BAT+File+Format+Explanation+of

BAT File Format Explanation of

You will sometime during your exposure to the computer come across Bat files and I will endeavor to briefly explain there functions to you.

The ʺ.BATʺ file format is a MS‐DOS or MS‐Windows and an abbreviation of batch file.

In laymanʹs terms, a BAT file contains a series of instructions for the computer to perform, usually for computer or file maintenance.

I will not go into too much detail, for it is unlikely that you will write them or even seldom use them.

Below are a few of the more common commands you may find inside BAT files

Remember that these are seen when you have opened the DOS screen with the command CMD in the Run box

COPY ‐ This Copies a file, sometimes from one directory to another CD – This changes focus to a new directory to perform file operations

there

DIR – This displays the list of files in the current directory

MD – This will create a new directory in DOS

MOVE – This moves a file, usually from one directory to another

RENAME – And this as the name implies Renames a file

Just as TXT files, you can open BAT files in Notepad or another text editor.

However, ensure that you first open your text editor, and Then open the .BAT file from within that application.

The reason for this is that double‐clicking a BAT file usually run their contents as commands.

Since batch files can perform many different tasks, they can either be very useful or malicious in nature.

For this reason, be Very Careful when receiving batch files through e‐mail, instant messenger, or other questionable sources.