DR DOS 9.0 USER GUIDE ========== Copyright (c) 2022-2026 Whitehorn Ltd. Co. All rights reserved. DR DOS is a registered trademark of Whitehorn Ltd. Co. WHITEHORN LTD. CO. 3963 S Highway 97 #214 Sand Springs, OK 74063 DISCLAIMER Whitehorn Ltd. Co. provides this publication "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This publication may include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of Whitehorn Ltd. Co. FIRST EDITION: JANUARY 2026 =============================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS =============================================================================== Chapter 1 ......................................... Getting Started Chapter 2 ......................................... Working with Files Chapter 3 ......................................... Working with Directories Chapter 4 ......................................... Running Programs Chapter 5 ......................................... Command Reference Appendix A ........................................ Error Messages Glossary =============================================================================== CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED =============================================================================== WHAT IS DR DOS? DR DOS 9.0 is a disk operating system. It provides the essential services that allow you to run programs, manage files, and organize your hard disk. When you turn on your computer, DR DOS loads automatically and presents you with a command prompt. THE COMMAND PROMPT After DR DOS starts, you will see a prompt that looks like this: C:\> This prompt tells you: - The current drive (C:) - The current directory (\, the root) - That the system is ready for your command (>) You type commands at this prompt and press ENTER to execute them. DRIVES AND DRIVE LETTERS DR DOS identifies disk drives with letters: A: First floppy diskette drive B: Second floppy diskette drive (if present) C: First hard disk partition D: Second hard disk partition (if present) To switch to a different drive, type the drive letter followed by a colon and press ENTER: C:\>A: A:\> The prompt changes to show your new current drive. CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS MANUAL Commands are shown in UPPERCASE: DIR COPY Parameters you supply are shown in lowercase: COPY source destination Optional parameters are shown in brackets: DIR [drive:] Literal characters you must type exactly are shown as-is: C:\DOS\ =============================================================================== CHAPTER 2: WORKING WITH FILES =============================================================================== FILE NAMES Every file has a name consisting of up to 8 characters, optionally followed by a period and an extension of up to 3 characters: LETTER.TXT REPORT.DOC COMMAND.COM AUTOEXEC.BAT The extension often indicates the type of file: .COM Executable program .EXE Executable program .TXT Text file .BAT Batch file (script of DOS commands) File names cannot contain these characters: < > : " | ? * / \ WILDCARD CHARACTERS Two special characters help you work with groups of files: * Matches any sequence of characters ? Matches any single character Examples: *.TXT All files with .TXT extension REPORT.* All files named REPORT with any extension FILE?.DOC FILE1.DOC, FILE2.DOC, FILEA.DOC, etc. VIEWING FILES: DIR The DIR command displays a list of files in a directory. Syntax: DIR [filespec] Examples: DIR List all files in current directory DIR *.TXT List all .TXT files DIR A: List all files on drive A: DIR displays the file name, size in bytes, and the total number of files found. VIEWING FILE CONTENTS: TYPE The TYPE command displays the contents of a text file on screen. Syntax: TYPE filename Example: TYPE README.TXT NOTE: TYPE is an external command. The file TYPE.COM must be in the current directory or in the \DOS\ directory for this command to work. WARNING: Using TYPE on a program file (.COM or .EXE) will display meaningless characters and may cause your screen to behave erratically. Only use TYPE on text files. COPYING FILES: COPY The COPY command makes a duplicate of a file. Syntax: COPY source destination Examples: COPY LETTER.TXT LETTER.BAK COPY A:DATA.TXT C:\DOCS\DATA.TXT COPY REPORT.DOC A: When copying to a drive without specifying a filename, the original name is preserved. NOTE: The COPY command copies one file at a time. Wildcard characters are not supported in this version. MOVING FILES: MOVE The MOVE command relocates a file from one location to another. Unlike COPY, the original file is removed after a successful move. Syntax: MOVE source destination Examples: MOVE OLDFILE.TXT NEWFILE.TXT MOVE C:\DOCS\LETTER.TXT A:\BACKUP\ When moving to a directory, if the destination already exists, MOVE will ask whether to overwrite it. NOTE: MOVE is an external command. The file MOVE.COM must be in the current directory or in the \DOS\ directory. =============================================================================== CHAPTER 3: WORKING WITH DIRECTORIES =============================================================================== WHAT IS A DIRECTORY? A directory is a container for files. Directories can contain other directories, creating a tree-like structure for organizing your files. Every disk has a root directory, indicated