The Command Prompt in Windows provides access to over commands. These commands are used to do certain operating system tasks from a command-line interpreter instead of the graphical Windows interface we use most of the time. For example, Command Prompt commands let you copy data to a different folder, format an entire disk, back up your files, send messages to other computers, restart your own computer, and much more.
There are also several Command Prompt tricks and hacks that utilize some of these commands. Since these commands work within the context of Command Prompt, you have to open Command Prompt to utilize them.
We've included all of them in this list to help show changes in commands from operating system to operating system. Finally, we also have a comparison table of Windows commandsshowing which appear in which version of Windows, which might be helpful depending on what you're after.
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By Tim Fisher. Tim Fisher. Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. Tweet Share Email. Full List of Command Prompt Commands Command Description Append The append command can be used by programs to open files in another directory as if they command prompt windows 10 commands list free download located in the current directory.
The append command is not available in bit versions of Windows. Arp The arp command is used to display or change entries in the ARP cache. The arp command is available in all versions of Windows. Assoc The assoc command is used to display or change the file type associated with a particular file extension. At The at command is used to schedule commands and other programs to run at a specific date and time. Beginning in Windows 8, command line task scheduling should instead be completed with the schtasks command.
The atmadm command is available in Windows XP. Attrib The attrib command is used to change the attributes of a single file or a directory. Auditpol The auditpol command is used to display or change audit policies. Bcdboot The bcdboot command is used to copy boot files to the system partition and to create a command prompt windows 10 commands list free download system BCD store.
The bcdboot command is available in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. Bcdedit The bcdedit command is used to view or make changes to Boot Configuration Data. The bcdedit command replaced the bootcfg command beginning in Windows Vista.
The bdehdcfg command is available in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. Bitsadmin The bitsadmin command is used to create, manage, and monitor download and upload jobs. The bitsadmin command is available in Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. While the bitsadmin command is available in both Windows 8 and Windows 7, it is being phased out.
Bootcfg The bootcfg command is used to build, modify, or view the contents of the boot. The bootcfg command was replaced by the bcdedit command beginning in Windows Vista. Bootcfg is still available in Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista, but it command prompt windows 10 commands list free download no real value since boot. The bootsect command command prompt windows 10 commands list free download available in Windows 10 and Windows 8.
Cacls The cacls command is used to display or change access control lists of files. The cacls command is being phased out in favor of the icacls command, which should be used instead in all versions of Windows after Windows XP. Call The call command is used to run a script or batch program from within another script or batch program. The call command has no effect outside of a script or batch file.
Cd The cd command is the shorthand version of the chdir command. Certreq The certreq command is used to perform various certification authority CA certificate functions.
Certutil The certutil command is used to dump command prompt windows 10 commands list free download display certification authority CA configuration information in addition to other CA functions.
Change The change command changes various terminal server settings like install modes, COM port mappings, and logons. Chcp The chcp command displays or configures the active code page number.
Chdir The chdir command is used to display the drive letter and folder that you are currently in. Checknetisolation The checknetisolation command is used to test apps that require network capabilities. The checknetisolation command is available in Windows 10 and Windows 8. Chglogon The chglogon command enables, disables, or drains terminal server session logins.
Executing the chglogon command is the same as executing change logon. Executing the chgport command is the same as executing change port. Chgusr The chgusr command is used to change the install mode for the terminal server.
Executing the chgusr command is the same as executing change user. Chkdsk The chkdsk commandoften referred to as check disk, is used to identify and correct certain hard drive errors. Chkntfs The chkntfs command is used to configure or display the checking of the disk drive during the Windows boot process.
Choice The choice command is used within a script or batch program to provide a list of choices and return the value of that choice to the program. Cipher The cipher command shows or changes the encryption status of files and folders on NTFS partitions. Clip The clip command is used to redirect the output from any command to the clipboard in Windows. Cls The cls command clears the screen of all previously entered commands and other text.
Cmd The cmd command starts a new instance of the cmd. Cmdkey The cmdkey command is used to show, create, and remove stored user names and passwords. Cmstp The cmstp command installs or uninstalls a Connection Manager service profile. Color The color command is used to change the colors of the text and background within the Command Prompt window. Command The command command starts a new instance of the command.
