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MS-DOS facts for kids

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MS-DOS
Developer Microsoft
Source model Closed
Released to
manufacturing
August 12, 1981
Latest release 8.0
Repository
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Kernel type Monolithic kernel
License MS-EULA
Support status
Unsupported
StartingMsdos
Starting MS-DOS

MS-DOS is a computer operating system created by Microsoft. Its name means "Microsoft Disk Operating System." It grew from an older system called QDOS, which stood for "Quick and Dirty Operating System."

MS-DOS was very popular on PCs before Microsoft Windows became common. It was the main system that Windows ran on top of until Windows XP came out. Even today, you might find MS-DOS used in some older computer systems.

MS-DOS is a text-based operating system. This means you use a keyboard to type commands. The computer then shows you information as plain text on the screen. Later versions of MS-DOS often had programs that used a mouse and simple graphics. This made it easier and quicker to use.

It is called a disk operating system because it was first loaded into a computer's memory using a floppy disk. This happened every time the computer was started up, a process called booting.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: MS-DOS para niños

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