List of useful and frequently used DOS Commands

This list of DOS commands is very useful when repairing Windows after a system crash when Windows doesn’t load and the only option you have is a Dos command prompt. Use the “help” command to find the usage and details of any particular command e.g. C:\>help copy

• CHDIR – Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
• CHKDSK – Checks a disk and displays a status report.
• CLS – Clears the screen.
• COMP – Compares two groups of files to find information that does not match.
• COPY – Copies and appends files.
• DATE – Displays and/or sets the system date.
• DEFRAG – Optimizes disk performance by reorganizing the files on the disk.
• DEL – Deletes files from disk.
• DELTREE – Deletes a directory including all files and subdirectories that are in it.
• DIR – Displays directory of files and directories stored on disk.
• DISKCOMP – Compares the contents of two diskettes.
• ECHO – Displays messages or turns on or off the display of commands in a batch file.
• EDIT – Starts the MS-DOS editor, a text editor used to create and edit ASCII text files.
• EXIT – Exits a secondary command processor.
• EXPAND – Expands a compressed file.
• FASTHELP – Displays a list of DOS commands with a brief explanation of each.
• FIND – Finds and reports the location of a specific string of text characters in one or more files.
• FOR – Performs repeated execution of commands (for both batch processing and interactive processing).
• FORMAT – Formats a disk to accept DOS files.
• GRAPHICS – Provides a way to print contents of a graphics screen display.
• IF – Allows for conditional operations in batch processing.
• LABEL – Creates or changes or deletes a volume label for a disk.
• MEM – Displays amount of installed and available memory, including extended, expanded, and upper memory.
• MKDIR – Creates a new subdirectory.
• MORE – Sends output to console, one screen at a time.
• MOVE – Moves one or more files to the location you specify. Can also be used to rename directories.
• PATH – Sets or displays directories that will be searched for programs not in the current directory.
• RENAME – Changes the filename under which a file is stored.
• RMDIR – Removes a subdirectory.
• SORT – Sorts input and sends it to the screen or to a file.
• XCOPY – Copies directories, subdirectories, and files.