MS-DOS 1.x-6.22 System File Naming Conventions (63906)


The information in this article applies to:
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 1.x
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 2.11
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.1
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.2
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.21
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.3
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.3a
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 4.0
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 4.01
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0a
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.2
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.21
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.22
This article was previously published under Q63906

SUMMARY

The two most frequently used naming conventions for system files are the ones used by Microsoft MS-DOS and IBM for PC-DOS. They are as follows: 
   Filename                Product
   -------------------------------
   IO.SYS/MS-DOS.SYS       Microsoft MS-DOS
   IBMBIO.COM/IBMDOS.COM   IBM PC-DOS

MORE INFORMATION

These are not the only names used for system files, but they are the most common. The following is a list of some original equipment manufacturer (OEM) versions of DOS and their system filenames: 
OEM            Versions            System Filenames
------------------------------------------------------------

AT&T           3.1, 3.2, 3.30a     IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
Bluechip       3.2                 IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Compaq         1.1, 1.11           IOSYS.COM      MSDOS.COM
Compaq         2.01+               IBMBIO.COM     MSDOS.COM
Dell           3.3                 IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
DTK            4.01                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
EPC/EMPAC      4.01                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
HP Vectra      3.2                 IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
ITT            2.11, 3.10          IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
IBM            All                 IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
Intel          4.01                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Lyi-Cheng      4.01                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Microsoft      All                 IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
NCR            2.11                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
NCR            3.20.20             IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
Northgate      4.0                 IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Parcorp        3.3                 IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Phoenix        4.01                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Sperry         3.2                 MIO.SYS        MSDOS.SYS
Tandy          2.11                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Tandy          3.1, 3.2, 3.3       IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
Telex          3.21                IO.SYS         MSDOS.SYS
Wang           2.11                BIOS.SYS       MSDOS.SYS
Wyse           3.1, 3.21, 3.3      IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
Zenith         2.11, 3.21          IBMBIO.COM     IBMDOS.COM
NOTE: This is not a complete list of OEMs; only the listed versions were checked.
Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 5/12/2003
Keywords: KB63906
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