70+ Windows CMD Commands List with Screenshots (Download PDF)

Introduction

There are more than 280 CMD commands list available through Windows Command Prompt. Rather than the graphical Windows user interface that we often use, these commands get executed to perform specific operating system functions from a command-line interpreter.

It’s possible to format a whole disk, restore your files, transfer messages to other devices, reboot your computer system, and many other things using cmd Command Prompt instructions. Many Command Prompt tips and techniques make utilization of all of these commands easy. 

The main Windows CMD commands list is highlighted in this article, along with practical examples.

Command Prompt Commands

The Command Prompt program is used to execute built-in programs known as commands. The major purpose of CMD commands is to automate a variety of operations, including user provisioning and other repetitive actions.

The most popular Windows CMD (Command Prompt) commands are listed here. For every command, there is a usage sample and a brief description.

1. arp Command

The address resolution protocol (ARP) command displays and updates values in the ARP cache. IP addresses get translated into resolved physical addresses using one or more tables that get stored in the cache.

This command has the following syntax:

arp

 

The arp command displays the help window in its default state.

The following command should get used to seeing the ARP cache table:

• arp -a

The result displays a command list for CMD of every ARP entry currently in effect, organized by the interface.

2. assoc Command

The system’s links for file extensions get listed and modified by the assoc (association) command. This command has the following syntax:

• assoc .=

The command publishes the existing file extension links when no parameters are provided.

To inspect, edit, or delete file attachments, utilize the assoc command. For instance, launch: to view the associations for the.log files.

• assoc .log
• 

Modify the file associations with:

• assoc .log=txtfile
• 

Instead, you can eliminate all connections to any files with the.log extension by executing:

• assoc .log= 
• 

To break apart the linkage, the command needs to be followed by a space following the equals sign.

3. attrib Command

With the attrib (attribute) command, you can view or modify file attributes. The potential attributes seem to be:

• R stands for read-only.
• H stands for hidden.
• S stands for system file.

The attrib command’s structure is as follows:

• attrib <+ or ->

A file’s attributes can be set or removed using the plus (+) and minus (-) signs, respectively. The CMD command displays the properties of the files in the working directory when no parameters are presented.

With the commands below, you can make a file read-only (R) as well as hidden (H).

• attrib +R +H sample_file.txt
• 

Disable the hidden (H) option to render file visibility:

• attrib -H sample_file.txt
• 

A file’s attribute gets removed using the minus sign, which also sets the file’s visibility to its initial configuration.

4. the bcdboot Command

By transferring BCD files inside an empty partition, the bcdboot (startup configuration data boot) method generates a system partition.

For this with the command’s syntax, use:

• bcdboot

For instance, perform the following to replicate the BCD files to C:\Windows:

• bcdboot C:\Windows
• 

Verification of file creation gets printed in the outcome.

5. cd Command

The location gets displayed or altered using the cd (change directory) command. This command has the following pattern:

• cd

Without the supplementary directory parameter, the program publishes the present working directory.

For instance, following the command, add the directory name to update the placement to a directory designated Public:

• cd Public
• 

The prompt displays the updated location in accordance with the change.

The /d parameter must be included before the path to shift the placement to a different disc. Use this as an example to switch to disc S:\

• cd /d S:
• 

Unless the option gets specified, the command outputs the path rather than switching to the specified destination.

The following shortcut can be used to navigate to the parent directory:

• cd ..
• 

Changes get made to the current working directory, moving it up one directory.

6. the chkdsk Command

Errors get checked for in the local directory system and metadata using the chkdsk tool. The syntax to verify a disc is as follows:

• chkdsk

The chkdsk command displays the state of the disc without correcting any faults when no further parameters are provided.

The /f option, among others, allows for the correction of disc mistakes.

• chkdsk /f

That command tries to correct disc problems. Do the inspection the next time the system restarts if the disc is in use. The system will not get impacted if the command gets stopped, but make certain that you execute the scan again later to rectify any potential data damage.

