FCBS

Updated: 10/04/2017 by Computer Hope

FCBS (File Control Blocks) is a line used in the config.sys with MS-DOS 3.1 and above to specify the number of file control blocks for file sharing. By default, MS-DOS 3 and higher the value is 4. Adding the following line to the config.sys would increase the number of stored FCBS to 5.

FCBS=5
Note

In MS-DOS 3 and later, the FCB format is different if share.exe is being loaded.

What is an FCB (File Control Block)?

With a file system, the FCB (File Control Block) is often a 36 byte long section of a file that helps operating systems know the state of a file. FCB was used with earlier operating systems like CP/M, PC DOS, and MS-DOS 1.xx. When MS-DOS 2 was released with FAT (file allocation table) to help manage files, FCB began to be replaced. When FAT32 was later introduced, FCBs were no longer supported by Microsoft Windows.

Config.sys, FAT, Software terms