# Solved: dos command



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

is there a search/ find command in DOS to find a certain file? If so, what is the correct syntax to do it please? TIA

I am trying to find the following:

io.sys
config.sys

I found io.sys and tried copying it but it didn't work with the following command to a floppy copy io.sys a:

ANY IDEA WHY?

tia


----------



## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

dir /s Filename it will tell you every dir rooted under it E.G.

C:\ Dir /s Filename will show you all Filename files under c: even if nested 4 directories down.

As for copying and finding system files read this -

You cannot copy the system file as is, because its protected. For example, if you do "DIR IO.SYS" the file will not be found. You first have to change the file attributes:

a:/> attrib -R -A -S -H IO.SYS 

then copy the file:

a:/> copy IO.SYS c:/IO.SYS 

then change back the attributes:

a:/> attrib +R +A +S +H c:/IO.SYS


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

tks


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

i tried the following:

a:/> attrib -R -A -S -H IO.SYS

then copy the file:

c:/> copy IO.SYS a:/IO.SYS

then change back the attributes:

a:/> attrib +R +A +S +H c:/IO.SYS

but it still wouldn't copy. What am I doing wgong please?

TIA


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Marked unsolved as requested.


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

bump


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

How about just trying to copy to a: instead of specifying a file name?


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

tried that too, candy but to no avail..any other ideas?


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

What exactly is happening?


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

i did try it again but now I get

it says overwrite y/n/all and i try all3 but it says access denied. What am I doing wrong please?


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I'd say try another floppy disk 

Is there another location that you can save it to other than a floppy? If so, try that.


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

i've tried multiple floppies and the HD...would it be something else? Do you think JohnWIll would know?


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

You've tried to copy it to the c: drive as well?

Can I ask what exactly is your mission here?


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

not hd meant cd...sorry.


----------



## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

Why are you trying to copy IO.sys to a floppy.


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

If you are at a TRUE dos prompt, it's not going to copy to a cd, as the cd drivers don't load.

Can you explain what you are trying to do and why?


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

i am trying to test my boot disk. I want to delete the io.sys on my c: drive and then boot up using floppy and replace it with the one from floppy. I hope all this makes sense since using this method is very new to me. Trying also to using command line interface.


----------



## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

When you create a system bootdisk it puts that file on the floppy.

format a: /s

I think I explained all this in another thread you started.


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

so in other words if I delete it from c:, when I boot it back up with floppy it will replace then one deleted?


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

If I had an old computer which I could just try this things on would help best cause I wouldn't care what happened to it but I don't.....sorry.


----------



## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

I have no idea what you are trying to do or why you are trying to do it. I guess I am getting all your DOS threads mixed up today.

You are trying to do this all the hard way.


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

i am trying to learn command line interface. I guess what I am trying to ask is if I went to dos prompt and typed dir /ah and then typed append -r -a -s -h io.sys and then deleted it. Would it be replaced on my c: if I used a boot diskette which has sys.com on it and and placed it in the floppy drive to boot up? I hope this makes sense. Please let me know.


----------



## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Lets break this down -

i tried the following:


```
a:/> attrib -R -A -S -H IO.SYS
```
you are removing the attributes of IO.SYS on your A:

then copy the file:


```
c:/> copy IO.SYS a:/IO.SYS
```
You have NOT removed the attributes of the IO.SYS on your C: in order to copy it!

then change back the attributes:


```
a:/> attrib +R +A +S +H c:/IO.SYS
```
You then added the readded the arributes onto the C: IO.SYS that you never removed the attributes on.



> if I used a boot diskette which has sys.com on it and and placed it in the floppy drive to boot up?


Your PC requires only 3 files in order to boot to a command line

IO.SYS
COMMAND.COM
MSDOS.SYS


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Wow. I'm totally confused 

You do realize that dos is almost dead, right?


----------



## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

AcaCandy said:


> Wow. I'm totally confused
> 
> You do realize that dos is almost dead, right?


That is what I have been trying to figure out as well. None of this has been necessary since Windows 2000 came out. It is basically a mute point.


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

Well, I'LL just get acopy of what I want tonight so I will close this thread. You people,except stumped techy, must think that all people are going to have semi current systems and not think about legacy machines. If so, not smart thinking.


----------



## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

It's not that at all. It's just that you weren't very clear as to what your mission was, thus making it difficult to provide intelligent answers.

I'm STILL not clear on what you are trying to do.....or WHY for that matter


----------



## 24giovanni (Jun 14, 2003)

I was just looking for a simple answer which stumped techie picked up right away. why do I have to explain why I am am doing something. I just wanted to know HOW to do something. I do appreciate ALL the help though.


----------