7. choice Command

A user gets prompted by the choose command to select a response from a range of possibilities. The command asks the user to select one of the Y or N alternatives in the absence of any parameters.

Choice quantity and prompt text are controlled by other settings. Utilise /c parameter, for instance, and enter the names of the three options to add a third possibility:

• choice /c ync
• 

Describe the choices that can be selected with the /m argument in more detail by adding more text. Consider this:

• choice /c ync /m “Yes, No, Continue”
• 

This command always gives back the choice index and afterward leaves.

8. cipher Command

The cipher command displays and alters the encrypted communications for files including directories. using the following command syntax:

• cipher

The cipher command displays all files and directories that are in the present location’s encryption status when executed without any further arguments. In contrast to E, which stands for “encrypted,” U stands for “unencrypted.”

With the /e argument, you can encrypt any file located in the current working directory:

• cipher /e
• 

The signal for the file switches from U towards E, indicating that it gets encrypted.

It should be noted that Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions support the ability to encrypt and decrypt folders and files.

9. clip Command

A clip command transfers a command outcome and perhaps a file’s information to the clipboard. In CMD, the following syntax gets used to duplicate a command’s results:

• | clip

For instance, pipe the cd command to clip to replicate the route to the current working directory:

• cd | clip
• 

Use CTRL+V to copy the contents and paste them into any location in the window.

Employ redirection to duplicate a file’s entire content:

• clip <

Use this command, for instance, to replicate the contents of the file sample.txt to the clipboard:

• clip < sample.txt
• 

The details of the file get copied to your clipboard and are available for pasting wherever you like.

10 cls Command

A blank surface gets produced after the cls command tries to clear the text in a command line window. To remove all content from the screen, utilize the command.

It is important to note that the prior output and contents are not displayed again.

11. cmd Command

The command interpreter gets started completely from scratch using the cmd command. 

This command can be executed using the syntax shown below:

• cmd

The cmd command displays the most recent version of the cmd.exe software without any extra parameters.

Cmd command can be used to execute commands while the current cycle is still open. Now use /c parameter, for instance, to evaluate a command and then return to the active command interpreter task:

• cmd /c cd ..
• 

Your directory gets modified by the new interpreter. The /c tag, on the other hand, guarantees that the directory remains unmodified and that the interpreter goes back to the first session.

Use the /k argument to execute a command and continue in the new session:

• cmd /k cd ..
• 

By running the cd command to change to the parent directory, the /k argument transitions to the new session.

12 color Command

Color modifies the backdrop and text colors on the console from their default settings. with the following color command syntax:

• color

Hexadecimal numbers ranging from zero to f represent the color characteristics. Each available color choice is shown in the help window:

• help color
• 

Use the following color command, for instance, to make the backdrop blue (1) and also the typeface light aqua (b):

• color 1b
• 

Use the color command without any parameters to go back to the console’s default colors.

13. comp Command

Comparing the exact contents of separate versions is done with the comp command. While it examines file bytes, the comparator program outputs characters that are different between two files.

This command’s structure is as follows:

• comp

When the comp command gets run with no arguments, an interactive window to provide file names and other options opens.

Find similar text files that contain the following information to show how the command operates.

• “test” can get found in sample file 1.txt.
• “Text” is present in sample file 2.txt.

Execute the comp command while providing the names of the two files:

• comp sample_file_1.txt sample_file_2.txt
• 

The output requests more file comparisons and displays the comparisons error as hexadecimal characters (enter N to exit).

Now use /a parameter to publish the findings of the comp in a readable layout:

• comp /a sample_file_1.txt sample_file_2.txt
• 

The character “s” from the initial file and the character “x” inside the subsequent file are where the comparison fails.

14. compact Command

Files and folders can get compressed using the built-in compact command. Again for the command’s structure, use:

• compact

The compact command essentially provides the directory’s present condition of compression without any variables or arguments.

