CMD commands for the Windows command prompt
IONOS editorial team
Most IT experts and Linux users, in addition to computer users who work with MS-DOS, are relatively familiar with the command line and its corresponding commands. But a lot can be achieved with the command prompt in Windows, too. For this reason, we’ll explain what the command line is, how to open it, and which CMD commands there are for Windows.
Windows console commands have changed over time: in newer Windows versions, users no longer have access to some of the familiar commands. In the following, we’ll explain which CMD commands still work under Windows 10 so that you don’t have to tediously test which are still valid and which are outdated. Our overview tables describe the functions of the individual commands and specify under which Microsoft operating systems they’re effective.
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How does a command line work?
The command line (also called the console or terminal) is a text-based interface within the operating system, that forwards commands from the user to the operating system. This makes it possible, for example, to organise files, start programs, or run other commands linked to the operating system, computer, or network.
In older operating systems (like MS-DOS), you had to work without a graphical user interface, and oftentimes even navigate without a mouse. Instead, you had to type in all commands – the directory structures were then displayed as plain text on the screen. But even after the switch to graphical operating systems, the command line remained text-based.
In general, the connection between operating system – regardless of whether graphical (GUI = graphical user interface) or text-based (CLI = command line interpreter) was condensed under the term “Shell.” The default command line interpreter for Windows is called CMD.EXE. In addition, however, there’s also the “PowerShell”: This offers more options than CMD.EXE. For example, automations can be created better with PowerShell. In this way, users can create script programs with the PowerShell scripting language.
Many Windows console commands are based on batch files. This are usually text files (with the ending .bat or .cmd) that are run by the command line as batch processing. These files are generally created to perform routine work and start other programs.
How do you open the command prompt?
There are various options for accessing the command line in Windows. Technically speaking, the command line is the CMD.EXE program. This executable file should be found in the system directory of your Windows folder. (If you right-click on the file, Windows also gives you the option to start the program as an administrator – in case you have the access data for this.) To reach the program more quickly, you can use the search bar or the run menu. The latter is opened under Windows 7, 8, and 10 with the key combination Win + R. Then all you have to do is type “cmd” into the search field and press the OK button.
The command prompt has long had a fixed spot in the Windows start menu as well. Under Windows 7 and Windows 10, the program is found in the “System Tools” folder. With Windows 8, Microsoft replaced the start menu with a start screen. But the command prompt is also found via the apps here. Alternatively, Windows 8 as well as Windows 10 both offer the “Power User Tasks Menu.” You can open this with the key combination Win + X. In this way, you can find the command prompt in the normal execution as well as the administrator version.
How do you enter commands in the command prompt?
CMD functions via defined commands. These have to be entered correctly, otherwise the command prompt can’t run the task. The same goes for parameters that you link to the commands. Individual commands can be extended using options (such as arguments). These are generally given as a letter with a minus sign (-), plus sign (+), or slash (/). CMD also allows placeholders. For so-called wild cards, use an asterisk (*) or question mark (?). While the latter replaces a single character (i.e. letter, digit, or other character), the asterisk stands for any number of characters.
In the command prompt and commands, you also frequently have to work with path specifications. You need these to navigate through your directories or specify exact positions in commands. For the input of a path, use the backslash (\).
Individual CMD commands can be combined with one another. Through a pipe, the output of the first command is interpreted as input for the following command. In the command prompt, commands are linked to one another with a vertical line (|). This line itself is called a pipe, but officially is known as a vertical bar. Vertical bars pass data from one command to the next:
- CommandA | CommandB
There’s also the possibility of redirection: where the output of a command is directly forwarded to a file (>) or the content of a text file is understood as input for the command (<).
- Command > File (output in file)
- Command < File (input from file)
Finally, Windows command line commands can also be connected in such a way that they run directly after one other. This can be controlled via a relatively simple form (&), but also via two more complex variations. It’s also possible to only run the second command if the first was successful. Or, you can set up the exact opposite as well: The second command is only run if the first doesn’t work (||). Both options can even be combined so that there’s an either-or string of commands:
- CommandA & CommandB (the second command is run directly after the first)
- CommandA && CommandB (the second command is only run if the first was successful)
- Command A || CommandB (the second command is only run if the first was not successful)
- CommandA && CommandB || CommandC (the second command is only run if the first was successful, otherwise the third command is run)
Each command has its own syntax and individual options. So that you don’t have to memorise all of these, CMD offers a help command: Using help command or command /? you can obtain information about how to handle the command.
