HINT OF THE YEAR!: Do you hate to wait any longer than necessary for your computer to boot? Do you want to save 2 seconds every time? Put the following line (first, before anything else) in your CONFIG.SYS file: SWITCHES=/F This will eliminate the built in two second delay for loading DOS, and get you going faster. Now I suppose you're saying, "Yea, sure. I bet it formats the hard drive or something else nasty." Check it out. Look in your DOS 6 manual under SWITCHES. DOS 6 - THE REAL STORY by the brother-in-law OK, so you ran out and got DOS 6. WOW, what a bunch of files. But do you REALLY have to keep all those MEGS of junk just to do what you need to do? I deleted 1.2 megs of crap just looking around. Dos 6.0 has even more things added to it than dos 5 (perhaps this is as it should be), but can't you get rid of some baggage you don't need? Absolutely! With well over 100 files, DOS 6 certainly has alot to offer. But you know you'd never use some of it, if you could figure out what it all does. To find out what you do and don't need, read through the following list, and see if you can delete things that just don't do anything for you. A MEG of hard drive space is a terrible thing to waste, and deleting files you don't use is the cheapest way to increase storage. Besides, you can always reinstall (expand) a file from your dos disks should you someday need something you've deleted. The following listing should pretty well match up with your directory, especially if you use a dos shell that alphabetizes the files for your convenience. Before you actually delete anything that you don't think you nee/want, make life easy on yourself. Just move the files to a new directory named DOSJUNK, and wait a couple weeks. If nothing crashes, and all your batch files work, and you don't get that mysterious "File not found" error when booting up, then DELTREE that directory. If you have problems, you can always copy a particular file back into the DOS directory, and kill the rest of them later. By reading this list, you may learn a few tricks of DOS 6's new features (like MEMMAKER). The expanded online dos help, and your DOS 6 User's Guide (you really didn't pirate DOS 6, did you?) you should have a good grip on those mysterious files. What is some of this stuff, anyway? . So you always wondered what the DOT directory was, but didn't know who to ask? Consider it to be the equivalent of a table of contents for the directory it resides in. Unlike as in a book, if you delete this DOT, you've in effect deleted your table of contents. Dos says that if your table of contents is empty, then your directory is empty. Delete DOT, and you've deleted ALL your files. This is a nice shortcut sometimes. Instead of using DEL *.* to delete everything, you can type DEL . (you don't even need the space between DEL and the dot) and you'll get the old "are you sure" prompt, just the same. Many other dos commands will work using the DOT, such as COPY and XCOPY. .. DOUBLE DOT is the little trail of bread crumbs that dos uses to find its way back to the root directory. You can't mess with it, so don't try. ANSI.SYS bytes=9065 This is a device driver used to redefine keys, control cursor postitioon, and create lots of neat colors on the screen, when used in conjunction with the MODE command. Store it in your CONFIG.SYS file as: DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS. This device driver must be loaded by a or command in your CONFIG.SYS file. Keep it. APPEND.EXE bytes=10774 JUNK! Enables programs to open data files in specified directories as if the files were in the current directory (kind of like the path statement). Do not use this command when you are running Windows. The specified directories are called appended directories because, for the sake of opening data files, they can be found as if they were appended to the current directory. Don't back it up - kill it. Even if you do use old programs, you're better off writing batch files that use PATH and SUBST to solve the problem. Delete it. ATTRIB.EXE bytes=11165 Displays or changes file attributes. This command displays, sets, or removes the Read-Only, Archive, System, and Hidden attributes assigned to files or directories. Syntax: ATTRIB [+a] [-a] [+h] [-h] [+r] [-r] [+s] [-s] where: "+a,-a" serves to set or remove the file's archive attribute (used for backing up or copying modified files only); "+h,-h" severs to hide or unhide a file (e.g., type: ATTRIB +H RESUME.DOC to hide your resume); and "+r,-r" serves to set or remove a file's read-only attribute. Using ATTRIB +R \*.EXE /S will protect all EXE files on the current drive from modification or erasure. Unfortunately, making a file read-only will not protect it from viruses, since the virus creators just reset this attribute bit. Keep it. CHKDSK.EXE bytes=12908 Keep it. Checks the status of a disk and displays a status report. Can also fix disk errors. The status report shows logical errors found in the MS-DOS filing system, which consists of the file allocation table and directories. It will check for errors such as lost clusters and lost allocation units; displays formatted disk size and the number of bad sectors; tells whether a file is fragmented, and the amount of conventional memory installed and available. The only thing screwy about it is that if you have lost clusters, it offers to fix them and then doesn't - unless you first type: CHKDSK/F. CHKSTATE.SYS bytes=41600 This file is used by MEMMAKER to check out your computer. After you've run MEMMAKER, it's useless and can be deleted. CHOICE.COM bytes=1754 Prompts the user to make a choice in a batch program. Displays a specified prompt and pauses for the user to choose from among a specified set of keys. You can use this command only in batch programs. If you write a batch file now and then, it's a keeper. COMMAND.COM bytes=52925 This is DOS's primary command processor, which includes all internal DOS commands, and it is fundamental to running MS-DOS. If you delete it, the computer dies. 'Nuff said. COUNTRY.SYS bytes 17066 If you use non-U.S. country types and symbols for things like currency, date, and time, then install COUNTRY.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file. If you only use U.S. codes and symbols, delete it. DBLSPACE.BIN bytes=50284 A hard drive compression utility that compressed your files as they are written to your drive, and uncompresses them as they are read. If you don't use it, delete DBLSPACE.* and save nearly half a meg. DBLSPACE.EXE bytes=273068 see above DBLSPACE.HLP bytes=72173 see above DBLSPACE.INF bytes=2166 see above DBLSPACE.SYS bytes=339 see above DBLWIN.HLP bytes=8597 this one can go too, if you don't use the above. DEBUG.EXE bytes=15715 Use it to test and debug executable files. Also used in some software cracks. If you don't do that sort of thing, delete it. DEFRAG.EXE bytes=75017 Sectors on your hard disk are filled in order, from first to last. As files get deleted, then new ones added, they get scattered into several fragments as they fill the empty sectors first, then jump to the next empty sectors. DEFRAG will arrange your files so they are stored on your drive in the same order as written. This makes loading faster, and reduces wear on the drive. A nice side effect is the alphabetization of your directories and getting the directories listed before the individual files. Makes finding stuff a lot faster and easier. Run it every couple weeks if you use your computer much. Definitely a keeper. DEFRAG.HLP bytes=9227 Help file for the above. DELOLDOS.EXE bytess=17710 A utility to get rid of your old dos directory which was created when you updated to DOS 6. You can do the same thing by deleting the files, then using RD to remove the directory, or using DELTREE below. Delete it. DELTREE.EXE bytes=10565 Deletes a directory and all the files and subdirectories that are in it. Finally, DOS does it right. This works like PRUNE in XTGOLD. Be careful. Once you delete something in a directory, then delete the directory, it's gone, and undelete won't get it back. (Norton Utilities will, but that's some serious messing around). Keep it. DISKCOMP.COM bytes=10620 This command performs a track-by-track comparison of two floppy disks. Rarely useful, it's up to you to keep/delete, but I got rid of it. DISKCOPY.COM bytes=11879 Copies the entire contents of one floppy disk to another floppy disk, track by track, sector by sector. This only works if both disk are the same size and density. There are other programs that will copy between