For instance, you can utilize the /c argument and the following file name to compress a file:

• compact /c sample_file.txt
• 

The /u argument can be used to uncompress a file:

• compact /u sample_file_1.txt
• 

Compress huge files as well as directories with the compact command to free up storage space.

15. copy Command

From one spot to another, documents can be copied using the copy command. given the following command syntax:

• copy

For instance, use the following to duplicate the content of one file to another in the same location:

• copy sample_file.txt sample_file_copy.txt
• 

By copying the whole contents of the source file into a new file, the command produces a new one.

16. date Command

The system’s current date can be viewed and changed with the date command. The program publishes the date and time and asks for a new date without any additional specifications:

• Date
• 

Update the system’s current date by entering this one as mm-dd-yyyy otherwise press CTRL+C to quit.

If you primarily want to print the date and don’t want to change the system state, utilize the/t parameter:

• date /t
• 

In addition to the current date, the command displays the weekday.

17. defrag Command

Your system’s fragmented files are located by the defrag (defragmentation) program, which also gathers them. By reducing unneeded empty data blocks, this command enhances system performance.

The defragmentation command syntax is as follows:

• defrag

Use the following command, for instance, to disk defrag the C: drive:

• defrag C:\ /u /v
• 

Although the /v parameter displays a verbose response, the /u standard prints the activity. You can omit these conditions.

18. del as well as erase Commands

Files can get deleted using the del or erase commands. These commands have the following syntax:

• del <file(s)>
• erase <files(s)>

These instructions completely and utterly and forever remove the desired file or documents from a disc.

Use the following command, for instance, to remove the file sample.txt:

• del sample.txt
• 

You could also:

• erase sample.txt
• 

You should use the /p argument to prevent unintentional deletion:

• del /p sample.txt
• 

The file name gets displayed in a prompt in the output that asks for authorization before eliminating the file.

19 dir Command

The dir command presents all of the files and subdirectories that are present in a directory. For something like this command’s syntax, use:

• dir

All directory information gets displayed using the dir command without any parameters.

Use the following command to display the contents of the C: drive:

• dir C:\
• 

All information below is displayed in the output:

• Volume drive.
• The serial number of the volume.
• The contents of the directory together with the modification time.
• Count the number of files and directories.

20. doskey Command

For the earlier supplied commands, the doskey command launches the Doskey.exe application. This command facilitates the creation of macros and the recall of command history.

For instance, execute: To view the command histories from the present command prompt activity.

• doskey /history
• 

In order of old to new, the output displays every command from the CMD session.

21. driverquery Command

Administrators can view loaded device drivers and related information by using the driverquery command. Both remote access machines, as well as local machines, can use the command.

Its command’s syntax is as follows:

• driverquery
• 

The driverquery command, when launched without any conditions, displays a list of all local machine device drivers. The output format can be adjusted using other settings, and remote machine driver queries are also an option.

22. echo Command

The parameters for the command get managed by the echo command, which also outputs a message to the console. For the command’s structure, use:

• echo
•  

This command displays the present settings when no parameters are provided.

Enter the following command to activate it and display the greeting “Hello, world!”

• echo “Hello, world!”
• 

For printing helpful information even when a script is running, the echo command is a common addition.

23. exit Command

A batch script and perhaps even a command interpreter session gets terminated with the exit command. Adding the /b argument will terminate a batch script:

• exit /b
• 

Exit commands shut down command interpreters without the /b argument.

24. fc Command

To compare two or maybe more files, use the fc (files compare) command. When there’s a difference mostly in files, the output publishes the information to the console.

For example, consider the syntax using fc:

• fc  

Use this command, for one, to compare and contrast two files, sample file 1.txt with sample file 2.txt.

• fc sample_file_1.txt sample_file_2.txt

This command outputs the file contents to show that there is a discrepancy seen between the two files.