It’s also extremely helpful that the command prompt remembers your last entered CMD commands. Using the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard, you can recall your earlier entries. This also means, though, that you can’t use these keys to scroll through the CMD window. This is usually done with the mouse instead. But if you prefer to scroll using keys and are ready to give up the recall command function, you can alter the corresponding setting: right-click on the command prompt and enable the “Scrolling” option.
Command, file names or path specifications, as well as arguments, are separated from one another using spaces. It also usually doesn’t matter if you use upper- or lower-case letters. It’s only important in a few cases whether you write the parameter in upper- or lower-case (generally only when two different parameters are abbreviated with the same letter, and are only differentiated from one another through the case).
Windows CMD commands: an overview
There are almost 300 commands for Windows and its predecessor, MS-DOS. Over the decades, some commands have been kept around, some have only recently been added with newer versions of Windows, and others have been removed or replaced. In our comprehensive list, we explain what the different commands mean and on which Windows versions they run. This way, you can quickly look up whether the CMD commands that you know still function with Windows 10. To make it more clear, we’ve divided the Windows command prompt commands into four categories: basics, files, system, and network.
The information on the functionality of various Windows versions should only be understood as orientation information. For the individual commands, it’s not only which Windows version you’re using that’s important, but also which edition (Home, Pro, Server). In some cases, you have to adjust certain settings beforehand so that the commands are effective. You also will need access rights as an administrator for some CMD commands.
Basics
| CMD command | Description | Windows version | |
|---|---|---|---|
| bitsadmin | Creates and monitors downloads and uploads. | 10/8/7/Vista | |
| break | Interrupts Ctrl + C checking in DOS, allowing you to stop processes in the old operating system. Only available for compatibility reasons in Windows. | All Win/DOS | |
| call | Calls a batch file within another batch file. The command has no effect if entered directly into CMD instead of in a batch file. | All Win/DOS | |
| cd | Displays the current directory and lets you switch to other directories. With the parameter /D plus drive and path specification, you can also switch drives. Use cd.. to switch to a higher directory (has the same function as the chdir command). | All Win/DOS | |
| chcp | Changes the current code page (character set table) or shows the page count of the current code page. | All Win/DOS | |
| chdir | Displays the current directory and lets you switch to other directories. With the parameter /D plus drive and path specification, you can also switch drives. Use chdir.. to switch to a higher directory (has the same function as the cd command). | All Win/DOS | |
| choice | Creates a selection list: typical example is the selection of yes (Y) or no (N), which is created with /C YN. With the parameter /M you can add an explanatory message for the user. | All Win (not XP)/DOS | |
| clip | Forwards the result of a command to the clipboard. For example, you can copy the directory structure (dir | clip) or the content of a file (clip < filename) to the clipboard. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| cls | Clears the content of the screen. | All Win/DOS | |
| cmd | Starts CMD.EXE. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| color | Changes the background (first value) and text color (second value) of the command prompt. The color lies between 0 (black) and F (white). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| command | Starts CMD.COM. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| date | Displays the current date and allows you to change it. With the parameter /T the date is shown without the option to change. | All Win/DOS | |
| debug | Starts debug, a program that can test and modify programs within the command prompt. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| dir | Displays all folders and files within the current directory. You can restrict the output by attributes (/A), simplify the list (/B), or display all subdirectories and their files (/S). | All Win/DOS | |
| doskey | Creates macros, recalls commands, and edits command input. | All Win/DOS | |
| dosshell | Opens the DOS shell, a graphical file management tool. In Windows, the DOS shell is replaced by Windows Explorer. | 95/DOS | |
| echo | Displays a message and is mainly used within scripts and batch files. | All Win/DOS | |
| edit | Starts the MS-DOS editor, with which you can create text files. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| edlin | Creates and edits text files within the command prompt. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| exit | Ends CMD.EXE or CMD.COM. | All Win/DOS | |
| fasthelp | Displays helpful information about commands. | DOS | |
| fastopen | Writes the position of a program into a specified list, which is in the working memory and should accelerate the start of programs. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| find | Searches through a file or multiple files for a particular character sequence. If you only want to know how frequently the word or phrase occurs, use the /C parameter. With the extension /I the command ignores upper- and lower-case in the search. | All Win/DOS | |
| findstr | Finds character sequences in one or multiple files. It gives you more options when compared to the find command: you can search for files that contain various terms or with /C search for an exact word order. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| forcedos | Starts a program in the MS-DOS partial system, in case it’s not directly recognised by Windows XP as a DOS program. | XP (32-bit) | |