drives and disks of different sizes (POLYCOPY is a good shareware version).This can save you from having to make a SYS disk then copying your files to it when you need to copy a sys disk. Useful for copying, keep it. DISPLAY.SYS bytes=15789 Enables you to display international character sets on EGA, VGA, and LCD monitors. This device driver must be loaded by a or command in your CONFIG. SYS file. If you only use U.S. English, delete it. DOSHELP.HLP bytes=5667 Part of the HELP system. If you don't use HELP, you don't know what you're missing. DOSKEY.COM bytes=5883 The Doskey program recalls MS-DOS commands and enables you to edit command lines and create and run macros. Try it, you'll like it. A must keep. DOSSHELL.COM bytes=4620 Part of dosshell (no shit!). A Windows-like file and disk manager that works great if you don't like to work from the command prompt. The main stuff you can do from command prompt you can do here, without any intimidation for less experienced users.If you don't use dosshell, type: DELETE DOSSHELL.* DOSSHELL.EXE bytes=236378 see above DOSSHELL.GRB bytes=4421 see above DOSSHELL.HLP bytes=161323 see above DOSSHELL.INI bytes=11882 see above DOSSHELL.VID bytes=9462 see above DOSSWAP.EXE bytes=18756 Every time you swap between applications using Task Switcher (in DOSSHELL), the current application's state is written to disk, creating a temporary file called DOSSWAP.EXE. If you use DOS Shell and Task Swapper, keep it; otherwise, delete it. DRIVER.SYS bytes=5406 A device driver for use with certain external and some non-standard drives. If you don't use drives that require it, delete it. EDIT.COM bytes=413 A useful ascii editor with lots of features. I prefer to use XTGOLD's editor, but keep it anyway. EDIT.HLP bytes=17898 help for above (REALLY!) EGA.CPI bytes=58870 Used with the MODE command to display national character symbols on EGA and VGA symbols. If you got rid of the rest of these type files, get rid of this one, too. EGA.SYS bytes=4885 Saves and restores the display when the MS-DOS Shell Task Swapper is used with EGA monitors. If you don't have an EGA monitor, delete it. EMM386.EXE bytes=115294 Provides access to the upper memory area and uses extended memory to simulate expanded memory. This device driver must be loaded by a command in your CONFIG. SYS file and can be used only on computers with an 80386 or higher processor. A definite keeper unless you're still on an 8088 or 286 machine. EXPAND.EXE bytes=16129 Used to uncompress your original dos files from the dos install disks. As they are, on the disk, they're unusable. They must be expanded to be used, so keep this one. You never know when you might need one of the "junk" files you're deleting now. FASTHELP.EXE bytes=11481 Displays a list of all MS-DOS 6 commands and gives a brief explanation of each. The information that the FASTHELP command displays is similar to, but less detailed than, the information found in MS-DOS Help, so I just kept the other and got rid of this one. FASTOPEN.EXE bytes=12034 FASTOPEN buffers the File Allocatioon Table and directory structure by creating a cache of recently used directories and filenames. Use it with Smartdrive to improve disk access speed. It may cause problems with some applications software. Try it, if it works, keep it. FC.EXE bytes=18650 File Compare. Compares two files and displays the differences between them. If you don't do that, don't keep this. FDISK.EXE bytes=29333 Use FDISK to create logical hard disk partitions. FDISK is also used to create partitions for running DOS and another operating system, such as Unix or OS/2 [gag]. Remember, creating or changing partitions using FDISK destroys underlying data, so always backup your drive before using FDISK. Keep it. FIND.EXE bytes=6,770 One of three DOS filters used in batch files, it searches files for contents which are then redirected to another file. Delete it if you don't think you ever will do that. FORMAT.COM bytes=22717 The FORMAT command creates a new root directory and file allocation table for the disk. It can also check for bad areas on the disk, and it can delete all data on the disk. In order for MS-DOS to be able to use a new disk, you must first use this command to format the disk. I like to use ConFormat, which will