25. find Command

When a match gets made, the line of text gets printed by the find command after searching for the specified string in the file. Its syntax is as follows:

• find

To find the word “text” throughout a file, as an instance, use:

• find “text”
• 

In addition to returning the file name and also the line of text containing the string, this command searches for an exact fit. This command returns the file name only if a file doesn’t have the text in it.

26. The findstr Command

The findstr command is comparable to the findstr (find string) function in what it does. Without including the file name, this command returns the entire line that contains the text. It is now easier to utilize in scripts because of this feature. with the following command syntax:

• findstr

Use the following command, for instance, to locate the string “text” in a file:

• findstr “text”

The string is absent from the document if the command returns no results.

27. ftype Command

An association between a file type as well as an extension can get viewed and modified using the ftype (file type) function. The syntax for this command is as follows:

• ftype =

The file type field specifies the file to display or alter (for example, “txtfile”), but the open command alternative is a string that activates a program to determine the file format. When using the offered software, the open command string runs a file by replacing its name in the open command.

Ftype publishes all file categories and association information when no settings get provided.

When viewing text files, enter the following information to see the existing file type & extension association:

• ftype txtfile

Add a (=) sign to the end of the sentence to denote the removal of file type association:

• ftype txtfile=
• 

This command disables the file-opening application and breaks the link between the two.

28. the getmac command

All network cards mostly on the machine or connected to a network have their MAC addresses extracted using the getmac command. Moreover, the command displays the protocols connected to each address.

In terms of syntax:

• getmac

Other choices let you adjust the output display or get extensive information about a local computer. For example, in this case, utilize the following to display the MAC addresses in CSV format:

• getmac /fo csv
• 

With the command, you can examine the protocols on network adapters and also decode the MAC address for a network management tool.

29. help Command

For a particular command, this help command displays extensive data. The help command provides every system command accessible without any variables.

For this with the command’s structure, use:

• help

For reference, execute the following command to access the cd command’s help menu:

• help cd

If somehow the help page is bigger than the command line, use any tab to navigate the pages. You can also leave by pressing CTRL+C.

Please take note that the format for displaying the help window for non-system commands is as follows:

• /?
• 

30. hostname Command

It’s easy to see a device’s host name with the hostname command. To find out the computer’s name, enter the following command:

• hostname
• 

As there are no alternatives for the command, adding any further parameters will result in an error. Systems having TCP/IP configured on a network adapter are capable of using the hostname command.

31. The ipconfig Command

One networking CMD utility that displays all present TCP/IP network configuration details is the ipconfig (IP config) command. Besides this, DNS and DHCP settings get updated by the command.

For this with the command’s structure, use:

• ipconfig

The default TCP/IP settings get displayed for all adapters when parameters get left out:

• ipconfig

Use the following command to view every adapter’s complete TCP/IP configuration:

• ipconfig /all
• 

Your local area connection’s DHCP IP address should get renewed using:

• ipconfig /renew Local Area Connection

Now use the following to clear the DNS cache:

• ipconfig /flushdns
• 

While resolving DNS problems, just use this command.

32. label Command

A disk’s volume labeling (name) can get seen, modified, or deleted using the label command. To make any modifications, the command needs administrator rights.

This label command displays the C: drive’s label without even any additional options and launches a name-change prompt:

• Label
• 

Try typing a new label name to replace the current one, and otherwise, press Enter to eliminate the label altogether. If you want to preserve the current name, press N instead of Y to accept the change.

33. makecab Command

Cabinet (.cab) files get made with the makecab program. The cabinet file format, which supports lossless data compression as well as archive integrity, is exclusive to Windows platforms.

Making.cab files using the makecab command requires the syntax shown below:

• makecab

Use the following syntax, for instance, to add a sample file.txt file here to archive but also create a sample cab.cab file in the current working directory:

• makecab sample_file.txt sample_cab.cab
• 

As soon as compression is complete, the output publishes the progress and ends.