| graftabl | Enables the option to use extended characters of a specific code page in graphics mode. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| graphics | Starts a program that can print graphics. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| help | Displays help text for a specific command (you can also use the /? command). | All Win/DOS | |
| kb16 | Changes the country settings of the keyboard for DOS programs (only included in Windows for compatibility reasons. Replaces the old command keyb). | 32-bit | |
| keyb | Changes the country settings of the keyboard for DOS programs (only included in Windows for compatibility reasons. Replaced by kb16 in newer Windows versions). | 98/95/DOS | |
| logoff | Logs the user out of Windows. Also allows you to end sessions on servers. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| lpq | Displays the status of a printer queue for computers that use a “line Printer Daemon” (LPD). (To use the command in Windows 10, 8, 7, or Vista, the LPD print service and the LPR port monitor have to be enabled first). | All Win | |
| lpr | Sends a file to a computer that uses a line printer daemon (LPD). To use the command in Windows 10, 8, 7, or Vista, the LPD print service and LPR port monitor have to be enabled first. | All Win | |
| md | Creates a new directory on the specified path. If directories don’t already exist on the path, md creates them automatically (you can also use the mkdir command). | All Win/DOS | |
| mkdir | Creates a new directory on the specified path. If directories don’t already exist on the path, mkdir creates them automatically (you can also use the md command). | All Win/DOS | |
| more | Outputs the content of a file (for example, a text file) by the page. You can also use the command to split the output of another command into pages. | All Win/DOS | |
| msg | Sends a message to another user. You can write the username into the command or create files in which usernames are saved. The files can then be included in the command with @filename. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| nlsfunc | Provides country-specific information for language support. | 32-bit/DOS | |
| ntbackup | Runs backup services directly from the command line or as part of batch or script files. | XP | |
| path | Creates and displays the path for searching executable files. | All Win/DOS | |
| pause | Pauses execution in batch files and scripts. The user is then prompted in a message to continue by pressing a key. | All Win/DOS | |
| popd | Changes to the folder saved by the pushd command. The command is mainly part of batch files and scripts. | 10/8/7/Vista | |
| Prints a text file. The device to be used for printing has to be specified. | All Win/DOS | ||
| prompt | Changes the display of the command prompt. | All Win/DOS | |
| pushd | Saves a specific path into a script or batch file. You can change to this directory with popd. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| qbasic | Starts qbasic, a program environment based on the BASIC programming language. | 98/95/DOS | |
| rd | Deletes a directory. This must not contain any files, even hidden ones. You can delete an entire directory tree with the /S parameter (you can also use the rmdir command). | All Win/DOS | |
| rem | Writes comments in batch and script files that aren’t taken into account when executing. | All Win/DOS | |
| rmdir | Deletes a directory. This must not contain any files, even hidden ones. You can delete an entire directory tree with the /S parameter (you can also use the rd command). | All Win/DOS | |
| runas | Allows a user to run commands with the rights of another user. For example, you can run a command as an administrator from a normal user account as long as you know the password. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| scandisk | Starts Microsoft ScanDisk. The program searches data carriers for errors. | 98/95/DOS | |
| schtasks | Sets the execution of specified programs and commands for a specified point in time. You can create, delete, change, and display all scheduled tasks. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| set | Displays environmental variables of CMD.EXE and lets you configure them. | All Win/DOS | |
| shift | Moves variables within batch files and scripts. | All Win/DOS | |
| shutdown | Shuts down the computer (/s), triggers a restart (/r), or logs the user out (/l). A graphical user interface is displayed if you enter the parameter /I as the first option in the command. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| sort | Lists out data (from a file or command) and outputs it again sorted – directly in the command prompt, in a new file, or in another output. | All Win/DOS | |
| start | Opens a new command prompt window in which you can run a specific program or command. | All Win | |
| subst | Assigns a drive letter to a path to create a virtual drive. | All Win/DOS | |
| taskkill | Ends one or more running tasks. You either have to specify the process ID (PID) or image name. | 10/8/7/Vista | |
| tasklist | Lists all running processes – also on remote computers, if desired. The process ID also has to be specified, which is required for the taskkill command, for example. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP | |
| time | Displays the current time and allows it to be changed. If the parameter /T is entered, the command prompt only shows the time and offers no option to directly change it. | All Win/DOS | |
| timeout | Stops a process for a specified time. The command Is used in batch files and scripts. If you use the /NOBREAK parameter, the command ignores any keyboard input. | 10/8/7/Vista | |
| title | Changes the title of the command prompt. Spaces are allowed, but not all special characters such as a slash, for example, because they may be interpreted as instructions for a parameter. | All Win/DOS | |
