General

Type: External (6.0 and later) Syntax: MSD [/I][/F[d:][path][filename] [/P[d:][path][filename] [/S[d:][path][filename] MSD [/B][/I] Purpose: Provides detailed technical information about your computer. Discussion MSD allows you to examine technical information about your computer in two different formats. You can use the MSD interface or you can create a report. Detailed information about …

Type: Internal (6.0 and later) Syntax: MENUITEM=blockname, [menutext] Purpose: Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to create a start-up menu from which you can select a group of CONFIG.SYS commands to be processed upon reboot. Discussion The MENUITEM command can be used only within a menu block in your CONFIG.SYS file. …

Type: Internal (3.3 and later) Syntax: CALL [d:][path]batchfilename [options ] Purpose: Calls another batch file and then returns to the current batch file to continue processing. Discussion Used within a batch file to specify the name of another batch file (a file with the .BAT filename extension). The original batch …

Type: External (3.3 and later) Syntax: FASTOPEN d:[=n][/X] Purpose: Keeps track of the locations of files for fast access. Discussion FASTOPEN locates files on a fixed disk by searching your disk`s directory structure in a predetermined search pattern. After running FASTOPEN, each time you use a file or directory, the …

Type: External (2.0 and later) Syntax: SORT [/R][/+n] < (filename) SORT [/R][/+n] > (filename2) Purpose: Sorts input and sends it to the screen or to a file. Discussion SORT is a filter command (reads from input, transforms it, and outputs it to the screen, to a file, or to a …

Type: External (5.0 and later) Syntax: UNFORMAT d: [/J][/L][/test][/partn][/P][/U] Purpose: Used to undo the effects of formatting a disk. Discussion The UNFORMAT command is used to recover files on a disk that have been erased by using the FORMAT command. NOTE: The UNFORMAT command cannot always recover all the files …

Type: Internal (2.0 and later) Syntax: BUFFERS=(number),(read-ahead number) Purpose: Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to set the number of disk buffers (a number from 1 to 99) that will be available for use during data input. Also used to set a value for the number of sectors to be read …

Type: External (1.0 and later) Syntax: DISKCOPY [d:] [d:][/1][/V][/M] Purpose: Makes an exact copy of a diskette. Discussion This command is used only for copying diskettes, not fixed disks. The first drive you specify is the drive for the source diskette. The second is the drive for the target diskette. …

Type: External (6.0 and later) Syntax: MSCDEX /D:driver [/D:driver2. . .] [/E][/K][/S][/V][/L:letter] [/M:number] Purpose: Used to gain access to CD-ROM drives. Discussion MSCDEX can be loaded from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or from the command prompt to gain access to CD-ROM drives. The device driver that came with your CD-ROM must …

VOL (Volume) Type: Internal (2.0 and later) Syntax: VOL [d:] Purpose: Displays a disk’s volume label. Discussion The VOL command is used to display the volume label. It is not used to add or change the volume label on a disk. For information on how to create, change, or delete …