Resources for Disk Operating System (DOS)

Tools for using DOS.
Accounting Spreadsheets and Calculators

Sources of spreadsheets and calculators for accounting. more »

Call Accounting Software

Business directory to call accounting software. more »

Accounting Database Software

Offering industry database software. more »

Accounting Software

Business directory of software for accounting and accounting software system providers. Quickly find small business accounting software for your financial management and bookkeepin… more »

Accounts Payable Software

Vendors of accounts payable software and bill management solutions. Research accounts payable system providers offering small business accounts payable programs. Find account payab… more »

Get Your Business Listed

Get your business listed on this page

Reach active buyers and immediately increase your visibility

Get Started
Accounts Receivable Software

Providers of accounts receivable software for managing payments. Review A/R software vendors offering accounts receivable software applications for small to mid-sized businesses. I… more »

Disk Operating System (DOS) Key Terms

DOS is short for Disk Operating System. It is the name for a number of closely related operating systems that came standard with nearly all IBM PC compatible computers from 1985 to 1991. Even as late as 2000, Microsoft operating systems such as 95, 98 and ME were partially DOS-based. The allure of DOS is that it has a command-line interface that is incredibly fast and easy to work with. There is some specific terminology that will help you make the most of DOS.

MS-DOS, PC DOS, DR-DOS

While DOS is usually shorthand for MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), there are numerous other flavors. Some of these are MS-DOS, PC DOS, DR-DOS, FreeDOS, PTS-DOS, ROM-DOS and JM-OS. All DOS-type operating systems run on x86 Intel-compatible CPUs, mainly IBM PC and compatibles.

Autoexec.bat and config.sys

MS-DOS and early versions of Windows such as 3.x use the autoexec.bat and config.sys files to centralize the loading of files that various devices and the operating system need to run properly. These files are most commonly edited by using the EDIT command in MS-DOS.

Batch files

Batch files are text files, ending in the extension *.bat, that contain a series of commands to be run by the operating system. In DOS, a shell program (usually COMMAND.COM or cmd.exe) reads the file and executes its commands line-by-line. Batch files are an excellent way to automate tedious tasks.

Hard disk partitions

DOS had an upper limit as far as partition size, mostly due to the fact that it didn't support any file system newer than FAT16. FAT16 wouldn't allow hard disk partitions larger than 2.1 gigabytes.

8.3 filenames

Because it used the FAT16 file system, DOS required use of what is known as 8.3 filenames. This means that filenames in DOS are restricted to eight characters and filename extensions are restricted to three.

Command line interface

All DOS systems use a command line interface. This means programs are started by entering their filename at the command prompt. Running programs from the command line requires fewer keystrokes and is generally much faster than operating through a graphical user interface or GUI.
Stephen Gilbert has written an excellent guide to using the DOS command line interface. AnimatedSoftware.com has a glossary of vital DOS commands.