| tree | Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path. With the /F parameter, all files in the folders are also listed out. /A also ensures that only ASCII characters are used for the graphical representation. The command takes into account all subdirectories starting from the given path. If you don’t enter a path, the current folder is used as the output. | All Win/DOS | |
| type | Displays the content of a text file. | All Win/DOS | |
| tzutil | Displays the currently set time zone (/g) or changes it (/s). The parameter /l helps determine the valid time zones. | 10/8/7 | |
| ver | Displays the current version number of Windows or MS-DOS. | All Win/DOS |
Files
| CMD command | Description | Windows version |
|---|---|---|
| append | Sets the path in which files will be searched for. | 32-bit/DOS |
| assoc | Changes the program that’s linked with a particular file ending. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| attrib | Changes attributes of specified files. With the parameter +R you can protect a file from changes. | All Win/DOS |
| cipher | Displays and changes the encryption status of files and directories on NTFS partitions. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| comp | Compares the content of two files or two file sets. The results can be displayed as a decimal value (/D) or with ASCII characters (/A). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| compact | Displays and changes the compression status of files and directories on NTFS partitions. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| copy | Copies a file or multiple files to another location. It’s also possible to connect several files to one. You can use the asterisk as a wild card. | All Win/DOS |
| cscript | Runs scripts over the Microsoft Script Host. You can enable additional debugging with the /D option. | All Win/DOS |
| del | Deletes a file or multiple files. If you also want to delete all files from subfolders, you can do this with the /S parameter. Read-only files can be deleted with /F (you can also use the erase command). | All Win/DOS |
| deltree | Deletes a directory as well as all subdirectories and files within. | 98/95/DOS |
| diantz | Compresses files without any loss (command has the same function as makecab). | 7/Vista/XP |
| diskcomp | Compares the content of two disks. | All Win (not 10)/DOS |
| diskcopy | Copies the content of a disk to another. | All Win (not 10)/DOS |
| endlocal | Ends the valid range of changes to batch files or scripts. After the command, changes are applied to the entire system again (localisation is started with setlocal). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| erase | Function is the same as del. | All Win/DOS |
| exe2bin | Converts an EXE file to a BIN file. | 32-bit |
| expand | Extracts files and folders stored in CAB files. | All Win (not 64-bit XP)/DOS |
| extrac32 | Extracts files and folders stored in CAB files. The program is part of Internet Explorer, but can also be used in the command prompt. | All Win |
| extract | Extracts files and folders stored in CAB files (in new Windows versions use expand). | 98/95 |
| fc | Compares two individual files or two sets of files with one another and displays the differences. | All Win/DOS |
| for | Sets a specific command that should be run for each individual file in a file set. This command is usually used in batch and script files. | All Win/DOS |
| forfiles | Selects one or more files and runs a command that refers to these files. Usually used for batch and script files. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| ftype | Specifies a program for opening a specific file type. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| goto | Skips the execution within a batch program to a specific line (marker). | All Win/DOS |
| if | Represents a conditional statement and executes expressions within batch files only under certain conditions. Can be extended by not if commands are only not to be executed under certain conditions. | All Win/DOS |
| makecab | Compresses files without loss in CAB format (you can also use the diantz command). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| mklink | Creates a symbolic link to a file. With /D you can also create connections to directories. Create a fixed connection instead of a symbolic connection with /H. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| move | Moves a file or multiple files from one directory to another. The command can also change the names of directories. By default, the command overwrites other files with the same name when moving files to the destination. To prevent this use the /-Y parameter. | All Win/DOS |
| openfiles | Displays and separates open system files and folders. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| recover | Restores readable files that were on a defective data drive. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| ren | Changes the name of a particular file. Directory and drive cannot be changed this way (or use the rename command). | All Win/DOS |
| rename | Function is the same as ren. | All Win/DOS |
| replace | Replaces the selected file or files with one or more other files. With /S files in subfolders are also replaced. With the addition /U files are only replaced if another version is more current. The parameter /A allows users to add new files to the target directory at the same time. This parameter is not compatible with /S and /U. | All Win/DOS |
| robocopy | Allows so-called robust file copying. This is an extended version of copy and xcopy. With robocopy it’s possible to successfully transfer data even if there are interruptions in the network. There are a total of 72 parameters with which the copy command can be modified. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| rsm | Manages media on removable storage devices. Is used in batch files and scripts to support programs that don’t use “Removable Storage API.” | Vista/XP |
