In MS-DOS, which command undeletes a group of recently deleted files with the .DOC extension (just deleted in the current session)?

Introduction / Context:Before the Recycle Bin era, MS-DOS offered an UNDELETE utility that could restore files removed with DEL/ERASE under certain conditions. To recover multiple files sharing an extension (such as .DOC), technicians used wildcard patterns to target the desired set efficiently after accidental deletions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The files were just deleted (cluster data likely intact).
• We are operating in the directory where deletions occurred.
• We want to restore all .DOC files at once.

Concept / Approach:

UNDELETE supports wildcard patterns. Using UNDELETE *.DOC instructs the utility to search the directory's FAT entries for deleted names ending with .DOC and attempt restoration. Plain UNDELETE may prompt file-by-file, while switches like /ALL or /LIST change behavior (restore all without prompting or list candidates), but the most direct and controlled method for a specific extension is the wildcard form.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Running UNDELETE /? shows support for wildcards and options; tests on DOS 6.x demonstrate that UNDELETE *.DOC queues all matching entries for recovery when cluster data is still available.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• UNDELETE (no pattern): may require individual selections; not explicit for .DOC group.
• UNDELETE/ALL: restores everything it finds—too broad and potentially unsafe.
• UNDELETE/LIST: lists candidates only; does not perform restoration.
• None of the above: incorrect because a correct wildcard solution exists.

Common Pitfalls:

• Continuing to write to disk before recovery, which can overwrite deleted clusters.
• Forgetting that long filenames (VFAT) behavior differs in Windows 9x DOS sessions.

Final Answer:

UNDELETE *.DOC.