Click Start ➪ Control Panel. The Control Panel appears, as shown in Figure 13-4.

Part III ✦ Working with Networked Computers drive mappings. There are even help commands that you can use at the MS-DOS prompt to help you with entering network commands. Some people are accustomed to using DOS commands from the old days; other people might be uncomfortable with the prospect if Windows is all they’ve ever known. These MS-DOS net- work commands, however, supply several options you can’t get within Windows, so you might want to try them. Understanding DOS commands The DOS command line accepts only cryptic commands you enter at the prompt. The prompt is the C:\ or C:\Windows, for example, that appears when you open the MS-DOS prompt window. The letter represents the drive letter, and any text after a backslash represents a directory; a directory is the same thing as a folder in Windows. To tell MS-DOS to perform a task, you type a command and then press the Enter key. To access command prompt, choose Star ➪ Programs ➪ MS-DOS Prompt in Windows 98. In Windows 2000 and XP, choose Start ➪ Programs ➪ Accessories ➪ Command Prompt. The window appears as white type on a black screen. To exit the program, type exit and press Enter. The window closes. You might be familiar with typing commands at the MS-DOS prompt, such as DIR to list a directory’s contents. You also might know that you can add certain text to a command to change the results. For example, typing DIR W lists the directory in multiple columns on your screen instead of in one long, flowing column. Commands When you type a command in MS-DOS, you use the command name. DIR, for example, is the name of the command. DIR stands for directory. You don’t have to type the command in all uppercase; in this book, however, the commands are written in uppercase so that you can distinguish them easily from ordinary text. Some commands require parameters that identify the exact object the command is to act on. Commands also might include switches that modify the command or action. Other com- mands require only the command name to perform a task. You type the command at the prompt and press the Enter key to activate it. After MS-DOS per- forms the command, it lists the results on the screen. Parameters Parameters are additional information the command needs to continue or complete the task. The parameter defines the object on which the command acts. If you type the DEL delete command, for example, you must tell MS-DOS what to delete. The parameter in this case, then, is the file you want to delete, as in DEL MEMO.DOC. In this example, you are telling the computer to delete the MEMO.DOC file. Parameters can be drives, paths, files, or any specifics that provide more information for the command to act on. Switches A switch modifies the way the command performs the task. You separate a switch from the command with a space and a forward slash . Normally, switches are single letters or num- bers that represent the modification. For example, DIR W means to list the directory across Note