Chapter 23: Operating System Fundamentals and DOS

Overview

Welcome to the first chapter of our CompTIA A+ Operating Systems Technologies study guide. You may have noticed that the chapters in Part II B of this book are titled by individual operating systems, as opposed to the CompTIA domain structure titles. This structure is in place to not confuse the reader by going back and forth between operating systems within the same chapter, as many other books do. It is very important for you to learn and retain the concepts and functionality of each operating system individually. We will refer to and compare some of the functions in different operating systems within the same chapter, but the intention is to keep your focus on the particular operating system at hand.

CompTIA states that you should have at least six months of hands-on experience with the operating systems you will be tested on. These include DOS, Windows 9x, Windows NT, Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Be forewarned, however, that two years of hands-on experience with these operating systems is not enough to pass the tough CompTIA examination if you do not focus on the specific concepts and theories required to answer the test questions correctly.

Please keep in mind that this section of the book is designed to prepare you to take and pass the CompTIA A+ Operating Systems Technologies exam. It is not a substitute for hands-on experience, nor does it explain the entire history and every detail of all the operating systems covered.

The A+ Operating System Technologies exam will ensure that you are knowledgeable about the underlying command prompt (or line) functions associated with Windows 9x, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Many of the DOS commands and command line utilities you will learn about in this chapter can be utilized through the command prompt provided with newer operating systems. It is therefore highly recommended that you pay close attention to the details and concepts in this chapter so that you are prepared for the command line functions and utilities discussed in the chapters that follow.

In this chapter, we focus on DOS (Disk Operating System) commands, procedures, and utilities. We also address system configuration files and DOS memory management.

Before we begin our focus on DOS, it is important for you to understand the basic functions of an operating system.