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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The fc <a href="/facts/Command_(computing)/zUrvQbFy">command</a> has been included in Microsoft operating systems since <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a> 2.11 (e.g. on the 1984/85 <a href="/facts/DEC_Rainbow/gL4CB6Tj">DEC Rainbow</a> release)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> and is included in all versions of Microsoft Windows.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> fc has also been included in IBM OS/2 Version 2.0.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p><p><a href="/facts/DR_DOS_6.0/GcCTKutW">DR DOS 6.0</a> includes an implementation of the fc command.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>The command is also available in <a href="/facts/FreeDOS/61fuGd0j">FreeDOS</a>. This implementation is licensed under the <a href="/facts/GPLv2%252B/S75KhLSX">GPLv2+</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="functionality">Functionality</h2> <p>fc can compare <a href="/facts/Text_file/zYW4JmES">text files</a> as well as <a href="/facts/Binary_file/ysttM8hh">binary files</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> The latest versions[<i>which?</i>] can compare <a href="/facts/ASCII/vGUI33Qu">ASCII</a> or <a href="/facts/Unicode/DDu3MfPV">Unicode</a> text. The result of comparisons are output to the <a href="/facts/Standard_output/r92M7Wd4">standard output</a>. The output of fc is intended primarily to be human readable and may be difficult to use in other programs. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Data_comparison/rCRIKwFM">Data comparison</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Comp_(command)/U8uB3Tff">comp (command)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_DOS_commands/d72UqhJ3">List of DOS commands</a></li></ul> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li>Cooper, Jim (2001). <i>Special Edition Using MS-DOS 6.22, Third Edition</i>. <a href="/facts/Que_Publishing/UNq9rds8">Que Publishing</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0789725738.</li> <li>John Paul Mueller (2007). <i>Windows Administration at the Command Line for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000</i>. <a href="/facts/Wiley_(publisher)/53g3LqJc">John Wiley & Sons</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0470165799.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: <i>Guide to Windows Commands</i> <ul><li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/fc">fc | Microsoft Docs</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS/blob/master/v2.0/source/FC.ASM">Open source FC implementation that comes with MS-DOS v2.0</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"fc Microsoft Docs". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/fc" target="_blank">https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/fc</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Fasthelp". Technet.microsoft.com. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 2016-06-15. <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc722865.aspx#XSLTsection124121120120" target="_blank">https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc722865.aspx#XSLTsection124121120120</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Rainbow MS-DOS Version 2.11 Documentation : Digital Equipment Corporation October 1984 <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>MS-DOS and Windows command line fc command <a href="https://www.computerhope.com/fchlp.htm" target="_blank">https://www.computerhope.com/fchlp.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>OS/2 2.0 Redbooks Volume 2 - DOS and Windows Environment (GG24-3731) <a href="http://www.tavi.co.uk/os2pages/pdf/gg243731_OS2_V2_0_Vol_2_DOS_and_Windows_Environment.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.tavi.co.uk/os2pages/pdf/gg243731_OS2_V2_0_Vol_2_DOS_and_Windows_Environment.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips <a href="https://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"FreeDOS 1.2 Updates Package - fc (FreeDOS Base)". Ibiblio.org. 2005-01-10. Retrieved 2022-09-04. <a href="http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/fc.html" target="_blank">http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/fc.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>FC - file compare - Windows CMD - SS64.com <a href="https://ss64.com/nt/fc.html" target="_blank">https://ss64.com/nt/fc.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>