklist" into the command prompt, and get a list of current processes.

Taskkill - Now that you know what's going on behind the scenes, maybe you want to shut a few of these extraneous tasks down. That's where taskkill comes in. Type "taskkill /?" for a quick lesson in the syntax of the command, then shut down all those random processes. I just killed my MS messenger by typing "taskkill /PID 1680." I got the PID (product identification) by running tasklist, above.

Typeperf - Writes performance-counter data to the command window or to a supported log file format.

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