CertiGuide to A+ (Operating Systems)  9  Chapter 0000:  How to Get There       9  III  Operating System Features

Command-Driven Interface (CDI) 1 2 Graphical User Interface

DOS Within Windows

Older Operating Systems such as MS-DOS depended on command-driven interfaces. An MS-DOS style CDI is still available in Windows 2000 Professional. This is an example of how to use Windows 2000's MS-DOS style CDI to manage files (don't worry if this looks like a foreign language - it is!) To find the (nicely generically named) Command Prompt in Windows 2000, go to Start, Programs, Accessories, then choose Command prompt.

In Windows 95 and 98, the same functionality is found in the MS-DOS Prompt menu option. To find the MS-DOS Prompt in Windows go to Start, Programs then choose MS-DOS.

Why different names for what looks like the same OS function? There are actually subtle differences between the capabilities of Command Prompt and MS-DOS Prompt that matter to Microsoft’s programmers, so Microsoft opted to name them differently. Besides, Microsoft likes to make the point that its NT-based operating systems (NT, 2000) are not built on top of MS-DOS, and this is yet another way of saying, “There is no MS-DOS in this operating system.”

Command-Driven Interface (CDI) 1 2 Graphical User Interface