menudefault MS-DOS Command

Type: Internal (6.0 and later)

Syntax:

MENUDEFAULT=blockname, [timeout]

Purpose: Used in the CONFIG.SYS file to set the startup configuration that will be used by DOS if no key is pressed within the specified timeout period.

Discussion

You can only use one MENUDEFAULT= line within a menu block in your CONFIG.SYS file. The default menu option that you specify with the MENUDEFAULT command will only be executed if you do not select another option within the specified timeout period. You can also stop the timeout count by pressing any key on the keyboard during the timeout period. Then you can select an alternative option by using the arrow keys to move the highlight from one option to the next, or by entering the line number of the option you want to execute. For more information on the MENUDEFAULT command, refer to Chapter 6, Tips for Advanced Users.

Options

blockname – Specifies the menu line that DOS will highlight when the menu is displayed. timeout – Specifies the number of seconds (0 to 90) that DOS will wait before starting the system using the default menu option, if no other option is selected. If 0 is used, the specified option will immediately be executed.

Example

If you want to create a menu in your CONFIG.SYS file that provides a number of configuration options upon system startup, any one of the menuitems could serve as the default menu option that will be activated if no option is chosen. The following example designates the menu option named NORMAL as the default option: menudefault=normal, 30 DOS will automatically select the NORMAL option after 30 seconds.