by a single backslash (\). All other directories branch from the root. Example directory structure: C:\ \DOS\ COMMAND.COM TYPE.COM MOVE.COM \DOCS\ LETTER.TXT REPORT.DOC \PROGRAMS\ EDITOR.EXE PATHS A path describes the location of a file or directory. It consists of an optional drive letter, followed by a series of directory names separated by backslashes, ending with a filename: C:\DOCS\LETTER.TXT This path indicates: - Drive C: - In the DOCS directory - The file LETTER.TXT CHANGING DIRECTORIES: CD The CD (Change Directory) command changes your current directory or displays the current directory path. Syntax: CD [path] Examples: CD Display current directory CD \ Go to root directory CD \DOCS Go to DOCS directory CD .. Go to parent directory CD SUBDIR Go to subdirectory named SUBDIR The CD command can also be typed as CHDIR. =============================================================================== CHAPTER 4: RUNNING PROGRAMS =============================================================================== EXECUTABLE FILES Programs are stored as executable files with .COM or .EXE extensions. To run a program, type its name (with or without the extension) and press ENTER: EDIT EDIT.COM MYPROG.EXE DR DOS searches for the program in this order: 1. Current directory, with .COM extension 2. Current directory, with .EXE extension 3. \DOS\ directory, with .COM extension 4. \DOS\ directory, with .EXE extension PASSING PARAMETERS TO PROGRAMS Most programs accept parameters that control their behavior. Type the parameters after the program name, separated by spaces: TYPE README.TXT COPY FILE1.TXT FILE2.TXT MOVE /? Consult the documentation for each program to learn its parameters. EXITING PROGRAMS Most programs return to the DOS prompt when they finish. Some programs require you to type a command like EXIT or QUIT, or press a key combination. Consult each program's documentation. THE EXIT COMMAND The EXIT command terminates the command interpreter. On most systems, this will return you to the program that started COMMAND.COM. If you type EXIT at the main DOS prompt (after booting), the system may restart or halt. Use EXIT only when instructed by a program. =============================================================================== CHAPTER 5: COMMAND REFERENCE =============================================================================== This chapter describes all available DR DOS commands in alphabetical order. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CD - Change Directory ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes the current directory or displays the current directory path. Syntax: CD [drive:][path] Parameters: drive: The drive containing the directory (optional) path The directory to change to Examples: CD Display current directory CD \ Change to root directory CD .. Change to parent directory CD \DOS Change to \DOS directory CD SUBDIR Change to SUBDIR within current directory Notes: - CD and CHDIR are identical commands. - To change drives, type the drive letter followed by a colon (for example, A:) rather than using CD. Related commands: DIR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHDIR - Change Directory ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Identical to CD. See CD for details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COPY - Copy Files ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copies a file from one location to another. Syntax: COPY source destination Parameters: source The file to copy destination The target filename or directory Examples: COPY README.TXT README.BAK COPY A:DATA.TXT C:\BACKUP\ COPY LETTER.DOC A: Notes: - If the destination is a drive letter only (e.g., A:), the file is copied with the same name. - If the destination file already exists, it is overwritten without warning. - This version of COPY does not support wildcard characters. Related commands: MOVE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIR - Directory Listing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory. Syntax: DIR [drive:][path][filespec] Parameters: drive: The drive to list (optional) path The directory to list (optional) filespec File specification, may include wildcards (optional) Examples: DIR List current directory DIR *.TXT List all .TXT files DIR A: List files on drive A: DIR \DOS List files in \DOS directory DIR C:\*.COM List all .COM files in root of C: Output: The listing shows: - Volume label (if any) - Directory path - File names and sizes - Subdirectories (marked with ) - Total number of files and bytes Related commands: CD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXIT - Exit Command Interpreter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terminates the command interpreter (COMMAND.COM). Syntax: EXIT Parameters: None Notes: - If COMMAND.COM was started by another program, EXIT returns to that program. - If EXIT is typed at the initial DOS prompt, results may vary depending on system configuration. WARNING: Do not type EXIT at the main system prompt unless you understand the consequences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVE - Move Files ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moves a file from one location to another, removing the original. Syntax: MOVE source destination Parameters: source The file to move destination The target