Module overview ~ MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 9x ~

MS-DOS

This is one of the most important modules of the entire course, especially if you are planning to be a system tech. Memorize all the commands and switches off by heart, and keep practicing. Once you get the hang of it, it will be the foundation you can build on. In the last half of the module, you will learn to create some batch files using the If (and possibly the Choose) command, as well as configure the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files.

When the going gets tough, a little help from reference books might be nice. Peter Norton's DOS 6.0 Guide is one of the good resource books to pick, which explains the commands and how they work in simpler terms than the text book. There are some sites about creating batch files on the Internet as well. You can try the DOS batch file programming handbook for starters but I'm sure there are a lot more. Try to find the one that works for you.

Windows 3.x, Windows 95, and Windows 98

Windows 3.1 is the first graphical interface you will learn in this course. Most companies have already upgraded to Windows 95 (some to 98), though you might still have an occasional chance to see this operating system running. For Windows 95, if you are using the Shelly Cashman textbook, you might find it a little hard to concentrate...since it is a little wordy. Try to scoop up the key points. Although the textbook should be enough to cover the basics, there are lots of reference books available for those who want to dig a little deeper than what you study in class. Windows Annoyances is definitely recommended. Peter Norton's Complete Guide To Windows 95 is a good reference book, too. Also, a web site on the Net I recommend visiting (aside from the official Microsoft web site) is Winfiles.com, which is loaded with hints, tricks, and shareware for Windows 95. For Windows 98, you can try Windows magazine's Windows 98 web site. (They also have Windows 95 web site, too.)