MS-DOS 4

Not to be confused with Multitasking MS-DOS 4.

MS-DOS 4

Version of MS-DOS
Version	4.x
Preliminary name	MS-DOS 3.40
Release date	1988-07
Replaces
MS-DOS 3
Replaced by
MS-DOS 5

MS-DOS 4 is a family of versions of MS-DOS, initially released in July 1988.

New features and changes

• Support for EGA and VGA display adapters.
• Support for FAT16 partitions larger than 32 MB.
• Support for the LIM / EMS standard (driver EMM386.SYS, access to additional memory on 386-based systems and higher), which allowed individual parts of the operating system to load into additional memory.
• Drastic improvements in functionality with the Select installation program. It now automatically creates the appropriate CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.
• The introduction of a new MEM command, which allows users to analyze the current memory configuration.
• Four countries were added in the list of supported regions.
• Graphic printing was added.
• Various new features in existing commands, which includes: TREE, DELETE, MODE, APPEND, FASTOPEN, NLSPUNC, ATTRIB, FDISK, REPLACE, BACKUP, GRAFTABL, SELECT, COUNTRY, GRAPHICS.
• Improved system drivers, including: ANSI.SYS, DRIVER.SYS, DISPLAY.SYS, PRINTER.SYS.
• MS-DOS shell was added.
• The SELECT program for setting up DOS on a hard disk has been transformed into a full-fledged setup wizard. Keyboard layout and install directory are now specified inside of the wizard rather than as parameters specified for SELECT.

History

Initially, the project was named "MS-DOS 3.40", and under this name was mentioned in the 1988-09 issue of Serbian computer magazine "Svet Kompjutera", as well as in a contract between Microsoft and Zenith Data Systems from August 1987.

MS-DOS 4.00 was released in July 1988, only to be replaced by MS-DOS 4.01 in November 1988 due to major bugs in the shell and in the memory management system. MS-DOS 4.02 was also mentioned in an antitrust document called PX05132, however, if existing, it is yet to be found.

List of known OEM releases

MS-DOS 4.00

• RM Nimbus
• Sampo

MS-DOS 4.01

• AGI
• Amstrad
• AST
• Bondwell
• Emerson
• EPSON
• HP
• Inves
• Mitac
• Olivetti
• Packard Bell
• Philips
• Phoenix
• RM Nimbus
• Sharp
• Trigem
• Tulip
• Twinhead
• VEGAS
• Zenith

MS-DOS 4.01a

• Nokia
• Victor

MS-DOS 4.01d

• Compaq