Using DOS in Windows 8.1

[TechnoMage]

I didn't know where to ask this, so here it is.
Even when running Windows 8.1, I occasionally need to do something in DOS. (the old Disk Operating System that pre-dated Windows)
Yesterday, I needed to find a file on my HD (SSD) so I tried the Windows Search command....to no avail. Typical!
So in desperation, I opened a Command Prompt and used the DOS "Dir" command to find the file, and it did. But the path was long and I wanted to send it to a text file in the root directory of C:. Years ago, I knew how to do that, but yesterday I could not remember the syntax.
So I'm wondering if anyone here knows how to do that RE-Direct of the output of a command, from the screen to a .txt file, in DOS?
Help! Help!

TM

 

[TechnoMage]

WOW, the old man finally fingered it out! The re-direct command is simply the (>) greater than symbol.
And, I could not send the output to the root directory because it is locked and protected.
In early versions of Windows that was not the case, as I remember it.
But, when I re-directed the output of the DIR command to an open Directory, the command worked.
Now I just hope I can remember that, the next time I need to do a Search using the DOS DIR command.

Y'all have a great day now, Y'hear?
TM

 

[Bree]

WOW, the old man finally fingered it out!

And I had just prepared a screenshot for you, won't need it now.

Yes, the root of C:\ is protected in W8 and above.

Another useful command line tool is the Pipe command | which pipes the result of one command to another. For example, piping to the Find command.

 

[strollin]

In addition to the '>' and '|' command modifiers, there is '>>'. Both the '>' and '>>' direct the output of a command to a text file but a single '>' overwrites an existing file with the same name while the double '>>' appends to the existing file.

 

[TechnoMage]

It's good to see that others still use DOS too. May it never die!
I've just forgotten so much of it. I'll probably be back, one day, asking more dumb questions.
It's just amazing to me, that somewhere under Windows lurks DOS, alive and well.

Thanks again Mates!

 

[Bree]

It's just amazing to me, that somewhere under Windows lurks DOS, alive and well.

Not quite - DOS was an entire operating system, with a command line interpreter named COMMAND.COM. From Windows XP onwards the underlying OS is Windows NT, with a CMD.EXE interpreter that supports the same command set as DOS.

 

[TechnoMage]

Call it what you want, but DOS commands still work. And I love it, that my old DOS batch files still run.

 

[TechnoMage]

Topic Revisited:

As an update or whatchamacallit, I just wanted to mention, that when I back up this old Acer SFF desktop PC, I use "Ghost 11.5" booting up with a CD or Flash Drive that uses DOS to boot the PC and run Ghost. (Ghost 11.5 was the last of the DOS based versions)
It's basically the same boot disk that I developed with a group of Utilities, back pre-2000.

This little PC seems to prefer a DOS based boot disk, over a Windows based disk. ???

Cheers mates!
TM

 

[TechnoMage]

Update:
Now, my attention has turned to playing with a tweaked version of window 11.
As is my custom, when I install a new OS (any OS) I use DOS batch files to install a lot of my little tweaks and shortcuts into Windows.
That worked just as well on Win-11 as any previous OS. And, Why not!
Looking around, I found a version of Win-11 that will install on older PC's that are officially deemed Incompatible for Win-11.
It's been tweaked a little, but it's still Win-11, worts and all.

 

[Bree]

I found a version of Win-11 that will install on older PC's that are officially deemed Incompatible for Win-11.
It's been tweaked a little, but it's still Win-11, worts and all.

Actually even the plain-vanilla ISO of Windows 11 from Microsoft can install and run on virtually anything, however inappropriate.
There are some easy workarounds to skip the compatibility checks.

 

[TechnoMage]

I just have such a dislike for Mr. One World Order Bill Gates, that I've given that firm the last penny they will ever get from me.
Sorry!
They may have written the first version of Win-11, but not necessarily the Best Version.
The best version comes from over on your side of the pond. Like, a lot of really great software.

 

[Bree]

.....even the plain-vanilla ISO of Windows 11 from Microsoft....

I just have such a dislike for Mr. One World Order Bill Gates, that I've given that firm the last penny they will ever get from me.
Sorry!

Oh I didn't pay for the ISO, it's free to download

In fact I don't think I've ever bought anything from MS. My machines were all bought as used. Any OS license fee would have been paid by the OEM, so that could be said to be paid indirectly by the original purchaser. Likewise my various licensed copies of MS Office - all pre-installed by the OEM or bought by the original owner.

I just inherited them all

 

[TechnoMage]

That sounds GREAT! But I've never been that lucky.

Do you have any PC that still runs Windows XP?
I didn't, but I do now.
I found XP on the internet, downloaded it, and installed it to an old eMachine, that I've been using for experimentation.
It took a while to get it ON-Line, but I prevailed, and even got Outlook Express all set up and working with a GMail account.
It's been a lot of years since I had to set up XP, and I had forgotten what a bear it could be.
Seven and up are so much easier!