Below is a listing of each of the MS-DOS commands currently listed on Computer Hope and a brief explanation of what each of the commands do. The below commands are all MS-DOS commands, which means not all the below commands will work in your version of MS-DOS and/or Windows command line. Clicking on the command will open the help page for that command with full details about it.
| Command | Description |
| Aansi.sysNSI.SYS | Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys. |
| append | Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command. |
| arp | Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices. |
| assign | Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter. |
| assoc | View the file associations. |
| at | Schedule a time to execute commands or programs. |
| atmadm | Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager. |
| attrib | Display and change file attributes. |
| batch | Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file. |
| bootcfg | Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.ini |
| break | Enable / disable CTRL + C feature. |
| cacls | View and modify file ACL’s. |
| call | Calls a batch file from another batch file. |
| cd | Changes directories. |
| chcp | Supplement the International keyboard and character set information. |
| chdir | Changes directories. |
| chdsk | Check the hard disk drive running FAT for errors. |
| chkntfs | Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors. |
| choice | Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file. |
| cls | Clears the screen. |
| cmd | Opens the command interpreter. |
| color | Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window. |
| command | Opens the command interpreter. |
| comp | Compares files. |
| compact | Compresses and uncompress files. |
| control | Open Control Panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt. |
| convert | Convert FAT to NTFS. |
| copy | Copy one or more files to an alternate location. |
| ctty | Change the computers input/output devices. |
| date | View or change the systems date. |
| debug | Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings. |
| defrag | Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs. |
| del | Deletes one or more files. |
| delete | Recovery console command that deletes a file. |
| deltree | Deletes one or more files and/or directories. |
| dir | List the contents of one or more directory. |
| disable | Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers. |
| diskcomp | Compare a disk with another disk. |
| diskcopy | Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk. |
| doskey | Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past. |
| dosshell | A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users. |
| drivparm | Enables overwrite of original device drivers. |
| echo | Displays messages and enables and disables echo. |
| edit | View and edit files. |
| edlin | View and edit files. |
| emm386 | Load extended Memory Manager. |
| ename | Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver. |
| endlocal | Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command. |
| erase | Erase files from computer. |
| exit | Exit from the command interpreter. |
| expand | Expand a Microsoft Windows file back to it’s original format. |
| extract | Extract files from the Microsoft Windows cabinets. |
| fasthelp | Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them. |
| fc | Compare files. |
| fdisk | Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive. |
| find | Search for text within a file. |
| findstr | Searches for a string of text within a file. |
| fixboot | Writes a new boot sector. |
| fixmbr | Writes a new boot record to a disk drive. |
| for | Boolean used in batch files. |
| format | Command to erase and prepare a disk drive. |
| ftp | Command to connect and operate on a FTP server. |
| ftype | Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations. |
| goto | Moves a batch file to a specific label or location. |
| graftabl | Show extended characters in graphics mode. |
| help | Display a listing of commands and brief explanation. |
| if | Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing. |
| ifshlp.sys | 32-bit file manager. |
| ipconfig | Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values. |
| keyb | Change layout of keyboard. |
| label | Change the label of a disk drive. |
| lh | Load a device driver in to high memory. |
| listsvc | Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers. |
| loadfix | Load a program above the first 64k. |
| loadhigh | Load a device driver in to high memory. |
| lock | Lock the hard disk drive. |
| logoff | Logoff the currently profile using the computer. |
| logon | Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login. |
| map | Displays the device name of a drive. |
| md | Command to create a new directory. |
| mem | Display memory on system. |
| mkdir | Command to create a new directory. |
| mode | Modify the port or display settings. |
| more | Display one page at a time. |
| move | Move one or more files from one directory to another directory. |
| msav | Early Microsoft Virus scanner. |
| msd | Diagnostics utility. |
| msdex | Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM. |
| nbtstat | Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT |
| net | Update, fix, or view the network or network settings |
| netsh | Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS. |
| netstat | Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information. |
| nlsfunc | Load country specific information. |
| nslookup | Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network. |
| path | View and modify the computers path location. |
| pathping | View and locate locations of network latency. |
| pause | Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command. |
| ping | Test / send information to another network computer or network device. |
| popd | Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command. |
| power | Conserve power with computer portables. |
| Prints data to a printer port. | |
| prompt | View and change the MS-DOS prompt. |
| pushd | Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time. |
| qbasic | Open the QBasic. |
| rd | Removes an empty directory. |
| ren | Renames a file or directory. |
| rename | Renames a file or directory. |
| rmdir | Removes an empty directory. |
| route | View and configure windows network route tables. |
| runas | Enables a user to execute a program on another computer. |
| scandisk | Run the scandisk utility. |
| scanreg | Scan registry and recover registry from errors. |
| set | Change one variable or string to another. |
| setlocal | Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else. |
| setver | Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs. |
| share | Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities. |
| shift | Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program. |
| shutdown | Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt. |
| smartdrv | Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory. |
| sort | Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen. |
| start | Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt. |
| subst | Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter. |
| switches | Remove add functions from MS-DOS. |
| sys | Transfer system files to disk drive. |
| telnet | Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt. |
| time | View or modify the system time. |
| title | Change the title of their MS-DOS window. |
| tracert | Visually view a network packets route across a network. |
| tree | View a visual tree of the hard disk drive. |
| type | Display the contents of a file. |
| undelete | Undelete a file that has been deleted. |
| unformat | Unformat a hard disk drive. |
| unlock | Unlock a disk drive. |
| ver | Display the version information. |
| verify | Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly. |
| vol | Displays the volume information about the designated drive. |
| xcopy | Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another. |