MS-DOS 7

A major difference between earlier versions of MS-DOS is the usage of the MSDOS.SYS file.[2] In version 7 this is not a binary file, but a pure setting file. The older boot style, where Windows is not automatically started and the system boots into a DOS command shell, could keep on using that same style by setting BootGUI=0 in the MSDOS.SYS-file. Otherwise, Windows from Windows 95 onward will automatically start up on boot. However this was in reality only an automatic call for the file WIN.COM, the Windows starting file. Windows 95 and 98 are both highly dependent on a Real mode system, although MS-DOS 7 possibly is more "hidden" than earlier versions of MS-DOS. This is also true for Windows Millennium Edition, but "ME" prevents users from using Real mode.

Also the paths for (a plausible but actually not necessary) Windows directory and Boot directory is to be set in this new version of the MSDOS.SYS-file. Whilst IO.SYS (although binary different) remained as the initial executive startup file which BIOS booting routines fires up, if located correctly. Also the COMMAND.COM file keeps a handle on the command prompt. The typical DOS setting files CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT essentially retained their functions from earlier versions of MS-DOS (although memory allocation was no longer needed).

Although only included in Windows releases (the last stand alone release of MS-DOS ever was the 6.22 version), MS-DOS 7 can fairly easily be extracted from Windows 95/98, and be used alone on other computers, just as the earlier versions. Actually MS-DOS 7/7.1 works fine on many modern (as of 2016) motherboards (at least with PS2-keyboards), in sharp contrast to Windows 95/98. Although it has to be installed at a fairly small partition, located at "the top" of the hard drive and formatted with FAT32.

Any installation must be done prior to any Windows installation, and through the SYS command (executing the SYS.COM file), preferably from a folder on a Ramdrive created by a bootable disc. Correct versions of IO.SYS (especially) must exist in the same folder as SYS.COM together with DRVSPACE.BIN, MSDOS.SYS, MSDOS.--- as well as COMMAND.COM, AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. All other files can be copied thereafter. (In Windows 95/98 they are found in either the root folder or in the C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND folder)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MS-DOS.

• PC DOS 7
• List of DOS commands
• List of DOS system files
• Timeline of DOS operating systems