| setlocal | Limits the valid range of changes to batch files or scripts. After the command, changes only apply to these files (localisation is started with endlocal). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| share | Installs file sharing and file locking. | 32-bit/DOS |
| sxstrace | Starts the WinSxs Tracing Utility, a tool for programming diagnostics. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| takeown | Restores administrator access rights to a file that have been lost when reassigning a user. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| undelete | Undoes the deletion of a file. | DOS |
| verify | When enabled, checks whether files are written correctly on a data drive. The check is disabled in the standard settings. | All Win/DOS |
| where | Finds files that match a particular search topic. The placeholders * and ? can be used within the topic. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| xcopy | Copies files and entire directory structures. In this way, the command offers various additional options. For example, it can be specified that only files younger than a specific date (/D) should be copied. It can also be specified that read-only files are overwritten (/R). | All Win/DOS |
System
| CMD command | Description | Windows version |
|---|---|---|
| at | Starts commands and programs at a particular time. With the parameter /every:date[,…] you can also set regular appointments. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| auditpol | Displays current monitoring policies. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| backup | Creates backups of files. These can be recovered with restore (replaced by msbackup). | DOS |
| bcdboot | Creates and repairs start files. | 10/8/7 |
| bcdedit | Allows users to make changes to start configuration data storage (the command is a new version of bootcfq). | 10/8/7/Vista |
| bdehdcfg | Prepares a hard drive for BitLocker Drive Encryption. | 10/8/7 |
| bootcfg | Creates, edits, or displays the content of boot.ini (although it’s still included in the Windows 7 CMD, it has lost its function since boot.ini is no longer used for startup options, instead you should use bcdedit). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| bootsect | Modifies the master boot code sot that it’s compatible with the Windows Boot Manager or NT Loader (can only be started via system restore in Windows 7 and Vista). | 10/8/7/Vista |
| cacls | Edits and displays the access control list. This sets access rights (outdated – replaced by icacls in newer Windows versions). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| chkdsk | Checks and repairs (with the parameter /R) a data drive. | All Win/DOS |
| chkntfs | Changes or displays the data driver check at startup. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| cmdkey | Can display (/list), create (/add), or delete (/delete) login information. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| convert | Converts partitions from FAT/FAT32 to NTFS. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| ctty | Changes the standard input and output for the system. | 98/95/DOS |
| dblspace | Creates or configures compresses drives (a newer version of the command is called drvspace) | .98/95/DOS |
| defrag | Defragments all or only specified drives. Use /U to observe the progress. To get an evaluation statistic after the defragmentation, use the parameter /V. | All Win/DOS |
| diskpart | Manages, creates, and deletes partitions from the hard drive. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| diskperf | Allows users to remotely control the disk performance counter. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| diskraid | Manages RAID systems. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| dism | Manages and integrates Windows images. | 10/8/7 |
| dispdiag | Creates a file in the current directory in which you’ll find information about your display. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| dosx | Starts the DOS Protected Mode Interface, which allows MS-DOS programs more than 640 KB of RAM. Is only available to support older DOS programs. | 32-Bit |
| driverquery | Creates a list with all installed drivers. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| drvspace | Creates or configures compressed drives. An older version of the command is called dblspace. | 98/95/DOS |
| emm386 | Provides DOS with more than 640 KB of RAM. | 98/95/DOS |
| esentutl | Manages databases within the extensible storage engine. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| eventcreate | Creates an entry (ID and message) in an event log. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| eventtriggers | Configures and displays event trigger. | XP |
| fdisk | Creates, deletes, and manages partitions on the hard drive. Use diskpart in newer Windows versions. | 98/95/DOS |
| fltmc | Allows users to manage and display filter drivers. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| fondue | Installs additional Windows features. The command is an abbreviation for the underlying tool: Features on Demand User Experience Tool. | 10/8 |
| format | Formats a drive to the file system specified by the user. | All Win/DOS |
| fsutil | Provides numerous features related to the file system, such as disk removal. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| hwrcomp | Compiles self-created dictionaries for handwriting recognition. | 10/8/7 |
| hwrreg | Installs a compiled dictionary for handwriting recognition. | 10/8/7 |
| icacls | Edits and displays the access control list. This sets access rights. An outdated version of this command is cacls. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| ktmutil | Starts the kernel transaction manager. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| label | Changes or deletes a drive’s label. | All Win/DOS |
| lh | Loads a program into the high memory area (UMB) – has the same function as loadhigh. | 98/95/DOS |
