MS DOS Command: DEVICE

Reference from Microsoft MS-DOS cmd help

Description

Loads the device driver you specify into memory. You can use this command only in your CONFIG.SYS file.

Syntax

DEVICE=[drive:][path]filename [dd-parameters]

Parameters

[drive:][path]filename	Specifies the location and name of the device driver you want to load.
[dd-parameters]	Specifies any command-line information required by the device driver.

Related Command

For information about loading device drivers into the upper memory area, see the DEVICEHIGH command.

Remarks

Using standard device drivers

The standard installable device drivers provided with MS-DOS are ANSI.SYS, DISPLAY.SYS, DRIVER.SYS, DRVSPACE.SYS, EGA.SYS, EMM386.EXE, HIMEM.SYS, INTERLNK.EXE, POWER.EXE, RAMDRIVE.SYS, SETVER.EXE, and SMARTDRV.EXE.

The files COUNTRY.SYS and KEYBOARD.SYS are not device drivers. They are data files for the COUNTRY and KEYB commands, respectively. Do not try to load either of these files with the DEVICE command. If you do, your system halts, and you cannot restart MS-DOS. For information about loading COUNTRY.SYS, see the COUNTRY command. For information about loading KEYBOARD.SYS, see the KEYB command.

Installing device drivers for other products

When you purchase a mouse, a scanner, or a similar product, the manufacturer usually includes device-driver software. To install a device driver, specify its location and name on a DEVICE command line.

Installing a third-party console driver

If you install both DISPLAY.SYS and a third-party console driver, such as VT52.SYS, the third-party device driver must be installed first. Otherwise, the third-party device driver may disable DISPLAY.SYS.

Installing multiple device drivers

Sometimes one installable device driver will require that it be loaded before or after another in your CONFIG.SYS file. For example, EMM386.EXE requires HIMEM.SYS to be loaded first. If the device driver requires that another device driver be loaded before it, make sure the commands are listed in the correct order in your CONFIG.SYS file.

Examples

If you plan to use an ANSI escape sequence to control the screen and keyboard, you should add the following command to your CONFIG.SYS file (assuming MS-DOS files are in the DOS directory on drive C):

device=c:\dos\ansi.sys