format a disk while you and your computer do something else. Format is slow, and there are substitutes, but keep it anyway. GRAPHICS.COM bytes=19694 Loads a program into memory that allows MS-DOS to print the information displayed on your screen. Use the GRAPHICS command only if you are using a color or graphics adapter. Supports CGA through VGA. Keep it. GRAPHICS.PRO bytes=21232 Data file for GRAPHICS.COM. Keep both or neither. HELP.COM bytes=413 When you get back to the dos prompt, type HELP and get enough information about dos and its commands to make a small book. One of the best sources of information you have. Now, the trick: You must have QBASIC.EXE to run HELP. KEEP IT! HELP.HLP bytes=294741 A big file, yes, but keep it if you want to use the HELP command. HIMEM.SYS bytes=14224 HIMEM is an extended-memory manager that coordinates the use of your computer's extended memory, including the high memory area (HMA), so that no two applications or device drivers use the same memory at the same time. If you have a 386 or above, keep it and use it. INTERLNK.EXE bytes=17197 Kind of like LapLink, it connects two computers via parallel or serial ports and enables the computers to share disks and printer ports. For example, you could connect a laptop computer to a desktop computer and share files. Keep it if you use it. INTERSVR.EXE bytes=37314 Starts the Interlnk server. See above. KEYB.COM bytes=14983 Starts the Keyb program, which configures a keyboard for a specific language (other than U. S. English). Delete it if you only use U. S. English. KEYBOARD.SYS bytes=34694 Despite its SYS extension, KEYBOARD.SYS is really the data file for KEYBOARD.COM. If you need foreign keyboard characters, keep it. Otherwise, delete it. LABEL.EXE bytes=9390 Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label (name) of a disk. Keep it. LOADFIX.COM bytes=1131 Some early programs were designed to load after the first 64K of memory because dos was already using that area. Now that dos loads into upper mem, they may or may not run. This program forces them to load after the first 64K block, so they'll run right. Keep it. You just never know when you'll get a "Packed file is corrupt" message. If you do, run this file and try it again. MEM.EXE bytes=32150 A memory mapping program, it tells you what programs are in memory, where they are and how much RAM they take. Great for tweaking your system. Keep it. MEMMAKER.EXE bytes=118628 DOS 6's new, automatic configuration program. This will configure your system for the maximum performance and use of upper and EMS/XMS memory. It usually only needs run once at setup, but if you enjoy tweaking, keep it anyway. If you don't mess with what you don't understand, learn about it. After you've used it, you can delete it. MEMMAKER.HLP bytes=17081 Help file for the above. MEMMAKER.INF bytes=1642 This file is used to tell memmaker to ignore certain programs when it configures your machine. See above. MODE.COM bytes=23521 Configures system devices. The MODE command performs many different tasks, such as displaying system status, changing system settings, or reconfiguring ports or devices. If you don't do that stuff, delete it. MONOUMB.386 bytes=8783 If you want to use the monochrome video area in upper mem for loading programs, this is the trick. Keep it only if you use it, and chances are, you won't. MORE.COM bytes=2546 Used in conjunction with other commands to display one screen of text at a time. for example, the line MEM/C|MORE will display memory information one screen at a time. Keep it. MOVE.EXE bytes=17371 It's about time. This will let you move a program from one directory to another, not just by copying the file then deleting the old one, but by changing the file's pointers so that it now resides in a different directory. I moved 3 one meg files in 1 second, and didn't need free space to make the copies before the old files were deleted because it didn't copy them. It just changed the File Allocation Table listing to reflect their new home. Syntax MOVE [drive:][path]filename[,[drive:][path]filename[...]] destination The MOVE command also renames directories. Syntax MOVE C:\oldname c:\newname Absolutely, keep it. MSAV.EXE bytes=172198 Scans your computer for known viruses. If you live