DOS prompt

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:53:41 -0700 from Malke :

navnah wrote:

How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS
XCOPY
command to back up damaged files.

There is no DOS in Windows XP so you can't do this as you could in
Win9x/ME.

Or, to answer what the OP really wants to know, click
Start | Programs | Accessories | Command prompt.

If it's not there, click Start | Run and enter this command
cmd /k
then click OK

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...



Stan,

The O/P wants to DROP back into DOS as he could with Win98. That is not
possible for two reasons. The first, of course, is that there is no DOS in
the newer operating systems.

The second is based upon the first. You can not DROP BACK to something that
does not exist.

Malke's answer is spot on in telling the O/P to press F8 and use Safe Mode
Command Prompt!

In addition, how is a person who does not have the basic knowledge learn -
if we keep on anticipating what he means. It is proper, and correct, to tell
him/her that DOS does *NOT* exist in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
Otherwise he will keep on coming across as a dummy!

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:53:41 -0700 from Malke :

navnah wrote:

How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS
XCOPY
command to back up damaged files.

There is no DOS in Windows XP so you can't do this as you could in
Win9x/ME.

Or, to answer what the OP really wants to know, click
Start | Programs | Accessories | Command prompt.

If it's not there, click Start | Run and enter this command
cmd /k
then click OK

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...



Stan,

The O/P wants to DROP back into DOS as he could with Win98. That is not
possible for two reasons. The first, of course, is that there is no DOS in
the newer operating systems.

The second is based upon the first. You can not DROP BACK to something that
does not exist.

Malke's answer is spot on in telling the O/P to press F8 and use Safe Mode
Command Prompt!

In addition, how is a person who does not have the basic knowledge learn -
if we keep on anticipating what he means. It is proper, and correct, to tell
him/her that DOS does *NOT* exist in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
Otherwise he will keep on coming across as a dummy!

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

Steve Hayes wrote:

On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:12:01 -0700, navnah
wrote:


How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS XCOPY
command to back up damaged files.

Go to Start -- All Programs and look for "Command Prompt"

I find it most useful to copy it to the desktop, where it is more quickly
available.

This will only work if the OP can get into Windows in the first place. If you
read the thread, you would have seen that there is some question about
whether that is the case. Unless the OP comes back to clarify what is really
going on with his/her system, we'll never know.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Steve Hayes wrote:

On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:12:01 -0700, navnah
wrote:


How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS XCOPY
command to back up damaged files.

Go to Start -- All Programs and look for "Command Prompt"

I find it most useful to copy it to the desktop, where it is more quickly
available.

This will only work if the OP can get into Windows in the first place. If you
read the thread, you would have seen that there is some question about
whether that is the case. Unless the OP comes back to clarify what is really
going on with his/her system, we'll never know.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:59:46 -0400, "Richard Urban"
wrote:

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:53:41 -0700 from Malke :

navnah wrote:

How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS
XCOPY
command to back up damaged files.

There is no DOS in Windows XP so you can't do this as you could in
Win9x/ME.

Or, to answer what the OP really wants to know, click
Start | Programs | Accessories | Command prompt.

If it's not there, click Start | Run and enter this command
cmd /k
then click OK

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...



Stan,

The O/P wants to DROP back into DOS as he could with Win98. That is not
possible for two reasons. The first, of course, is that there is no DOS in
the newer operating systems.

The second is based upon the first. You can not DROP BACK to something that
does not exist.

Malke's answer is spot on in telling the O/P to press F8 and use Safe Mode
Command Prompt!

In addition, how is a person who does not have the basic knowledge learn -
if we keep on anticipating what he means. It is proper, and correct, to tell
him/her that DOS does *NOT* exist in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
Otherwise he will keep on coming across as a dummy!


Richard, I completely agree with everything you say. But I also agree
with what I think was Stan's main point. He said "people say 'there is
no DOS' and then stop." It's the "...and then stop" that I think he
was driving at, since if all you say is "there is no DOS," you are not
really helping the person to do what he wants to accomplish.

Malke's answer, of course, wasn't in the "...and then stop" category
and was a very good one.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:59:46 -0400, "Richard Urban"
wrote:

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:53:41 -0700 from Malke :

navnah wrote:

How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS
XCOPY
command to back up damaged files.

There is no DOS in Windows XP so you can't do this as you could in
Win9x/ME.

Or, to answer what the OP really wants to know, click
Start | Programs | Accessories | Command prompt.

If it's not there, click Start | Run and enter this command
cmd /k
then click OK

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...



Stan,

The O/P wants to DROP back into DOS as he could with Win98. That is not
possible for two reasons. The first, of course, is that there is no DOS in
the newer operating systems.

The second is based upon the first. You can not DROP BACK to something that
does not exist.

Malke's answer is spot on in telling the O/P to press F8 and use Safe Mode
Command Prompt!

In addition, how is a person who does not have the basic knowledge learn -
if we keep on anticipating what he means. It is proper, and correct, to tell
him/her that DOS does *NOT* exist in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
Otherwise he will keep on coming across as a dummy!


Richard, I completely agree with everything you say. But I also agree
with what I think was Stan's main point. He said "people say 'there is
no DOS' and then stop." It's the "...and then stop" that I think he
was driving at, since if all you say is "there is no DOS," you are not
really helping the person to do what he wants to accomplish.

Malke's answer, of course, wasn't in the "...and then stop" category
and was a very good one.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t
Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:53:41 -0700 from Malke :

navnah wrote:

How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS
XCOPY command to back up damaged files.

There is no DOS in Windows XP so you can't do this as you could in
Win9x/ME.

Or, to answer what the OP really wants to know, click
Start | Programs | Accessories | Command prompt.

