Reference number: CH000671
Do I need to have MS-DOS on my computer?
Question:Do I need to have MS-DOS on my computer?
Answer:First, it is important to realize that
MS-DOS has not been
included or required for Microsoft Windows since Windows 3.11.
Microsoft Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows ME,
Windows NT, Windows
ME, Windows 2000,
Windows XP, and
Windows Vista users may get confused or be
misguided by malicious users into thinking MS-DOS is no longer
needed for these versions of Windows. The fact is that these
computer do not have MS-DOS on the computer, just a MS-DOS
interpreter accessed by using the "command" or "cmd"
command through the run line. Additional information about opening a
MS-DOS prompt can be found on document CHDOS. The files necessary for the MS-DOS interpreter to work on
the computer are needed by these versions of Windows and should not
be deleted. If someone tells you MS-DOS is not needed on the
computer and to delete files from your computer ignore this person,
they are likely trying to cause you more issues.
If you're wanting to delete MS-DOS because you're afraid of it's
abilities or that it could be used maliciously, keep in mind that
MS-DOS is just a
command
line interpreter and is primarily just a different method of
navigating the files and interacting with the computer. Today,
anything that could be done in MS-DOS could also be done in the
Windows. However, users who are insistent in disabling this feature
can find the steps in document CH001005. Microsoft has
phased out the older stand-alone versions MS-DOS. If you're looking
for a place to purchase older programs such as MS-DOS we suggest you
refer to document CH000614.
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