1. Opening Command Prompt
- Method 1: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
- Method 2: Search for “Command Prompt” in the Start menu.
- Method 3: Shift + Right Click in any folder → “Open Command Window Here”.
2. Basic Navigation
1. Check Current Directory
cd
2. List Files and Folders
dir
3. Change Directory
cd <folder>
Example:
cd Documents
4. Move Up One Directory
cd ..
5. Go to Root Directory
cd \
6. Open Specific Drive
D:
3. File and Folder Management
1. Create a Folder
mkdir <foldername>
Example:
mkdir Projects
2. Create an Empty File
echo. > filename.txt
3. Delete a File
del <filename>
4. Delete a Folder
rmdir <foldername> /s
/s – Deletes all contents in the folder.
/q – Quiet mode (no prompts).
5. Rename a File/Folder
rename <oldname> <newname>
6. Copy Files
copy <source> <destination>
Example:
copy file.txt D:\Backup
7. Move Files
move <source> <destination>
Example:
move file.txt D:\Archive
4. System Information and Diagnostics
1. Check IP Address
ipconfig
2. Display Network Details
ipconfig /all
3. Test Network Connection (Ping)
ping google.com
4. View Active Connections
netstat
5. System Information
systeminfo
6. View Running Processes
tasklist
7. Kill a Process
taskkill /IM <processname> /F
Example:
taskkill /IM notepad.exe /F
5. Disk Management
1. Check Disk Space
chkdsk
2. Format a Drive
format D:
3. Display Disk Information
diskpart
Type list disk in DiskPart prompt to see available drives.
6. User and System Management
1. List All Users
net user
2. Add a New User
net user <username> <password> /add
3. Delete a User
net user <username> /delete
4. Shutdown / Restart
shutdown /s /t 60
/s – Shutdown
/r – Restart
/t 60 – Delay in seconds
5. Abort Shutdown
shutdown /a
7. File Search and Filtering
1. Search for Files
dir filename /s
2. Find Specific Text in Files
find "text" <file>
3. List Files with Specific Extensions
dir *.txt
8. Environment Variables
1. View Environment Variables
set
2. Set a New Environment Variable
setx PATH "C:\Program Files\Python39"
9. Permissions and Ownership
1. Check Folder Permissions
icacls <folder>
2. Change Folder Permissions
icacls <folder> /grant <username>:F
/F – Full control
/R – Read-only
3. Take Ownership of a Folder
takeown /f <folder>
10. Advanced Commands
1. Run as Administrator
runas /user:Administrator cmd
2. Edit the Registry
regedit
3. Enable/Disable Services
sc config <service_name> start= disabled
4. View All Installed Drivers
driverquery
5. View All Installed Programs
wmic product get name
11. File Compression and Extraction
1. Zip Files
tar -a -cf archive.zip file.txt
2. Unzip Files
tar -xf archive.zip
12. Useful Shortcuts
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| cls | Clear screen |
| exit | Close Command Prompt |
| title | Set window title |
| color 0A | Change text color |
| prompt $P$G | Customize command prompt |
| ver | Display Windows version |
| time | Show current system time |
| date | Show current system date |
| help | List all commands |
| assoc | View file associations |
Tips for CMD
- Use Tab to autocomplete file or folder names.
- Use Ctrl + C to stop any running command.
- Press Arrow Up to view the last executed command.
- Use > to redirect output to a file (e.g., dir > files.txt).
With these basics, you can start mastering the Command Prompt.