Executing file in DOS

[FZWG]

Appreciate some help. Is it possible to execute a file with an .exe extension in DOS? If so, how is it done?

For example, have file, lets say: abc.exe on a floppy disk in the A:\ drive, and want to execute the file to drive D:\.

The PC in question has no OS at this time, just a PRI DOS partition, and an EXT DOS partition.

Any words of wisdom as to how this is done?

[Rapmaster]

I'm not sure what you mean by "execute it to the D drive" ... do you want to copy it?

You don't execute programs "to" anything... you just execute them (unless it is some kind of utility that will do a specific thing to a drive, like virus scanning, but I am talking general here not specifics)

You will need to load an operating system in order to do anything... otherwise how are going to type commands? A DOS boot disk (floppy) should be fine for this, it will give you access to the hard drive(s)


To run the program, you just type its name. You can even leave the .exe part out. DOS will then search for a program with this name in the current drive+directory (as well as other directories specified in something called the "search PATH" which is usually defined upon startup.) If it finds a program it will run it. To run ABC.EXE located in the current directory on the current drive, you would type ABC or ABC.EXE (you only need to be specific with the ".exe" part if there is another program with the same first name, like "ABC.COM" or "ABC.BAT", or if the filename has the same name as a built in DOS command like "DIR")

I started typing more, but it got to be too much.

Try these DOS tutorials. I read over them and it should cover everything I wanted to type http://www.glue.umd.edu/~nsw/ench250/dostutor.htm
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jchap/tvdt.htm


Also if the .exe files in question are designed to run under Windows, you will get an error message if you try running them in DOS.

[Vernon Frazee]

A file with an extension of ".exe" contains a set of encoded instructions, a "program" file.

To "execute a program" is to cause it to begin performing its encoded instructions. (In other words, "execute" means the same thing as "start", "run" or "launch" a program).

To execute a program in MS-DOS you simply tell DOS exactly where the program file is located. For example, if you have a program named "abc.exe" stored in the root directory of drive A:, you type:

• a:\abc.exe

and press [Enter]. That's all there is to it. The instructions contained within "a:\abc.exe" will begin to perform their task.

If "a:\abc.exe" is a self-extracting compressed file, and you want it to extract its contents to the root directory of drive D:, the command would be:

• a:\abc.exe d:\

http://www.computerseasy.com/easydos/messages/1044.html

[FZWG]

Thanks for the info and the links.
Very rusty on DOS.

Have one more question.

If you have a hard drive partitioned and formatted into C: and D:, with no OS installed, and use a bootdisk to get to A:\, is it possible to run scandisk on C & D? If it is, appreciate knowing how.

[Rapmaster]

yes


But you will need the scandisk program (scandisk.exe) on the disk. I think it will fit. It doesn't even need to be the same disk that you boot up with: you can put it on another floppy and switch the disks as needed.

[FZWG]

Good.

Thanks for the info.