in fear of a sick computer and don't have anything else, keep it and use it. MSAV.HLP bytes=23891 Help file for above. NO, REALLY? MSAVHELP.OVL bytes=29828 see above MSAVIRUS.LST bytes=35520 see above MSBACKDB.OVL bytes=63306 Part of the new MSBACKUP program, it's still not as good as many commercial programs at backing up your hard drive, but it's far superior to the old BACKUP/RESTORE, which had a nasty habit of committing suicide on you after it murdered your files. Keep it if you use it. MSBACKDR.OVL bytes=67146 see above MSBACKFB.OVL bytes=68730 see above provided through the courtesy of the-brother-in-law MSBACKFR.OVL bytes=72714 see above MSBACKUP.EXE bytes=5506 see above MSBACKUP.HLP bytes=314236 see above MSBACKUP.OVL bytes=133952 see above MSBCONFG.HLP bytes=45780 see above MSBCONFG.OVL bytes=47210 see above MSCDEX.EXE bytes=25377 Provides access to CD-ROM drives. MSCDEX can be loaded from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or from the command prompt. (The device driver that came with your CD-ROM drive must be loaded from your CONFIG.SYS file.) If it sounds like this has potential for problems, you're right. If you have a CD rom drive, better find out if you need this one. Let the battle begin. MSD.EXE bytes=158470 Kind of like CHECKIT, this will tell you all about your system, video, processors, ports, ram, etc. If you like that sort of thing, keep it. MSTOOLS.DLL bytes=13424 Part of the MSTOOLS for windows stuff. MWAV.EXE bytes=142640 Anti virus for windows. If you use it, keep it. MWAV.HLP bytes=25663 see above MWAVABSI.DLL bytes=54576 see above MWAVDLG.DLL bytes=36368 see above MWAVDOSL.DLL bytes=44736 see above MWAVDRVL.DLL bytes=7744 see above MWAVMGR.DLL bytes=21712 see above MWAVSCAN.DLL bytes=151568 see above MWAVSOS.DLL bytes=7888 see above MWAVTSR.EXE bytes=17328 see above MWBACKF.DLL bytes=14560 Backup for windows. If you use backup and windows, this one's for you. MWBACKR.DLL bytes=111120 see above MWBACKUP.EXE bytes=309024 see above MWBACKUP.HLP bytes=400880 see above MWGRAFIC.DLL bytes=6944 Another file for your Windows ToolKit MWUNDEL.EXE bytes=130496 Undelete for windows MWUNDEL.HLP bytes=35741 help file for above NETWORKS.TXT bytes=21450 Info on making your network compatible with DOS 6. If you don't have a network, delete this. NLSFUNC.EXE bytes=7036 Loads country-specific information for national language support (NLS). If you use U. S. English only, delete it. POWER.EXE bytes=052 Ya know those power saving laptop computers? This is for them. It reduces power consumption when applications and devices are idle for computers that conform to the Advanced Power Management (APM) specification. Unless you need it, dump it. PRINT.EXE bytes=15640 Prints a text file while you are using other MS-DOS commands. This command can print in the background while you and your computer do something else. Keep it, for sure. QBASIC.EXE bytes=194309 No, no GORILLA.BAS program this time. Does anyone still use basic to write programs? Delete it UNLESS you use HELP. HELP requires this program to run. QBASIC.HLP bytes=130881 see above RAMDRIVE.SYS bytes=5873 Uses part of your computer's random-access memory (RAM) to simulate a hard disk drive. This device driver must be loaded by a or command in your CONFIG.SYS file. Once a RAM drive is created, it is assigned a drive letter and it behaves like a disk drive, except that it is volatile. Should you turn off the PC or lose power, then whatever is on the drive is history. Keep it if you have enough ram to use it. README.TXT bytes=57349 Notes on Dos 6. You never know when you might need to know something here, but if you've never read it before, chances are you don't need it now. Check it out, then delete. REPLACE.EXE bytes=20226 A useful commands, REPLACE can be used to update (or replace) existing files in the destination directory, or just add new files without overwriting existing ones. Lots of great switches; check it out. RESTORE.EXE bytes=38294 Used to bring back (sometimes) earlier dos backups, this file is included for backwards compatibility. If you didn't use BACKUP before, you don't need RESTORE now. Bang. Zoom. To the moon, it's gone. SETVER.EXE bytes=12015 Some software was designed to ask your computer what release of DOS you were