Using AUTOEXEC.BAT and Other Batch files

If you are using MS-DOS to access your application programs, you may find that there are commands you need to run frequently. You can automate the execution of these commands by listing them in a special file called a batch file. When you type the name of the batch file and press [=I, MS-DOS executes the commands in the file just as if you had typed each command from the keyboard.

If you have a word processing program that can save a file as a text-only file (sometimes called an ASCII file), you can use it to create a batch file. You can also use the MS-DOS COPY, EDIT, or EDLIN command, or a text editor, to create the file.

One batch file that you may find particularly useful is called AUTOEXEC.BAT. Every time you turn on your computer, MS-DOS looks for the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and automatically executes each of the commands in the file.

When you install MS-DOS, it creates an AUTOEXEC.BAT file for you, which you can modify or replace as described above. Be sure to name the file AUTOEXEC.BAT and store it in the root directory of the hard disk or diskette from which you load MS-DOS. (You may want to rename your original file to AUTOEXEC.OLD, in case you need to use it again later.)

See your MS-DOS documentation for more information about creating and using batch files.

Using Your Computer 1 - 2 7