windows 98 and DOS

[Doug Gentry]

This may sound rather dumb but I'm sorry. I use win 98 SE and I was over at the DOS> and I needed to find out all the available commands. so I type in"fasthelp"..bad command or file name....HMmmmmmm...What version of dos runs under win 98? Thanks you..

[cebb]

How did you get to dos? Did this happen when you restart your computer and does not get into dos? If you just want commands, try visiting www.computerhope.com (http://www.computerhope.com)

[robwes]

MS-DOS 7 it's a cut back version of dos that supports long file names and fat32. Whats left of Dos in Dos 7 can be found in the \windows\command\ directory. No help files but help can be found by using /? after the command.

[Doug Gentry]

Yup, it must of been back in the win 95 os that I used the either Doshelp or fasthelp to show me all the dos commands that I could use. I was just trying to do a little brush up when I tryed to do this in 98 and it wouldn't work. Oh well no biggie. But now I have another question. Does the windows 2000 have a dos propmt in it? like in 98 or 95 you can go to start, programs, Dos Promt? Iask this because I was talking with of my friends the other day that he was tring to do something with a 2000 install and he was looking for the Dos Prompt and he said it's not there. Anyway thanks for all the great info and the good pointers in here.

[davidgsmith]

Hi Doug,
Here is a good DOS Web Page if you want to brush up. http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm

To check the version of DOS on your machine, from the C:\> type the following: ver then press enter.

Good Luck,
Dave http://www.geocities.com/asdf85016/smoke.gif


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[JackLothian]

Windows 2000 was orginally called NT5. Like in NT, DOS does not truly exist in Win2000. Like NT it does sort of have a DOS emulator. The emulator is not 100% DOS compatible.

By the way, I didn't think Win95 retained all the DOS commands either. Is the Win95 version you are talking about an upgrade of WFWG 3.1? Most of the missing DOS commands can be added back to Win95 & Win98, if you really want that. You may have to use "setver" to get them to work but I think most DOS 6.22 commands should work.

Unlike NT, both Win95 & Win98 run on top of DOS.

[Vernon Frazee]

Windows 9x/MS-DOS versions
--------------------------------
 
Typing ver in a DOS window while running:

Windows 95 (sometimes referred to as Windows 95a), returns the string Windows 95. [Version 4.00.950]
 
Windows 95 OSR2* (sometimes referred to as Windows 95B), returns the string Windows 95. [Version 4.00.1111]
 
Windows 98 (I believe it's an original OEM version), returns the string Windows 98 [Version 4.10.1998]

If you browse the IO.SYS and COMMAND.COM for each version they all contain the same identical string:
 
   MS-DOS Version 7 (C)Copyright 1981-1995 Microsoft Corp Licensed Material - Property of Microsoft All rights reserved
 
The only way I know to tell which version of DOS is running is with the "MSD/S" command. When running:

Windows 95, the "OS Version:" line contains "MS-DOS 7.00"
 
Windows 95B, the "OS Version:" line contains "MS-DOS 7.10"
 
Windows 98, the "OS Version:" line contains "MS-DOS 7.10"

*OSR2 = Original equipment manufacturer, Service Release 2; (i.e., the version that introduced us to FAT32)
 
MS-DOS HELP
---------------
 
Some Windows 9x CD's contain MS-DOS version 6.22's HELP command in the x:\other\oldmsdos directory. (Where x: is the drive letter for your CD-ROM drive).
 
If you have it and would like to install it on your system, type:
 
   copy x:\other\oldmsdos c:\windows\command
 
Now you can type "HELP" or "HELP command-name" (not the quotes) at any DOS prompt.
 
If you don't have HELP on your Windows 9x CD, I have converted the entire contents (165 files, 1160 hyperlinks) to HTML and made it available here:
 
   MS-DOS v6.22 Help: Command Reference (http://vernon.frazee.net/ms-dos/6.22/help/index.htm)
 
Windows 2000 DOS links
--------------------------
 
Using Windows 2000 Command Reference (http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/professional/help/ntcmds_o.htm)
Command Reference (http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/professional/help/ntcmds.htm) (Click on "E" and note that good 'ol EDLIN is back!)
Batch Commands (http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/professional/help/batch_cmds.htm)
What's new or different from MS-DOS (http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/professional/help/dos_diffs.htm)

[This message has been edited by Vernon Frazee (edited 06-29-2000).]

[Doug Gentry]

Wow. More DOS stuff than you can shake a stick at. Thanks for all the information. That pretty much answers all the questions I can come up with now. Thanks again..