# DOS Shell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/DOS_Shell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/DOS_Shell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS_Shell > Source revision: 1333928686 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|File manager}} {{refimprove|date=April 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022|cs1-dates=y}} {{Use list-defined references|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox software | name = DOS Shell | screenshot = DOS Shell Screen.png | screenshot_size = 300px | developer = [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft) | released = {{Start date and age|1988|06}} | replaced_by = [File Manager](/source/File_Manager_(Windows)), [Windows Explorer](/source/Windows_Explorer) | operating system = [MS-DOS](/source/MS-DOS) and [PC DOS](/source/PC%26nbsp%3BDOS) | platform = [x86](/source/x86) | genre = [File manager](/source/File_manager) | license = [Commercial software](/source/Commercial_software) }} '''DOS Shell''' is a [file manager](/source/file_manager) that debuted in [MS-DOS](/source/MS-DOS) and [PC DOS](/source/PC%26nbsp%3BDOS) version 4.0, released in June 1988. It was no longer included in MS-DOS version 6, but remained part of the Supplemental Disk. The Supplemental Disk could be ordered or could be downloaded through Microsoft's [FTP](/source/File_Transfer_Protocol) server. DOS Shell was retained in PC DOS until [PC DOS 2000](/source/PC%26nbsp%3BDOS_2000). ==Overview== DOS Shell was one of the first successful attempts to create a basic [graphical user interface](/source/graphical_user_interface) (GUI) type file manager in DOS, although it is properly referred to as a [text user interface](/source/text_user_interface) (TUI) or Character-Oriented Windows (COW) even though graphical modes were available on supported hardware ([VGA](/source/Video_Graphics_Array)-equipped PCs). The shell is very much like a DOS version of [File Manager](/source/File_Manager_(Windows)) found in Windows up to versions [3.11](/source/Windows_3.11) and [NT 3.51](/source/Windows_NT_3.51), and [File Explorer](/source/File_Explorer) on later versions. An early incarnation of DOS Shell, titled [MS-DOS Manager](/source/MS-DOS_Manager), was bundled exclusively with the [Eazy PC](/source/Zenith_Eazy_PC), an IBM PC clone manufactured by [Zenith Data Systems](/source/Zenith_Data_Systems) in 1987. In MS-DOS 4.x and 5.x, the program was implemented as [COM file](/source/COM_file) (DOSSHELL.COM). In MS-DOS 6 the executable had an [.EXE](/source/.EXE) [filename extension](/source/filename_extension) (DOSSHELL.EXE). ==Features== The shell includes common features seen in other file managers such as copying, moving and renaming files as well as the ability to launch applications with a [double-click](/source/double-click_(computing)). The shell could be run by the [command](/source/command_(computing)) "DOSSHELL". It had the ability to set simple colours and styles. The shell also has a help system, a program list, and a task swapper. Like many modern file managers, it had the ability to display dual [hierarchy](/source/hierarchy) directory and file lists, i.e. left and right [panes](/source/paned_window_(computing)), displaying both a list of directory contents and the hierarchical file path to the current working directory. A [mouse](/source/computer_mouse) was supported, however, like any other DOS application, it required an appropriate [device driver](/source/device_driver). One feature was the ability to list all files on a hard drive in a single alphabetized list along with the path and other attributes. This permitted the user to compare versions of a file in different directories by their attributes and easily spot duplicates. ==Shortcomings== DOS Shell was incapable of full [multitasking](/source/computer_multitasking). It supported rudimentary task switching, where only one foreground program would [execute](/source/execution_(computing)), while those in the background would be [suspended](/source/Process_state), with their [conventional memory](/source/conventional_memory) state saved to a temporary swap file on the disk. The user could switch between programs using the interrupt key combination {{keypress|[Ctrl](/source/Ctrl_key)|[Esc](/source/Escape_key)}}. This process was managed by a helper executable, DOSSWAP.EXE. In time, [Windows 3.1x](/source/Windows_3.1x), with its own graphical user interface, became much more popular among computer users. Windows was capable of multitasking. System performance was much higher, with complete access to [extended memory](/source/extended_memory). ==See also== * [ViewMAX](/source/ViewMAX) – the equivalent component in DR DOS * [XTree](/source/XTree) * [Comparison of file managers](/source/Comparison_of_file_managers) * [COMMAND.COM](/source/COMMAND.COM) ==References== {{Reflist|refs= {{cite journal |author-last=Mace |author-first=Scott |title=Zenith Eazy PC Includes DOS Shell by Microsoft |date=1987-06-08 |journal=[InfoWorld](/source/InfoWorld) |publisher=[IDG Communications](/source/IDG_Communications) |volume=9 |issue=23 |issn=0199-6649 |page=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0TAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA7 |access-date=2022-01-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128185544/https://books.google.de/books?id=0TAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA7&redir_esc=y |archive-date=2022-01-28}} {{cite web |title=MS-DOS and Windows command line dosshell command |work=Computer Hope |date=2018-11-13 |url=https://www.computerhope.com/dosshell.htm |access-date=2022-01-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126013544/https://www.computerhope.com/dosshell.htm |archive-date=2021-01-26}} }} ==Further reading== * {{cite book |title=Using MS-DOS 6.22 |author-last=Cooper |author-first=Jim |edition=Special third |date=2001 |publisher=[Que Publishing](/source/Que_Publishing) |isbn=978-0789725738}} * {{cite book |author-last=Wolverton |author-first=Van |title=MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference |edition=4th revised |date=1990 |publisher=[Microsoft Press](/source/Microsoft_Press) |isbn=978-1-55615289-4}} {{File managers}} Category:DOS software Category:File managers --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [DOS Shell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS_Shell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS_Shell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.