Microsoft KB Archive/68787

= Appending a Line to a File with COPY Con or ECHO =

Article ID: 68787

Article Last Modified on 5/12/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.1
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.01 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q68787



SUMMARY
You can add a line to the end of a file, such as your CONFIG.SYS file, without using an editor if you use the COPY command in the following form:

copy filename.ext + con



MORE INFORMATION
Copy echoes FILENAME.EXT as it is copied, then it echoes CON and the cursor to show that it is now copying from the CONsole. For example:

C:\>copy config.sys + con

config.sys

con

_

This causes MS-DOS to echo CONFIG.SYS and CON, with the cursor. Enter the text to be added to the file, then press CTRL+Z and ENTER to end your modification. The following example adds a line to the end of CONFIG.SYS:

C:\>copy config.sys + con

config.sys

con

shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /e:512

^z

1 File(s) copied

If only one line is to be added and that line doesn't contain any redirection, you can also use the ECHO command as follows:

C:\>echo shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /e:512 >> config.sys

NOTE: If the last line of the text file does not contain a carriage return, the line being added is appended to the end of the last line.

Additional query words: 6.22 3.20 3.21 3.30 3.30a 4.00 4.01 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20

Keywords: KB68787

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