Sys - DOS/Command Prompt Reference
[MS-DOS, Windows 95/98/Me only] Copies the system files of MS-DOS.
Syntax
sys[.com] [<drive>:][<path>] <target-drive>:
| [<drive>:][<path>] | Specifies the source drive/path for copying system files. A colon ‘:’ is required after the drive letter. If only the drive is specified, Sys copies from the root directory of that drive. If only the path is specified, it copies from the current drive's path. If neither is specified, it copies from the root directory of the current drive. |
| <target-drive>: | Specifies the destination drive for copying. A colon ‘:’ is required after the drive letter. |
Details
Copies MS-DOS system files (Io.sys, Msdos.sys, Command.com, and Dblspace.bin or Drvspace.bin). This is commonly used for freshly formatted disk drives, making them bootable. Specifically, Io.sys, Msdos.sys, Dblspace.bin, or Drvspace.bin have system file attributes, so they cannot be copied using the regular Copy command.
The version of the copied system files depends on the source. For example, if you execute it without specifying the source in the MS-DOS prompt of Windows 95, it will use the system files used by Windows 95 (MS-DOS 7.x). Therefore, when using Sys for computer repair purposes, it is essential to ensure that the data from the source and the version of the destination (repair target) computer match.