| licensingdiag | Creates an XML and a CAB file that contain information on the Windows product licence. | 10/8 |
| loadfix | Ensures that a program is loaded and executed above the first 64 KB of RAM. | 32-bit/DOS |
| loadhigh | Has the same function as lh. | 98/95/DOS |
| lock | Locks a drive so that only a user-selected program can access it directly. | 98/95 |
| lodctr | Updates all registry entries that have to do with performance indicators. | All Win |
| logman | Creates and manages event trace sessions and performance logs. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| manage-bde | Configures drive encryption with BitLocker. Use -on to encrypt a drive. Use -off to decrypt it again and end BitLocker protection. | 10/8/7 |
| mem | Displays information about the RAM and indicates which programs are currently loaded in it. | 32-bit/DOS |
| memmaker | Optimises the RAM. | 98/95/DOS |
| mode | Configures system devices – primarily on the COM or LPT port. | All Win/DOS |
| mofcomp | Analyses files in managed object format (MOF) and adds the classes and instances to the WMI repository. | All Win |
| mountvol | Creates and deletes mount points for drives and displays them. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| msav | Starts Microsoft Antivirus. | DOS |
| msbackup | Starts Microsoft Backup (replaces backup and restores). | DOS |
| mscdex | Loads the CD-ROM support for MS-DOS. | 98/95/DOS |
| msd | Starts the program Microsoft Diagnostics, with which system information can be displayed. | DOS |
| msiexec | Starts the Windows installer, with which Windows can be installed and configured. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| muiunattend | Starts an automatic setup process for the multilingual user interface (MUI). | 10/8/7/Vista |
| netcfg | Installs the minimal operating system Microsoft Windows PE. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| ocsetup | Installs additional Windows functions. | 8/7/Vista |
| pentnt | Recognises floating point division errors in Pentium chips, starts floating point emulation, and disables floating point hardware. | XP |
| pkgmgr | Installs, uninstalls, and configures packages and functions for Windows. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| pnpunattend | Automates the installation of device drivers. | 10 |
| pnputil | Installs plug-and-play devices from the command prompt. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| power | Uses the IDLE status of a processor to reduce energy consumption. | 98/95/DOS |
| powercfg | Allows the user to change the computer’s energy options and control energy conservation plans. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| pwlauncher | Configures the startup options for Windows To Go with which you can boot Windows from a USB drive. | 10/8 |
| qprocess | Provides information on running processes. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| query | Displays the status of a particular service. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| quser | Provides information on the currently logged-in users. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| reagentc | Configures the Windows recovery environment, with which you can repair the installation of the operating system. | 10/8/7 |
| recimg | Creates a user-defined Windows image to restore the system. | 8 |
| reg | Manages the registry of the command prompt. Users can create new keys (reg add) or delete them (reg delete). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| regini | Changes registry authorisations. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| register-cimprovider | Registers a common information model provider (CIM provider) in Windows. | 10/8 |
| regsvr32 | Registers a DLL file in the registry. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| relog | Creates new performance indicator protocols from the data in the existing protocols. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| repair-bde | Repairs and decrypts defective drives that are encrypted with BitLocker. The files should be saved on a replacement drive. | 10/8/7 |
| reset | Resets a session. You can also use the rwinsta command. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| restore | Restores backups that were created with the backup command (replaced by msbackup). | DOS |
| rwinsta | Command has the same function as reset. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| sc | Manages services by connecting to the Service Controller. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| scanreg | Repairs the registry and allows a backup to be created of it. | 98/95 |
| sdbinst | Applies user-defined database files (SDB). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| secedit | Analyses the security settings by comparing the current configurations with templates. Settings can also be configured, imported, and exported with this command. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| setver | Sets a version number of MS-DOS that’s forwarded to a program – even if it doesn’t match the actual version. | 32-bit/DOS |
| setx | Creates or changes environmental variable in the user of system environment. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| sfc | Checks all important and protected system files. Incorrect versions are replaced by correct ones. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| smartdrv | Starts and manages the hard drive cache program SMARTDrive. | 98/95/DOS |
| sys | Copies system files from MS-DOS and the command interpreter to another hard drive. This makes it bootable. | 98/95/DOS |
| systeminfo | Displays information about the Windows installation, including all installed service packages. The information can be obtained from the local system as well as a remote computer. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| tpmvscmgr | Creates and deletes TPM virtual smart cards. These are virtual smartcards encrypted on the basis of the Trusted Platform Model. | 10/8 |