The command command is not available in bit versions of Windows. Comp The comp command is used to compare the contents of two files or sets of files. Compact The compact command is used to show or change the compression state of files and directories on NTFS partitions. Copy The copy command does simply that — it copies one or more files from one location to another. The xcopy command is considered to be a more "powerful" version of the copy command.
Cscript The cscript command is used to execute scripts via Microsoft Script Host. The cscript command is available in all versions of Windows. The cscript command is most popularly used to manage printers from the command line using scripts like prncnfg. Ctty The ctty command is used to change the default input and output devices for the system. The functions provided by the ctty command were no longer necessary beginning in Windows XP because the command. Date The date command is used to show or change the current date.
Dblspace The command prompt windows 10 commands list free download command is used to create or configure DoubleSpace compressed drives. DriveSpace, executed using the drvspace command, is an updated version of DoubleSpace.
Windows began handling compression beginning in Windows XP. Debug The debug command starts Debug, a command line application used to test and edit programs. The debug command is not available in bit versions of Windows. Defrag The defrag command is used to defragment a drive you specify. The defrag command is the command line version of Microsoft's Disk Defragmenter.
Command prompt windows 10 commands list free download The del command is used to delete one or more files. The del command is the same as the erase command. Command prompt windows 10 commands list free download The deltree command is used to delete a directory and all the files and subdirectories within it.
Deltree was no longer needed with this new command prompt windows 10 commands list free download ability so the command was removed. Diantz The diantz command is used to losslessly compress one or more files. The diantz command is sometimes called Cabinet Maker. The diantz command is the same as the makecab command.
Command Prompt is one of the command-line interface programs used to execute commands in Windows operating systems. Command prompt windows 10 commands list free download popular Command Prompt commands you might have heard of include ping, netstat, tracert, shutdown, and attrib, but there are many more.
We have a complete list here. Remember when microsoft demoed the command prompt in windows on a stage in — spooky dan seifert dcseifert September 30, Here's a list of hotkeys in the Windows 10 Technical Preview console.
This is just hotkeys! DiskPart Windows 10 Commands and Examples. Before you can use DiskPart commands, you must first list, and then select an object to give it focus.
When an object has focus, any DiskPart commands that you type will act on that object. Each one will have a disk number, starting with 0. While Command Prompt probably isn't a command prompt windows 10 commands list free download most of you will use on a regular basis, it can really come in handy now and then, maybe to troubleshoot a specific Windows problem or to automate some kind of task. How you open Command Prompt differs between Windows versions, so you'll find steps below for Windows 10, Windows 8 or Windows 8.
In more recent versions of Windows 10, Command Prompt has been replaced by PowerShell, but you can still access it from the Power User Menu by editing the taskbar settings.
Swipe up command prompt windows 10 commands list free download show the Apps screen. You can accomplish the same thing with a mouse by clicking on the down arrow icon at the bottom of the screen. Prior to the Windows 8. If you're using a keyboard or mouse, a really quick way to open a Command Prompt window in Windows 8 is through the Power User Menu—just hold the WIN and X keys down together, or right-click the Start buttonand choose Command Prompt.
Swipe or scroll to the right on the Apps screen to locate the Windows System section heading. You can now execute whatever command you needed to run. See our List of Windows 8 Command Prompt Commands for a complete list of the commands available through Command Prompt in Windows 8, including short descriptions and links to more in-depth information if we have it.
In Windows 7 and Windows Vista, it's a bit faster to enter command in the search box at the bottom command prompt windows 10 commands list free download the Start Menu and then click Command Prompt when it appears in the results. Use Command Prompt to execute commands. This program is located in the Start Menu, and can be opened with the command run command.
Some commands, like the sfc command that's used to repair Windows files, require that Command Prompt be opened as an administrator before they can be executed. You'll know if this is the case if you get a 'check that you have administrative rights'' See How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt for help starting Command Prompt as an administrator, a process that's a bit more complicated than what's outlined above. Ultimate list of Windows Command Prompt commands — Update 1.
Deltree command. This is one of the most important command prompt windows commands. This is one of the most important windows commands. Ping is presumably the easiest of all distinguishing command prompt. Utility Manager — utilman Windows Address Book — wab Windows Address Book Import Utility — wabmig Windows Explorer — explorer. These are best command for windows 10,8. Find the Windows System folder from the list of apps and tap or click it.
