The Ultimate, Complete List of MS-DOS Commands

Need a command? We've got every single DOS command there ever was. Yes, really.

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

Updated on September 25, 2022 Reviewed by

Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.

In This Article In This Article

Unlike in Windows, DOS commands are the primary way in which you use the operating system. Windows and other modern operating systems use a graphics-based system designed for touch or a mouse. If you use Windows (like Windows 11, 10, 8, etc.), then you have no need for DOS commands because you don't have MS-DOS. Check below the table at the bottom of this page for more information.

The Ultimate, Complete List of MS-DOS Commands

Below is a complete list of MS-DOS commands, commonly referred to as just DOS commands, available as of MS-DOS 6.22:

Screenshot of the CHKDSK command in MS-DOS 6.22

Windows vs. DOS Commands

The commands in Windows are available from the Command Prompt and are called Command Prompt commands or CMD commands, but they are not DOS commands.

Instead, check out our list of Windows CMD Commands for all of the command line options you have available to you in Windows. We also have a comparison table showing which commands are available in different Microsoft operating systems.

If you're interested, there are also Windows-specific lists, which you can find in these Windows 8 commands, Windows 7 commands, and Windows XP commands.

What is the MS-DOS command to go up one level?

To go up one level in the current directory, type cd ..\ and press Enter. To go up two levels, type cd ..\..\ and press Enter. To switch drives, enter the drive letter followed by a colon (for example, c:).

What is the MS-DOS command to display hidden files? Use the dir command. To display hidden files in the current directory, type dir /ah and press Enter. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know!

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand More from Lifewire

Screenshot of a Windows 8 command prompt with command explanations

Windows 8 Command Prompt Commands

dir command in Windows 11 Command Prompt

What Is a Command for Computers?

Command Prompt in Windows 11 terminal

The Complete List of Command Prompt (CMD) Commands

Screenshot of the dir command in a Windows 10 Command Prompt

Command Prompt: What It Is and How to Use It

Windows XP Command Prompt open from the desktop

Windows XP Command Prompt Commands

Checkmark in a box represented in a digital circuit board

Command Availability Across Microsoft Operating Systems

Screenshot of Windows 7 Commands

Windows 7 Command Prompt Commands

Screenshot of the format command in Windows 10 Command Prompt

Format Command

Person using XCopy command

Xcopy Command

An illustration with arrows and roads

What Is a Redirection Operator?

The CHKDSK help command in Windows 11 Command Prompt

How to Use the Chkdsk Command in Windows

help command in Windows 10 command prompt

Help Command

Someone using the attrib command on a PC

Attrib Command (Examples, Options, Switches, and More)

Vol command in Windows 11

Vol Command Examples and Options

Edge photo of program code - HTML and JavaScript - on an LCD screen

How to Read Command Syntax

Command Prompt on Windows 10 Desktop

How to Open Command Prompt (Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, etc.) Tech for Humans

Hit Refresh on Your Tech News

Lifewire is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family. Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up

We Care About Your Privacy

We and our 100 partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

We and our partners process data to provide:

Store and/or access information on a device. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners (vendors)