MS-DOS secret or unknown commands
Updated: 01/31/2019 by Computer Hope
Below is a listing of MS-DOS commands that are not listed in any available manual. Many of these commands are useful when using MS-DOS, while some of them are unknown or appear to do nothing.
Caution
Use these commands cautiously, some of the commands can erase data and some without warning.
| ATTRIB , | The command is short for attrib -a -h -r - s *.* (removes all attributes of a file). |
| BACKUP /HP | Unknown |
| DIR , | This lists all files including hidden files using the dir command, does not work in Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000. |
| DIR ... | Lists all directories that do not have extensions. In Windows 95 and later, the command lists the contents of the directories previous to the current directory. |
| DOSKEY /APPEDIT | Utilize doskey functions in MS-DOS command utilities such as edlin and debug. |
| DOSKEY /COMMAND | Unknown |
| DOSKEY /PERMANENT | Unknown |
| DOSKEY /SCRSIZE | Unknown |
| DOSKEY /XHISTORY | Unknown |
| FDISK /MBR | Recreates the master boot record. For further information, see: Do you have additional information on fdisk /mbr? |
| FDISK /PRI | See fdisk page for additional information. |
| FDISK /EXT | See fdisk page for additional information. |
| FDISK /LOG | See fdisk page for additional information. |
| FDISK /Q | Prevents fdisk from booting the system automatically after exiting fdisk. |
| FDISK /STATUS | Shows you the current status of your hard drives. |
| FORMAT /AUTOTEST | Formats the hard drive without any prompting. |
| FORMAT /BACKUP | Similar to /AUTOTEST, but you be prompted for a volume label. |
| FORMAT /Z:n | Command used with FDISK supporting FAT32, used to specify the cluster size in bytes where n is multiplied by 512. |
| MEM /A or /ALL | Adds a line into the MEM command tells the available space in HMA. |
| RESTORE /Y | Unknown |
| RESTORE /Z | Unknown |
| SET DIRCMD=0 | Make all directories hidden but still accessible, to get them back SET DIRCMD= |
| SHARE /NC | Unknown |
| TRUENAME | When placed before a file, displays the whole directory that exists. |
| VER /R | Tells you the revision number, and if DOS is in HMA. |