MS-DOS 4
Not to be confused with Multitasking 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[edit | edit source]
- 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
andAUTOEXEC.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 forSELECT
.
History[edit | edit source]
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",[1] as well as in a contract between Microsoft and Zenith Data Systems from August 1987.[2]
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.[3]
List of known OEM releases[edit | edit source]
MS-DOS 4.00[edit | edit source]
- RM Nimbus
- Sampo
MS-DOS 4.01[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- Nokia
- Victor
MS-DOS 4.01d[edit | edit source]
- Compaq