| tracerpt | Processes logs or real-time data generated during the tracing of computer programs. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| typeperf | Displays performance counter data or writes it into a file. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| unformat | Undoes the drive formatting done by the format command. | DOS |
| unlock | Unlocks a drive that was locked with the lock command. | 98/95 |
| unlodctr | Deletes names as well as descriptions for extensible performance counters in the Windows registry. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| vaultcmd | Creates, deletes, and displays saved registration information. | 10/8/7 |
| vol | Displays the label and serial number of a drive. | All Win/DOS |
| vsafe | Starts the antivirus software VSafe. | DOS |
| vssadmin | Manages the volume shadow copy services that can be used to store different versions (snapshots) of drives. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| wbadmin | Creates backups of the operating system and delivers information to the created backup copies. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| wevtutil | Manages event logs and event log files. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| whoami | Provides information about the current user. With the /GROUP parameter you can obtain additional information about group membership. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| winmgmt | Manages WMI repositories. Backups (/backup) are possible with the command, for example. | All Win |
| winsat | Evaluates various system factors – for example, processor performance or graphical capabilities. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| wmic | Starts the Windows Management Instrumentation in the command prompt. Various Windows settings can be changed here – both locally and on remote computers. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| xwizard | Registers Windows data in the form of XML files. | 10/8/7 |
Network
| CMD command | Description | Windows version |
|---|---|---|
| arp | Displays and edits entries in the Address Resolution Protocol cache. | All Win |
| atmadm | Displays information on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). | XP |
| certreq | Manages and creates certificate registration requirements for certification authorities. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| certutil | Manages services related to certificate authentication. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| change | Changes the settings of a terminal server and can be used together with the parameters logon, port, or user (replaces the commands chglogon, chgport, and chgusr). | 10/8/7/Vista |
| checknetisolation | Checks the network capability of apps from the Windows Store. | 10/8 |
| chglogon | Enables, disables, or adjusts logins for terminal server sessions. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| chgport | Displays or changes the COM pin assignment of terminal servers for DOS compatibility. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| chgusr | Changes the installation mode of a terminal server. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| cmstp | Installs or uninstalls profiles for the connection manager. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| djoin | Creates a new computer account in the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). | 10/8/7/Vista |
| finger | Provides information about users on remote devices using the Finger service. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| ftp | Transfers data to an FTP server or from this to a PC. The command offers additional options: For example, you can activate debugging with -d. | All Win/DOS |
| getmac | Displays the MAC address of all network adapters. The format of the output (Table, List, CSV) is set with /FO. With /S you can use the command on remote systems as well. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| gpresult | Displays information on the Group Policy. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| gpupdate | Updates information on the Group Policy. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| hostname | Outputs the name of the current host. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| interlnk | Connects two computers via serial or parallel connection to share files or printers. | DOS |
| intersvr | Starts an interlnk server and transfers data from one computer to another via serial or parallel connection. | DOS |
| ipconfig | Provides information on the IP of each used network adapter. The command can also be used to release (/release) or renew (/renew) addresses. With /flushdns you can clear the DNS cache. | All Win/DOS |
| ipxroute | Changes and displays information on the IPX routing tables. | XP |
| irftp | Transfers files via infrared connection, if one is available. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| iscsicli | Manages iSCSI, which enables connections via the SCSI protocol. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| klist | Displays all tickets authenticated by the Kerberos service. Also enables the command to delete tickets (purge). | 10/8/7 |
| ksetup | Configures a connection to a Kerberos server. | 10/8/7 |
| mount | Enables network sharing under the Network File System. (To use the command, enable NFS services). | 7/Vista |
| mrinfo | Provides information on the router. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| nbtstat | Displays statistics and information on the TCP/IP connections on remote computers. | 10 |
| net | Configures and displays network settings. | All Win |
| net1 | Configures and displays network settings (it’s recommended to use net instead; the net1 command is only intended as a temporary solution for a Y2K problem). | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| netsh | Starts the network shell, which allows for network settings to be changed on local and remote computers. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| netstat | Displays statistics and information on TCP/IP connections on the local computer. | All Win |