If it's not there, click Start | Run and enter this command
cmd /k
then click OK

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

Actually, Microsoft describes the Command Prompt as a DOS window too, in
so many places one could never count them. It's even in the Help &
Support area on your own computer. The proper definition is that XP is
not BUILT ON TOP OF DOS as other windws versions were and thus is not
DOS based as other windows versions were. It does in fact still have a
DOS window, found in the Command Prompt, and today it is much more than
a simple DOS emulator since it has many many more possible commands at
the user's disposal.
Purists such as you encountered are silly and nonsensical beings in
that they have no wish to help the OP but rather only wish to show their
own egoes to the world. Who cares?

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t
Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:53:41 -0700 from Malke :

navnah wrote:

How do you leave windows to return to DOS prompt? I need to use DOS
XCOPY command to back up damaged files.

There is no DOS in Windows XP so you can't do this as you could in
Win9x/ME.

Or, to answer what the OP really wants to know, click
Start | Programs | Accessories | Command prompt.

If it's not there, click Start | Run and enter this command
cmd /k
then click OK

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

Actually, Microsoft describes the Command Prompt as a DOS window too, in
so many places one could never count them. It's even in the Help &
Support area on your own computer. The proper definition is that XP is
not BUILT ON TOP OF DOS as other windws versions were and thus is not
DOS based as other windows versions were. It does in fact still have a
DOS window, found in the Command Prompt, and today it is much more than
a simple DOS emulator since it has many many more possible commands at
the user's disposal.
Purists such as you encountered are silly and nonsensical beings in
that they have no wish to help the OP but rather only wish to show their
own egoes to the world. Who cares?

"N. Miller" wrote in message

On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:10:23 -0400, Stan Brown wrote:

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

Like the "hard disc", "power unit", "CPU", and such for the system
unit? I don't know that there is a proper term for the "tower", but
it is much more than just a "hard disc", "power unit", or "CPU". It
is all of those, plus I/O system, all in one box. Which is why
"system unit" for that box is as good a term as any.

I have a friend who keeps referring to removable media as, "tapes".
Matters not whether it is a floppy disc, CD, or DVD. It goes into a
slot in the system unit, much as an old eight-track, so, to her, it
is a, "tape".

But it is hard for us geeks to understand what they mean, more often
than not. There is a reason for techno-jargon.

But their meaning is often in their content and context if one bothers
to pay attention rather than showing off.

"N. Miller" wrote in message

On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:10:23 -0400, Stan Brown wrote:

I will never understand why normally helpful people say "there is no
DOS" and then stop, when they know perfectly well that everyone but a
few use "DOS" as a short term for "the command prompt". Is it
technically accurate? no, but neither are lots of short forms of
speech.

Like the "hard disc", "power unit", "CPU", and such for the system
unit? I don't know that there is a proper term for the "tower", but
it is much more than just a "hard disc", "power unit", or "CPU". It
is all of those, plus I/O system, all in one box. Which is why
"system unit" for that box is as good a term as any.

I have a friend who keeps referring to removable media as, "tapes".
Matters not whether it is a floppy disc, CD, or DVD. It goes into a
slot in the system unit, much as an old eight-track, so, to her, it
is a, "tape".

But it is hard for us geeks to understand what they mean, more often
than not. There is a reason for techno-jargon.

But their meaning is often in their content and context if one bothers
to pay attention rather than showing off.

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:50:24 -0400, Twayne wrote:

But their meaning is often in their content and context if one bothers
to pay attention rather than showing off.

More often, it is not clear, from their content and context.

--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:50:24 -0400, Twayne wrote:

But their meaning is often in their content and context if one bothers
to pay attention rather than showing off.

More often, it is not clear, from their content and context.

--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:53:07 -0700 from Malke :
Because the OP asked if there was a way to get out of Windows and
into DOS like you could in Win9x/ME. Unlike you, I *did* answer his
question. He apparently can't use the gui and your way won't be
useful if that is the case. If you hadn't "conveniently" snipped
the rest of my answer, it would be apparent to you.

And here it is! Surprise!

"If you can't get into Windows proper, you might be able to accomplish your
task by booting into Safe Mode Command Prompt. This will give you the
command prompt without a gui and you can use XCopy from there."

As I said, you answered the literal words of his question but not
what the real question actually was. You can't really believe that
the OP really wanted to reboot, as opposed to opening a command
window within Windows.

You're a smart guy, and I know you want to be helpful, but I believe
that exalting form over substance because newbies don't know the
official vocabulary doesn't help them most effectively.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:53:07 -0700 from Malke :
Because the OP asked if there was a way to get out of Windows and
into DOS like you could in Win9x/ME. Unlike you, I *did* answer his
question. He apparently can't use the gui and your way won't be
useful if that is the case. If you hadn't "conveniently" snipped
the rest of my answer, it would be apparent to you.

And here it is! Surprise!

"If you can't get into Windows proper, you might be able to accomplish your
task by booting into Safe Mode Command Prompt. This will give you the
command prompt without a gui and you can use XCopy from there."

As I said, you answered the literal words of his question but not
what the real question actually was. You can't really believe that
the OP really wanted to reboot, as opposed to opening a command
window within Windows.

You're a smart guy, and I know you want to be helpful, but I believe
that exalting form over substance because newbies don't know the
official vocabulary doesn't help them most effectively.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:09:30 -0700 from Ken Blake, MVP
:
Richard, I completely agree with everything you say. But I also agree
with what I think was Stan's main point. He said "people say 'there is
no DOS' and then stop." It's the "...and then stop" that I think he
was driving at, since if all you say is "there is no DOS," you are not
really helping the person to do what he wants to accomplish.

Bingo.

If we're here to be helpful, then it is important not to punish
people for not phrasing their questions with perfect vocabulary, but
rather to look behind the form of words at what they are actually
trying to do.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...