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ANSI.SYS is a device driver in MS-DOS (and related operating systems) that provides extra console functions through ANSI escape codes. It is partially based upon a subset of the terminal control standard proposed by the ANSI X3L2 Technical Committee on Codes and Character Sets (the "X3 Committee"). A device driver, often called a driver for short, is a computer program that enables another program (typically, an operating system) to interact with a hardware device. ...
Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ...
In computing, an operating system (OS) is the system software responsible for the direct control and management of hardware and basic system operations. ...
The console is the text output device for system administration messages. ...
ANSI escape codes are used to specify visual effects on text terminals. ...
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device. ...
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit standards organization that produces industrial standards in the United States. ...
To use ANSI.SYS under MS-DOS, you added a line to the CONFIG.SYS file that read: CONFIG.SYS is the primary configuration file of the MS-DOS and OS/2 operating systems. ...
device=(drive:)(path)ANSI.SYS where (drive:) and (path) are the drive letter and path to the directory in which the file ANSI.SYS is found. Drive letter assignment is the process of matching volumes (active primary partitions and logical partitions) to letters in the root namespace of a file system as seen by a Microsoft operating system. ...
Once loaded, ANSI.SYS enabled codes that changed the colors of the cursor and characters on the screen, or enabled software programs to move the cursor up or down lines, enabled blinking text, and similar text graphics features. Using this driver, text could be displayed in 16 different colors ("foreground" colors), with 8 optional background colors. It also allowed for the changing of the video mode from standard 80x25 text mode to a number of different graphics modes (i.e. 320x200, 640x200, 40-column text mode) depending on the which video graphics card was installed. A cursor is a movable marker that indicates a position. ...
A text mode program communicates with the user by only displaying text and possibly a limited set of predefined semi-graphical characters, which allow to draw rudimentary boxes around portions of text, either to highlight the content or to simulate widget or control interface objects found in GUI programs. ...
An interesting feature about ANSI.SYS was that it allowed for the remapping of any key on the keyboard in order to perform shortcuts or macros for complex instructions. This feature was also used by evildoers to create simple trojans out of text files called "ANSI Bombs" laced with nefarious keyboard remaps. A number of antivirus utilities were written to ensure that, for example, the F3 function key wasn't remapped to DEL *.* or FORMAT C: and the N-key (for no) wasn't remapped to Y. QWERTY computer keyboard A computer keyboard is a peripheral modelled after the typewriter keyboard. ...
Anti-virus software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify, thwart and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software (malware). ...
Formatting a hard drive using MS-DOS Disk formatting is the process of preparing a hard disk or other storage medium for use by an operating system or a user. ...
The file ANSI.SYS is a part of several Microsoft operating systems, including: Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT) headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. ...
ANSI.SYS was required to run some software that used its cursor and color control functions. It could also be used to enable elaborate color codes in the command.com prompt. These uses were overshadowed by the use of ANSI.SYS in BBSes; ANSI escape codes were used to enable BBSes to send elaborate text graphics more elaborate than ASCII art, and to control the cursor in ways that were used in a number of online games and similar features. Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ...
Windows 95 (codename Chicago) is a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit graphical operating system released on August 24, 1995 by the Microsoft Corporation. ...
Windows 98 (codename Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on June 25, 1998 by the Microsoft Corporation. ...
Windows NT is an operating system produced by Microsoft. ...
Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K, W2K or Windows NT 5. ...
Windows XP (codename Whistler, also known as Windows NT 5. ...
The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...
A bulletin board system or BBS is a computer system running software that allows users to dial into the system over a phone line and, using a terminal program, perform functions such as downloading software and data, uploading data, playing games, reading news, and exchanging messages with other users. ...
A screenshot of TheDraw editing an ANSI art picture of a shuttle; the purple text blinks ANSI art is a computer artform widely used at one time on BBSes. ...
ASCII art, an artistic medium relying primarily on computers for presentation, consists of pictures pieced together from characters (preferably from the 95 printable characters defined by ASCII). ...
Internet games (also known as online games) are games that are played online via the Internet. ...
See also
ANSI escape codes are used to specify visual effects on text terminals. ...
External links - Modifying the DOS prompt with ANSI.SYS (http://kb.indiana.edu/data/aamm.html)
- ANSI Bomb Tips and Techniques (http://nightmare.org/textfiles/ansi/ansibomb.txt)
- Guide to using ANSI.SYS (http://enterprise.aacc.cc.md.us/~rhs/ansi.html)
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