What is/was your favourite DOS command?

[greymalkin]

DOS is still alive and well today. You can burn cd's and even use usb drives in DOS thanks to newer drivers that have been written. I made an all DOS box for a guy's business because the software he used was still DOS based and the newer version would cost $2500! All you need is a pretty little menu driven dos box and you can run your programs, perform backups..etc.

[ktnwin]

my most preferred DOS command:
format/q C:
............ just kdding

My most widely used DOS command: DIR to see what in the current directory.

Although Windows seem to dominate the PC world, I still use DOS (by open one or several DOS windows) at work. The advantage of DOS over Windows is I can write .BAT ( batch ) files to automate repeatitive tasks. Instead of clicking the mouse like a mad man, I simple invoke the batch file and go take a coffee break while the computer is carrying out the tasks.
Not only that, I also wrote lot of software tools running under DOS. Windows is nice if you like to the mouse.

[Shaky Jake]

Exit

[edDV]

Exit

funny but predictable

"exit" works in linux too, but only to exit the shell.
Then you need to get serious about shutting the sucker down. It will resist. You must be resolute.

[Cornucopia]

DOSKEY has been good...

Still use SUBST, especially for quick autorun checks before burning.
FC is still handy.

Piping through MORE was great for any CL app that spit out more info than 1 page's worth...

Scott

[impmon2]

I used to be able to write DOS bat files that would make a text menu where you selected by number to load files. A bit like Windows without the GUI It has been so long I cant remember how to do that anymore.

I did get in trouble at my school once when I created win.bat that only had @echo off, nothing else. When someone tried to start Windows 3.x, nothing would happen at all. Since it was hidden inside Windows directory, most people didn't know what was wrong and never noticed that win.bat is not part of standard Windows set.

[isogonic]

i use ipconfig and ping alot.

[Faustus]

i use ipconfig and ping alot.

I'd call those shell commands really at this point unless you are running Windows 98.

[Boolean]

I use subst quite a lot at work still.

[terjeber]

Don't understand why people talk about "dos" commands as they were in the past. A lot of things are a lot faster from the command line that they are from the GUI. Some people have mentioned the batch renaming of files as an example.

Other good things are:

rd /s /q <directory> (or RMDIR if you prefer) it is instant, which is not the case if you delete a deeply nested directory with a ton of files in it, from the GUI

cygwin (well, not a dos command, need to install cygwin, but it gives you a proper "find", "ls" etc) far better than WinXP commands.

The favorite (apart from cygwin) is
pushd <dir> and popd

Can't move around the directory tree without pushd and popd. A lot of people do not know them.

C:\> pushd \Program Files
C:\\Program Files> pushd c:\Data\Stuff
C:\Data\Stuff> pushd C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Desktop
C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Desktop> popd
C:\Data\Stuff> popd
C:\\Program Files> popd
C:\>

Excellent stuff

[jimmalenko]

dir /s /b c:\somedir\*.* > c:\list.txt

A great way to get full paths to files in multiple child directories directly into a text file.

[Epicurus8a]

del*.*

[AngusMacGyver]

dir /s /b c:\somedir\*.* > c:\list.txt

Yes, Jimmalenko!
There are things you can't do at windows. There's a command (cacls) can change files and folders permissions in a way that windows don't allow. Try to add permissions to a new user in a folder without change the other users' permissions when children folders have different permissions than main one. That's only possible with cacls.

[offline]

dir /s /b c:\somedir\*.* > prn1
or
TREE

[Baldrick]

cls

[dphirschler]

Useful for me when I am creating cuesheets for burning audio CDs (I like to add CD-text), i use the command:

dir *.flac >temp.txt

Then I can take that temp file into a text editor and create my cuesheet from there.


Darryl

[lenti_75]

the BEST one....

FORMAT c:

[ozymango]

/?

As in, "format /?" or "dir /?" when I can't remember what switches do what.

EDIT: Oh, and not really a DOS command per se but I use "sysprep.exe -bmsd" all the time!

[JimJohnD]

Debug G=C800:5

The old MFM drive controller 'Low Level Format"

[oldandinthe way]

I'd go with debug. Many is the small utility I'd hand assemble in debug and save for future use.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

Memorieeeeeeeees!

Fdisk /mbr

Format c: /u /s

Ping (insert address) -t

tracert (insert address)

chkdsk

deltree

hmmmm.... I LOVE THEM ALL!!!!

[Cornucopia]

DELTREE! Yesssss.

Scott

[Faustus]

You know if I had a 4 port kvm instead of a 2 port I think I'd build me a DOS box...

[ofbarea]

tree

deltree

cls

label

attrib

doskey

[Timoleon]

dir /p

format c: /s

path=

rd

Also, some damned low-level format command that I used to use on bad 20meg hard drives when they started to go south. Can't remember what it was --- too many years ago and I'm too old...

[shelbyGT]

/hdir

Was a hot directory, it showed you /dir but all the different file types were a certain color (green/blue/red/purple, the basics). Was awesome!

http://www.animatedsoftware.com/faqs/learndos.htm#vital_hdir

[CrayonEater]

Ah, yes, how I love debug!