(
AUTOmatic
EXECute
BATch) A text file that contained commands to load programs at startup and configure various settings in a DOS PC. Along with CONFIG.SYS, it resided in the root folder. AUTOEXEC.BAT was included in Windows versions for DOS compatibility and was replaced with AUTOEXEC.NT in 32-bit versions of Windows starting with Windows NT. Users could easily make changes in the file.
The following AUTOEXEC.BAT example sets the DOS prompt to look like the Windows prompt, makes programs in the DATA and IMAGES folders accessible from any prompt and loads the DOSkey utility and Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet. See
CONFIG.SYS,
Path environment variable,
Doskey and
prompt.
prompt $p$g
path c:\data;d:\images
c:\dos\doskey
c:\lotus\123