MS-DOS 6.22 FDISK Partition Table Parameter

This article explains the specific command-line parameters used in MS-DOS 6.22 to view hard drive partition tables directly using the FDISK utility. It details the primary parameter for checking partition layouts from the command line, explains the exact output it generates, and highlights an undocumented switch used for inspecting raw partition structures without entering the interactive menu.

The standard parameter used to display partition structure information in MS-DOS 6.22 is /STATUS.

To view the partition structure using this parameter, enter the following command at the DOS prompt:

FDISK /STATUS

When executed, FDISK /STATUS provides a quick overview of the system's hard drive layout without launching the full-screen interactive interface. The output displays a formatted table that includes:

• Disk: The physical drive number (e.g., Disk 1, Disk 2).
• Drv: The logical drive letters assigned to partitions (e.g., C:, D:).
• Mbytes: The total capacity of the drive and the size allocated to each partition.
• Free: The remaining unpartitioned space on the physical drive.
• Usage: The percentage of total disk space currently occupied by partitions.

If a system contains multiple hard drives, FDISK /STATUS lists all drives and their corresponding partitions sequentially.

For users needing a detailed, low-level view of the Master Boot Record (MBR) and raw partition tables, MS-DOS 6.22 also includes the undocumented parameter /DUMP. Running FDISK /DUMP outputs the exact sector structures and raw byte contents of the partition tables directly to the command line, which is useful for low-level diagnostics and debugging partition boundaries.