Sys.com
Encyclopedia
SYS.COM is a component of DOS
and Microsoft
Windows 9x
operating systems that will copy the command line shell
(COMMAND.COM
), the boot loader (IO.SYS
or IBMBIO.COM
), the kernel (MSDOS.SYS
or IBMDOS.COM
), and the boot sector
to the corresponding drive, allowing the target drive to be bootable. The command
can be applied to hard drives and floppy disk
s to repair or create a boot sector.
Although an article on Microsoft's website says the
version 2.0, this is incorrect. SYS actually first appeared in IBM PC DOS version 1.0, and according to The MS-DOS Encyclopedia, the command was licensed to IBM
as part of the first MS-DOS release (version 1.0).
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Windows 9x
Windows 9x
Windows 9x is a generic term referring to a series of Microsoft Windows computer operating systems produced since 1995, which were based on the original and later modified Windows 95 kernel...
operating systems that will copy the command line shell
Shell (computing)
A shell is a piece of software that provides an interface for users of an operating system which provides access to the services of a kernel. However, the term is also applied very loosely to applications and may include any software that is "built around" a particular component, such as web...
(COMMAND.COM
COMMAND.COM
COMMAND.COM is the filename of the default operating system shell for DOS operating systems and the default command line interpreter on Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me...
), the boot loader (IO.SYS
IO.SYS
IO.SYS is an essential part of MS-DOS and Windows 9x. It contains the default MS-DOS device drivers and the DOS initialization program.- Boot sequence :...
or IBMBIO.COM
IBMBIO.COM
IBMBIO.COM is the filename of the DOS-BIOS in many DOS operating systems, and as such part of PC-DOS, earlier versions of MS-DOS, and DR DOS 5.0 and higher...
), the kernel (MSDOS.SYS
MSDOS.SYS
MSDOS.SYS an important system file on MS-DOS and Windows 9x systems. It is run after IO.SYS. In MS-DOS, it contains the core operating system code, the kernel...
or IBMDOS.COM
IBMDOS.COM
IBMDOS.COM is the filename of the DOS kernel. It exists in DR-DOS and PC-DOS systems, with MS-DOS using MSDOS.SYS. The file is located in the root directory of the drive containing the operating system....
), and the boot sector
Boot sector
A boot sector or boot block is a region of a hard disk, floppy disk, optical disc, or other data storage device that contains machine code to be loaded into random-access memory by a computer system's built-in firmware...
to the corresponding drive, allowing the target drive to be bootable. The command
Command (computing)
In computing, a command is a directive to a computer program acting as an interpreter of some kind, in order to perform a specific task. Most commonly a command is a directive to some kind of command line interface, such as a shell....
can be applied to hard drives and floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
s to repair or create a boot sector.
Although an article on Microsoft's website says the
SYS command was introduced in MS-DOSMS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
version 2.0, this is incorrect. SYS actually first appeared in IBM PC DOS version 1.0, and according to The MS-DOS Encyclopedia, the command was licensed to IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
as part of the first MS-DOS release (version 1.0).