running. It may have wanted DOS 3.2, and wouldn't run on DOS 2.0. Nobody thought about a DOS 4, 5, or 6, so when the answer comes back as anything but 3, the software won't work. This program is used to lie to your programs when they ask what DOS version you're running. If your software thinks it will only run under DOS 3, and you're on DOS 6, SETVER can be used to tell your program it's running DOS 3 when it asks. Useful for old, or odd software. I've never needed it... SHARE.EXE bytes=10912 Used primarily on networks, SHARE provides for file sharing and record-locking capabilities. Even if you're not on a netwwork, some applications - such as ObjectVision 2. 0 - require it for file sharing. Keep it. SIZER.EXE bytes=7169 Used by the MemMaker memory optimization program to determine the size in memory of device drivers and memory-resident programs. When you're done with MEMMAKER, you're done with this program. SMARTDRV.EXE bytes=42073 The latest version, and a good improvement. Loads the SMARTDRV.EXE device driver to perform double buffering. Double buffering provides compatibility for certain hard-disk controllers that cannot work with memory provided by EMM386 or Windows running in 386 enhanced mode. To find out whether you need to use double buffering, see . Replace your old SMARTDRV file with this one. Don't let the terminology confuse you. Chances are, SMARTDRV.EXE will greatly benefit your computer. Keep it. SMARTMON.EXE bytes=28672 Windows program, Smartdrive Monitor. Lets you control, adjust and monitor your SMARTDRV.EXE program to see how it's doing. Nice, but not NEEDED. SMARTMON.HLP bytes=10727 help file for above SORT.EXE bytes=6922 Want your directory list alphabetized when you see it? Use DOSKEY and SORT to make a macro to save the keystrokes, or type DIR > SORT. Useful and time saving. Keep it. SUBST.EXE bytes=18478 Substitutes a drive letter for a directory name, or one drive for another. SUBST is necessary for really old programs that don't understand subdirectories, such as DPS III+. It's also useful with the PATH command to replace references to really long, or nested, subdirectories. If you have something on your hard drive that needs to be installed from a floppy, use the SUBST command to make your computer think it's reading the A: drive when it installs from another directory on C:. Note: To use drive letters greater than E, add the LASTDRIVE command to your CONFIG.SYS file. Keep it. SYS.COM bytes=9379 Makes a disk bootable by copying COMMAND.COM and two invisible files: IO.SYS (or IBMBIO.SYS) and MSDOS.SYS (or IBMDOS.SYS) to a floppy. KEEP IT. TREE.COM bytes=6898 Displays a listing of a disk's directory structure, including files, with the /F switch. More than anything else, this program will give you a visual representation of directories and help you understand their structure. Keep it. UNDELETE.EXE bytes=26420 While this program does restore files that were previously deleted by using the command it also has three levels of protecting files against accidental deletion�� Delete Sentry, Delete Tracker, and Standard. Learn to use this one. Success rates are better the sooner you try it after the deletion in Standard mode. If you regularly say OH SHIT!, then set up the Delete Sentry system. It'll save your butt someday. KEEP IT. UNFORMAT.COM bytes=12738 Like undelete, it can bring back files you thought were gone. FORMAT usually checks to see if your disk and it's existing format are good. It doesn't really erase all the files unless you tell it to (through switches). UNFORMAT may/may not get your files back; it all depends. KEEP IT. VFINTD.386 bytes=5295 Part of windows anti viral software. Use the others, and you'll need this one. VSAFE.COM bytes=62576 Anti Virus software. If you want to try to stop virus problems, use it. Keep it. WNTOOLS.GRP bytes=3741 Part of the windows toolbox XCOPY.EXE bytes=15820 Hey, you don't know what you're missing. This little understood program copies files, including those in multiple subdirectories. It does everything that the internal command COPY can do - but more and faster. Check it out. Good switch support. Keep it. Hey. I spent a lot of time compiling this list. All I ask is that the name "the brother-in-law" be left intact in this file. Thanks.