| nfsadmin | Manages NFS servers and clients (to be able to use the command, you first have to enable NFS services in Windows). | 7/Vista |
| nltest | Displays information related to secure channels in the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and tests the connections. | 10/8/7 |
| nslookup | Sends a DNS query to a specific IP or host name on the preconfigured DNS server. You can also specify another DNS server. | 10 |
| ntsd | Runs debugging. | XP |
| pathping | Provides information on forwarding and package loss when sending over a network and also specifies the latency. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| ping | Sends an internet control message protocol echo request to a specific host to check if it’s accessible. The duration of the echo can also be specified. Ping signals can be sent continuously with -t. To display statistics on this action, press Ctrl + Brk. Cancel the process with Ctrl + C. | All Win |
| qappsrv | Displays all available remote computers in the network. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| qwinsta | Displays information on the open remote desktop sessions. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| rasautou | Manages autodial addresses. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| rasdial | Starts and ends network connections for Microsoft clients. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| rcp | Copies files from a Windows computer to a server that’s running a RSDH daemon, and vice versa. | 7/Vista/XP |
| rdpsign | Signs a remote desktop protocol file (RDP file). | 10/7 |
| rexec | Runs commands on a remote computer that’s running a Rexec daemon. | Vista/XP |
| route | Displays routing tables and makes it possible to change, add, or delete entries. | All Win |
| rpcinfo | Sends a remote procedure call (RPC) to an RPC server. The result displays the programs on the remote computer (to use the command, NFS services on Windows have to be enabled first). | 7/Vista |
| rpcping | Sends a ping via remote procedure call (RPC) and checks whether a connection is possible. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| rsh | Runs commands on remote computers that are running the Unix program Remote Shell (RSH). | 7/Vista/XP |
| setspn | Creates, deletes, and changes SPNs. These are unique identifiers for services on a network that uses Kerberos authentication. | 10/8/7 |
| shadow | Monitors a session on a remote computer. The user can also actively control the remote computer. | 7/Vista/XP |
| showmount | Provides information on NFS file systems (to use the command, you first have to activate NFS services in Windows). | 7/Vista |
| tcmsetup | Enables or disables a client for the Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI), a programming interface for telephone applications. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| telnet | Enables communication with another computer that also uses the telnet protocol. | All Win/DOS |
| tftp | Enables a file exchange between the local computer and a server that supports the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP). To use the command, the TFTP client first needs to be enabled in the system settings. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| tlntadmn | Manages a telnet server on a local or remote computer (to be able to use the command, the telnet server functions first have to be enabled in the system settings). | 8/7/Vista/XP |
| tracert | Tracks a data package on the way through the network to a server. It doesn’t only check whether the package arrives and how long it takes, but also records how many hops the package makes on the way. All packages have a set time-to-live (TTL), which is increased gradually with the command. | All Win |
| tscon | Connects the current local user session with a session on a remote computer. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| tsdiscon | Ends the connection between a local user session and a session on a remote computer. | 10/8/7/VistaXP |
| tskill | Ends a process on a remote computer. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| tsshutdn | Shuts down or restarts a remote terminal server. If the target computer supports it, the entire computer can be turned off in this way. | XP |
| umount | Removes mounted network file system drives. To use the command, the NFS functions first have to be enabled in the system settings. | 7/Vista |
| w32tm | Manages the Windows time service that synchronises dates and times on all computers that share an AD DS domain. | 10/8/7/Vista/XP |
| waitfor | Sends or waits on a single. If the signal is only supposed to be sent to specified computers in a domain instead of all, use the /S parameter. Computers within a network are synchronised with one another through this command. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| wecutil | Creates and managements subscriptions for events. These are forwarded from remote event sources that support the WS management protocol. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| winrm | Manages secure connections between local and remote computers via the WS management protocol. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| winrs | Enables access to the command line of a remote computer via a secure connection to implement changes. If you want to disable encryption, use -un. | 10/8/7/Vista |
| wsmanhttpconfig | Manages functions of the Windows Remote Management (winrm). | 10/8/7/Vista |
At this point, Windows knows three different commands for copying files and directories. But the range of functions of the individual Windows CMD commands have been partially extended: For example, xcopy is stronger than copy, and robocopy in turn has a larger scope than xcopy. If you’re using a newer version of Windows (Vista or later), it’s best to use the robocopy command in the command prompt.
