WIN.COM

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WIN.COM
Developed by	Microsoft Corporation
OS	MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows (Windows 95 - Windows Me)
Platform	x86
Genre	Operating System Loader
License	Proprietary

WIN.COM is the executable file used to load versions of Windows that run from MS-DOS. In Windows 3.1 and its predecessors, it is executed either manually from the DOS prompt or as a line in AUTOEXEC.BAT. In Windows 95 and onward it is automatically invoked by IO.SYS after AUTOEXEC.BAT is processed.

Contents 1 Usage 2 Issues 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Usage

WIN.COM has several parameters that facilitate system recovery and diagnostics.

[edit] Issues

Corruption or deletion of WIN.COM caused many issues for users of Windows 95 and 98, and some early viruses targeted WIN.COM.

[edit] See also

• AUTOEXEC.BAT
• COM file
• MS-DOS

[edit] References

• Microsoft Knowledgebase Article 142544
• TechEncyclopedia definition
• Win.com errors