filename or directory Examples: MOVE OLD.TXT NEW.TXT MOVE C:\DOCS\FILE.TXT A:\BACKUP\ MOVE *.BAK D:\ARCHIVE\ Notes: - MOVE is an external command; MOVE.COM must be available. - If the destination file exists, MOVE will prompt before overwriting. - Enter Y for yes, N for no, or A to overwrite all remaining files without prompting. - MOVE supports wildcard characters in the source filespec. Related commands: COPY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REBOOT - Restart System ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Restarts the computer. Syntax: REBOOT Parameters: None Notes: - REBOOT is an external command; REBOOT.COM must be available. - All unsaved work will be lost. - This performs a warm boot (restart) of the system. WARNING: Save all work before using REBOOT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TYPE - Display File Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Displays the contents of a text file on screen. Syntax: TYPE filename Parameters: filename The file to display Examples: TYPE README.TXT TYPE C:\DOCS\LETTER.DOC Notes: - TYPE is an external command; TYPE.COM must be available. - Use TYPE only on text files. Binary files will display meaningless characters. - Long files will scroll past quickly. There is no built-in way to pause the display. Related commands: COPY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VER - Display Version ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Displays the DR DOS version number. Syntax: VER Parameters: None Output: DR DOS 9.0 Copyright 2022-2026 Whitehorn Ltd. Co., All Rights Reserved =============================================================================== APPENDIX A: ERROR MESSAGES =============================================================================== This appendix lists error messages you may encounter and their meanings. Bad command or file name The command you typed is not a built-in command, and no program with that name was found in the current directory or in \DOS\. Solution: Check the spelling of the command. Verify that the program file exists in the expected location. File not found The file you specified does not exist. Solution: Check the spelling of the filename. Use DIR to verify the file exists in the expected location. Invalid directory The directory path you specified does not exist. Solution: Check the spelling of the directory name. Use DIR to see available directories. Required parameter missing A command requires a parameter that you did not provide. Solution: Check the command syntax and provide all required parameters. Unable to create destination file The system could not create the destination file. Solution: Verify that the destination directory exists and that the disk is not write-protected or full. Read error An error occurred while reading from the disk. Solution: The disk may be damaged. Try the operation again. If the problem persists, the disk may need to be replaced. Write error An error occurred while writing to the disk. Solution: The disk may be full, write-protected, or damaged. Check disk space and write-protect status. Access denied You attempted to access a file that is protected. Solution: The file may be read-only or in use by another program. =============================================================================== GLOSSARY =============================================================================== Batch file A text file containing a series of DOS commands, executed in sequence. Batch files have the .BAT extension. Boot The process of starting up a computer and loading the operating system. Command interpreter The program (COMMAND.COM) that displays the DOS prompt and executes your commands. Command prompt The text displayed by DOS (e.g., C:\>) indicating it is ready to accept a command. Current directory The directory where DOS looks for files by default. Displayed in the command prompt. Directory A container for files and other directories, used to organize the contents of a disk. Drive A device that reads and writes data to storage media. Identified by a letter (A:, B:, C:, etc.). Extension The part of a filename after the period, typically indicating the file type. Limited to 3 characters. External command A command that exists as a separate program file (.COM or .EXE) rather than being built into COMMAND.COM. FAT16 File Allocation Table (16-bit). The filesystem used by DR DOS to organize files on disk. File A named collection of data stored on disk. Internal command A command built into COMMAND.COM, always available without needing a separate program file. Parameter Information provided to a command that modifies its behavior. Path The complete specification of a file's location, including drive, directories, and filename. Root directory The top-level directory on a disk, from which all other directories branch. Wildcard A special character (* or ?) that matches multiple characters in a filename, used to specify groups of files. =============================================================================== END OF USER GUIDE =============================================================================== WHITEHORN LTD. CO. 3963 S Highway 97 #214 Sand Springs, OK 74063 DR DOS is a registered trademark of Whitehorn Ltd. Co. Copyright (c) 2022-2026 Whitehorn Ltd. Co. All rights reserved.