DOS at 40

This day in history August 12,1981, MS-DOS is released. Now you know.

MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft.

Default user interface: Command-line (COMMAND.COM), text (DOS Shell)
Final release: 8.0 (Windows Me) / September 14, 2000; 20 years ago
Initial release date: 1981
Source model: Closed source; open source for select versions since 2018
Programming languages: C, Assembly language, x86 assembly language
Developer: Microsoft Corporation, Tim Paterson

21 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://winworldpc.com/library/operating-systems

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.myabandonware.com/game/spectre-vr-20h/play-20h

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2023/05/14/missing-dr-dos-power-management-source-code-found-in-patent/

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Ultimate, Complete List of MS-DOS Commands
    Need a command? We’ve got every single DOS command there ever was. Yes, really.
    https://www.lifewire.com/dos-commands-4070427

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Oldest known version of DOS demoed — recently unearthed 86-DOS taken for a spin by retrocomputing archaeologist
    News
    By Mark Tyson published 4 days ago
    Ancient MS-DOS ancestor test drive.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/oldest-known-version-of-dos-demoed-recently-unearthed-86-dos-taken-for-a-spin-by-retrocomputing-archaeologist

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2024/01/05/video-and-audio-playback-on-low-end-ms-dos-machines/

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/the-oldest-known-version-of-ms-doss-predecessor-has-been-discovered-and-uploaded/

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl7 says:

    https://blogsystem5.substack.com/p/from-0-to-1-mb-in-dos?fbclid=IwAR1St1Ex9dAYYFE89-lEZfZV9CjKoK_HX7h1Wv1p_YDen8dJb5ga8bKP05s

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    MS-DOS and Windows 3.11 still run train dashboards at German railway — company listed admin job for 30-year-old operating system
    News
    By Mark Tyson published about 5 hours ago
    Many with the requisite experience might already have retired.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/ms-dos-and-windows-311-still-run-train-dashboards-at-german-railway-company-listed-admin-job-for-30-year-old-operating-system

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The original sources of MS-DOS 1.25, 2.0, and 4.0 for reference purposes
    https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Andrew Cunningham / Ars Technica:
    Interviews with the creator and maintainers of FreeDOS, the only MS-DOS-compatible OS still under active development, about its continued relevance and more

    dos wants to be free —
    30 years later, FreeDOS is still keeping the dream of the command prompt alive
    Project’s creator talks to Ars about where FreeDOS has been, where it’s going.
    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/06/30-years-later-freedos-is-still-keeping-the-dream-of-the-command-prompt-alive/

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    FreeDOS, now 30 years old, will soon run Windows 3.x
    The command prompt of yore is still alive and kicking despite hardware incompatibilities
    https://www.techspot.com/news/103619-freedos-now-30-years-old-soon-run-windows.html

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Enthusiast demos ancient MS-DOS and games running ‘from the metal’ on modern PC system
    News
    By Christopher Harper published 2 days ago
    YouTuber Inkbox tests DOS without emulation using modern CPUs.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/enthusiast-demos-ancient-ms-dos-and-games-running-from-the-metal-on-modern-pc-system

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Windowsiin on piilotettu kätevä kikka, jolla säästät hermojasi
    Windows 11 päästää käyttäjänsä pois tukalasta tilanteesta, mutta toiminto ei ole oletuksena päällä.
    https://www.is.fi/digitoday/art-2000010612351.html

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/06/wordstar_7_the_last_ever/

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2024/08/22/running-stock-ms-dos-on-a-modern-thinkpad/

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The DOS and Don’ts of Retro Gaming
    Want to natively run MS-DOS 6.22 on your modern computer to scratch that Doom itch? Check out this guide to get started.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/the-dos-and-don-ts-of-retro-gaming-b1916b261b94

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2024/12/25/when-it-comes-to-dos-dont-forget-dr-dos/

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2024/04/25/open-sourcing-ms-dos-4-0/

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yE3_yUL7KAQ

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2025/04/08/freedos-1-4-released/

    Reply

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