learning how to use DOS

[ucvb6]

hello,

i'am kind of new with computers and stuff and was wondering if there was a place on the web where i could learn a little more about DOS. i mean, i dont even know how to use fdisk, etc...on the windows start up disks, i usually use the manufacturers disk for formatting. but still, i think it would be useful to learn a little bit more about using DOS.

thank you in advance,

 

[noninterleaved]

<< hello,

i'am kind of new with computers and stuff and was wondering if there was a place on the web where i could learn a little more about DOS. i mean, i dont even know how to use fdisk, etc...on the windows start up disks, i usually use the manufacturers disk for formatting. but still, i think it would be useful to learn a little bit more about using DOS.

thank you in advance, >>



Forget about it. In a couple of months there will be no more DOS. Once Windows XP comes out DOS will officially be a legacy operating system.

I would say if you want to learn about computers start learning about how to use Windows 2K... it will give you the best launching pad for working with upcoming Microsoft Operating Systems.

Of course, the other alternative is to learn how to use Linux. Some of the disk management tools (DiskDruid, etc...) are actually much easier to use than FDisk.

 

[BreakApart]

Easy DOS

Have fun! 🙂

 

[ucvb6]

noninterleaved,

just this week i installed win 2k on my system, it rocks, havent even had any problems. it seems like a very powerful tool.

but DOS is something that has always interested me because it seemed so simple to use but i never paid mucj attention to it and would like to learn the basics.

 

[ucvb6]

BreakApart,

kewl, thanks breakapart, this site is neat. definitely will be helpful.

thanks again,

 

[tasslex]

<< Forget about it. In a couple of months there will be no more DOS. Once Windows XP comes out DOS will officially be a legacy operating system.

...

Of course, the other alternative is to learn how to use Linux. Some of the disk management tools (DiskDruid, etc...) are actually much easier to use than FDisk. >>



What about all the corporations that still run Windows 9X, and what about people who get little tech jobs working at the Best Buys and CompUSAs of the world that need to reinstall Windows 3.0 for some poor guy who has a 386?

And why would you want to start with the easy tools? If you start with the easy tools it's a little harder to go back and learn the how's and why's of computing.

Personally, I think it's a great idea to start in DOS, I know I'm glad I did, and I'm not very happy with my little brother NOT knowing any DOS - when he wants to format and reinstall he has to call me and have me walk him through fdisk, then he's fine.

 

[ucvb6]

hey tasselx,

instead of easy tools? what would you recommend?

thanks in advance,

 

[tasslex]

Maybe I'm just behind the times, but I like using fdisk in DOS, I like using old, kludgy, command-line linux fdisk, and doing everything by hand. I think for someone that knows close to nothing about computers DOS 6.22 is a pretty good place to start. It's really bare bones, and it's a good way to learn the nuts and bolts. From there installing Windows 3.1 (especially if you can find some old hardware to install it on) is a good learning experience. The tools and utilities that people HAD to use like 5-10 years ago to do simple tasks that we take for granted today can really teach you a lot about the way computers work. And sometimes that old knowledge can come back and help a lot - i.e. I've had to edit some Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files to make some DOS based menu systems for a Norton Ghost network boot disk for restoring machines. If I hadn't been so familiar with this stuff the task simply would not have gotten done.