34. md or mkdir Commands

By using the md or mkdir (make directory) commands, a fresh directory or subdirectory can be created. with the following command syntax:

• md
• 

• mkdir
• 

Use these commands, for instance, to establish an additional subdirectory in the present location called Subdir:

• mkdir Subdir

A directory tree can get created using md or mkdir according to the command extensions:

• md Subdir\Subsubdir

Any single intermediate subdirectory is promptly created by the command.

35. mklink Command

By using the mklink (make link) function, a hard and symbolic source to a file or directory gets created. The following syntax gets used by the command, which must be run with administrator rights:

• mklink

This mklink command makes a symbolic link to a document without the use of any further parameters. For instance:

• mklink my_link sample_file.txt
• 

The /h parameter can get used to generate a hard link rather than a symbolic link:

• mklink /h my_link sample_file.txt

The /d argument gets used to generate a directory link:

• mklink /d \Docs \Users\milicad\Documents

Inside the directory overview, the dir command displays the links. Now use cd command to navigate to the directory then consider the linked directory as normal (cd Docs).

36. more Command

Longer documents and outcomes can be displayed on a single screen at a time using the more command by this Windows CMD function. Just use a pipe character to specify more with a command:

• | more

To view lengthy files page per page instead, then use the following command:

• more

Take the following example to reduce the output: Execute the help cd command as well as pipe the more command.

• help cd | more

For the next line, click Enter, and to move onto the next page, press Space. Tap Q to leave.

37. mountvol Command

Mount points for volumes can be created, deleted, or displayed using the mountvol command. When a volume gets mounted, the file system will make the data on a storage medium accessible to local users.

Its syntax is as follows:

• mountvol

A drive letter is not necessary for linking a volume using the command. Mount points, potential volume names, and even the help menu get displayed by the mountvol command in the absence of any variables.

Just use the following command, for instance, to see the drive Cvolume :’s name but also the current mount point:

• mountvol C:\ /l

The volume’s GUID—a distinctive, permanent identifier—is displayed in the output.

38. move Command

Shifting files from one spot to a different one may be done with the move command, which is part of the CMD shell command. Again for the command’s syntax, use:

• move

A folder or perhaps a file might be the origin or the destination. When a file’s both starting and ending locations are identical yet its name differs, the move command renames that file.

As an experiment, this command can rename a file called sample file.txt to file.txt:

• move sample_file.txt file.txt

To transfer a file to a different location, use the full path:

• moveC:\Users\Public\Downloads\my_file.txt C:\Users\Public\Desktop\my_file.txt 

Whenever a command gets executed in the context of a batch script, it will not ask for confirmation whether it’s overwriting an existing file.

39. The msiexec Command

To install, manage, and uninstall .msi software packages, the msiexec application runs the Windows Installer program. The syntax for the command is as follows:

• msiexec

Several installations, displaying, upgrades, and repair options are available in the software. The msiexec command, when run without any arguments, launches a window displaying command details.

Follow these instructions, for instance, to complete a standard installation of a.msi package:

• msiexec /i “C:\example.msi”

When the /i option gets used, the.msi package at the specified location will get installed normally.

40. The msinfo32 Command

Your system information window is displayed when you run the msinfo32 command.

Its syntax is as follows:

• msinfo32

Also available Filter the data as well as export it in a particular file format. For instance, perform the following to export all system data to an.nfo file:

• msinfo /nfo sysinfo.nfo

Whenever the.nfo extension is not included, the program automatically adds it.

Windows CMD Commands List Cheat Sheet

In the article above you have learned 70+ Windows CMD Commands. Here, we have combined all those commands in the form of a cheat sheet. You can download this Commands List for CMD by pressing the button below.

Conclusion

You’ve become familiarized mostly with the Windows CMD Commands List after reviewing and practicing the commands from this user guide. With these essential commands, Windows’ command prompt can be navigated to complete many things.

To understand Windows’ Command Prompt, keep on going and constantly continue practicing more commands.