Epson 20, 386 subdirectories

Whenever you format a hard disk or a diskette, MS-DOS creates one directory for you. This directory is called the root directory. Any subsequent directories you create are logically subordinate to the root directory; that is, they are subdirectories of the root directory. A simple directory structure might look like this:

Root directory

WORDPROC SPRDSHT DOS

This arrangement would enable you to keep your word processing programs and data files in a directory called WORPROC, your spreadsheet program and data files in a directory called SPRDSHT, and the MS-DOS files (as well as the other files copied from your Reference and Startup diskettes) in a directory called DOS. The few files that MS-DOS needs to find as soon as you boot your system (COMMAND.COM, CONFIG.SYS, and perhaps AUTOEXEC.BAT) could remain at the top level of the structure, in the root directory.

As the number of files in your WORDPROC and SPRDSHT directories grow, you can create additional directories subordinate to those two-like this, perhaps:

Root directory

WORDPROC SPRDSHT DOS

This structure would let you segregate your business word processing files from your personal word processing files and your sales spreadsheets from spreadsheet files used for financial projections.

Your directory structure may be as simple as this example, or much more complex. You can organize your disk(s) to suit your own needs, and you can modify the structure as your needs change.

Using MS-DOS with Your Equity 386 5-11