Thread: Disk Operating System

This chapter introduces you to DOS - the Disk Operating System. DOS is a software that controls the hardware of the computer and also runs the programs. It acts as an interface between the user and the computer. DOS tells the computer what to do when you type different commands.

The Windows versions which preceeded Windows Me/98 were not operating systems because they always needed DOS to become operational. However, Windows Me /98 can be truly called an operating system' because it has taken over most of the DOS work. Now only a few operations are left tinder the controi of DOS.



When you start your computer, the booting begins and some text messages are displayed. This booting. is performed by OOS. It is only when the hardware of your system has been checked that Windows uses its own routines to interact with the hardware. Soon after the completion of this task, a welcome screen appears. This welcome screen indicates, Windows is ready to work.

Windows is a true operating system since it gets loaded automatically as soon as the booting process is over without displaying the DOS prompt.

This doesn't mean that you cannot work in the DOS command prompt. Like all previous Windows versions, Windows 2000/XP too displays a DOS option which can be used to work with the DOS programs and commands in Windows. You don't have to install DOS separately. It comes along with Windows Me/98.