Windows 2000 FAQ

Is DOS Dead?

Q: Is DOS dead in Windows 2000? Can I run an ancient DOS program or two that I still favor?

A: The demise of DOS, to pinch a pithy line from Mark Twain, has been greatly exaggerated.

The terminology surrounding it has changed, but a form of DOS still exists. Windows 2000 calls it the Command Prompt rather than MS-DOS Prompt, and tucks it into the Start, Programs, Accessories menu. Windows 2000 won't let you reboot to the DOS prompt, as Windows 95 and 98 did, but you can run DOS executable files from within Windows 2000.

To use the Command Prompt, select Start, Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt or hold down the Windows key and press R then type cmd and press Enter at the Run prompt. When you see the venerable C:\> prompt (brings back memories, doesn't it?), type the path and file name of the DOS program and press Enter. Voila!

A slicker way to run DOS programs is to generate shortcuts, then customize the options and settings in each shortcut's Properties window. (This is Windows 2000's replacement for earlier versions of Windows' PIF, or Program Information File, editor.) Windows 2000's Help file includes a succinct description of how to use the Properties tab on a shortcut to customize a DOS program's launching and operational behavior. Open Help (select Start, Help), click the Index tab, then type PIF and press Enter.

If you run into problems you can resort to the MS-DOS Troubleshooter. The Troubleshooter is also in the Windows 2000 Help file: Enter troubleshooters in the Index search field, then click MS-DOS Programs in the right pane. You can also access an online MS-DOS Troubleshooter.