MS-DOS

FOC (UNIT 5)
INTRODUCTION
• Short for Microsoft Disk Operating System, MS-DOS is a
non-graphical command line operating system derived from
86-DOS that was created for IBM compatible computers.
MS-DOS originally written by Tim Paterson and introduced
by Microsoft in August 1981.
• MS-Dos is a single tasking, single user, non-graphical
command line operating system. Originally developed for use
with IBM’s earliest line of personal home computers, MS-DOS
is one of the most successful operating systems of its kind. As
an operating system, DOS is simple, compact, and remarkably
robust; especially considering its age.
FAT- FILE SYSTEM
FAT (File Allocation Table)
• A file allocation table (FAT) is a file system developed for hard
drives that originally used 12 or 16 bits for each cluster entry
into the file allocation table. It is used by the operating system
(OS) to manage files on hard drives and other computer
systems. It is often also found on in flash memory, digital
cameras and portable devices. It is used to store file
information and extend the life of a hard drive.
• Most hard drives require a process known as seeking; this is
the actual physical searching and positioning of the read/write
head of the drive. The FAT file system was designed to reduce
the amount of seeking and thus minimize the wear and tear on
the hard disc.
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE AND
NAMING RULES IN DOS
• File naming rules – A file name has two parts primary name
and extension. 8.3 file name convention is used i.e. <8
characters for filename>.<3 chars for extension>. But special
characters can not be used in file name as \ / : * ? ” < > |
• VFAT, a variant of FAT with an extended directory format, was
introduced in Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.5. It allowed
mixed-case Unicode long filenames (LFNs) in addition to
classic 8.3 names.
• 8.3 filenames have at most eight characters, optionally
followed by a period “.” and a filename extension of at most
three characters.
BOOTING
• When the computer is switched on, the firmware program in
Read Only Memory(ROM) also called Basic Input-Output
System(BIOS) reads programs and data i.e. Operating System
and loads it into memory (RAM). This process is known
Bootstrapping(Booting). The OS once loaded takes control of
the computer, handles user interaction and executes
application programs.
BOOTING SEQUENCE
• During Booting process, computer loads the operating system
into its memory.

• DOS booting involves reading following files into memory

namely IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND COM.

• The Basic Input/Output Program (IO.SYS): This program

provides interface between the hardware devices and software
of the system. It takes care of the keyboard input, character
output to monitor, output to printer and time of the day. The File
and Disk Manager
• Program (MSDOS.SYS) : It contains the file management and
the disk buffering management capabilities. It keeps track of all
the disk access of an application program and remains
permanently in memory. The Command Processor

• (COMMAND.COM) : It is also called command interpreter. It is

the program that displays the system prompt and handles user
interface by executing the command typed in by the user using
keyboard.
CONFIG.SYS
• This file contains reference to device drivers which are loaded
when OS takes control of the computer.

• This device drivers are required for configuring operating

system for running special devices.
AUTOEXEC.BAT
• This is a special batch program that is automatically executed when the
system is started.

• It can be used to define keys, define the path that MS-DOS uses to find
files, display messages on the screen etc.

• It will be executed only if it exists in the root directory or the diskette from
which the system is loaded.

• Each time the system is started, MS-DOS executes the commands stored
in AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

• One can run it without restarting the system by typing AUTOEXEC at the
command prompt.
DOS COMMANDS
• Any instruction given to the computer to perform a
specific task is called command.

• The DOS has several commands, each for a particular task

and these are stored in DOS directory on the disk. The
commands are of two types :

• Internal Commands

• External Commands
INTERNAL
COMMANDS
• These are in built commands of MS-DOS i.e. these are stored
in Command interpreter file (COMMAND.COM).

• These commands reside in the memory as long as the

machine is at he system prompt(C:\>) level.

• To use these commands no extra /external file is required. E.g.

DATE, TIME, DIR, VER etc
EXTERNAL
COMMANDS
• These are separate program (.com) files that reside in DOS
directory and when executed behave like commands. An
external command has predefined syntax. for e.g. HELP,
DOSKEY, BACKUP, RESTORE, FORMAT etc.
BASIC DOS
COMMANDS
• Directory Commands
• File-Management Commands
• General Commands
EXECUTABLE AND NON
EXECUTABLE FILE IN DOS
• The main difference between executable and non executable
files is that the executable files are directly executed by the
CPU while the non executable files are not directly
executed by the CPU.
• An executable file is executed by the CPU when opening the
file. It can be a compiled program or a script. The main
executable file format for Windows is .EXE while Mac
Computers has the .APP format. However, it is important to
avoid running executable files from unknown sources as they
may contain malicious code. Directly running unreliable
executable files can affect the data and resources in the
computer.
• Other file types such as audio, image, video, word,
spreadsheet, data files fall under non-executable files. These
files are not directly executable by the CPU. Moreover, they
can have various file formats depending on the file type.