Web CIS 101

Summer, 2003

Instructor: Eli Minkoff

Web
USING COMMAND PROMPT
(Not for Macintosh users)
FINDING COMMAND PROMPT:
Many common computer tasks are easier by using the Command Prompt, also called the C-prompt. It's old name is MS-DOS, and it was widely used for decades, long before either Windows or Macintosh.
TO FIND COMMAND PROMPT, click "Start", then "Search" or "Find", and look for "command prompt" (or "MS-DOS" on older computers). When you find it, drag its icon (the tiny picture) to the desktop.

USING COMMAND PROMPT:
Every command must be followed by the ENTER key to take effect.
A letter plus a colon specifies what disk drive you are using. C: is usually your hard drive, A: is your floppy drive. Sometimes D: can be a CD-ROM drive and I: can be a network drive shared by several networked computers in a public lab.
IMPORTANT COMMANDS include the following: 
Change directories:   cd \         [changes to topmost or "root" directory]
                      cd dname     [changes to a subdirectory named "dname"]
                      cd ..        [changes "up" one directory level]
                      cd \d1\d2    [changes to directory d2 within directory
                                    d1, which is immediately beneath the
                                    "root" directory]
List directory contents:
                      dir          [lists all files]
                      dir  p*      [lists only files beginning with "p"]
Copy a file:          copy myfile newname  [new copy in same directory]
                      copy myfile a:       [copies file to floppy drive]
                      copy a:myfile c:     [copies from floppy to C: drive]
Rename a file:        ren  oldname  newname
Delete a file:        del  fname   [deletes the file named "fname"]
Delete several files: del  f*.htm  [deletes all files beginning with "f"
                                     and ending with ".htm"]
Make new directory:   mkdir dname  [makes a new directory named "dname"]
Remove a directory:   rmdir dname  [removes directory named "dname",
                                     which must be empty]
Edit a file:          edit myfile  [works just like Notepad]
Exit the C-prompt:    exit

TEXT-BASED FTP:
Many University computers (or those in public libraries or schools) do not have Windows-based FTP installed. If you are using a computer outside your own home, the old text-based FTP (running under Command Prompt) is always available and may work better than Windows.