Unlocking the Power of the Windows Command Prompt: 50 Must-Know Commands
Muhammad ABir
Posted on February 10, 2023
Unleash the full capabilities of your Windows system with this guide to 50 underutilized Command Prompt commands. From network management to system information, these powerful yet lesser-known commands will help you streamline your workflow and get the most out of your Windows experience. Whether you're a seasoned user or just starting to explore the command line, this list has something for everyone.
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ping
Tests connectivity to a networked device. -
tracert
Displays the path taken by packets to reach a networked device. -
ipconfig
Displays the configuration of the network adapter. -
nslookup
Queries DNS servers for information about a domain name. -
netstat
Displays active network connections and their status. -
tasklist
Displays a list of running processes and their information. -
taskkill
Terminates a running process. -
ftp
Transfers files between computers using FTP. -
xcopy
Copies files and directories from one location to another. -
net
Manages various aspects of the network. -
dir
Displays a list of files and directories in a folder. -
cd
Changes the current working directory. -
type
Displays the contents of a text file. -
copy
Copies one or more files to another location. -
xcopy
Copies files and directories, including subdirectories, to another location. -
rename
Renames a file or directory. -
del
Deletes one or more files. -
rd
Deletes a directory. -
md
Creates a new directory. -
cls
Clears the command-line screen. -
sort
Sorts the contents of a text file. -
find
Searches for a text string in a file or set of files. -
grep
Searches for a text pattern in a file or set of files. -
net user
Manages user accounts, including adding and removing users. -
net localgroup
Manages local user groups, including adding and removing users from groups. -
net share
Manages shared resources, including creating and deleting shares. -
net view
Displays a list of network resources, including computers, shares, and printers. -
chkdsk
Checks the integrity of the file system and repairs any errors it finds. -
sfc /scannow
Scans the system files and replaces any that are corrupted or missing. -
start
Opens a program or file. -
net time
Displays or sets the date and time on the network. -
netstat -a
Shows all active connections and listening ports. -
netstat -b
Shows the executables involved in creating each network connection or listening port. -
netstat -r
Shows the routing table for the local system. -
nslookup -a
Shows the authoritative DNS server for a domain. -
netstat -e
Shows network statistics, including the number of bytes and packets sent and received. -
netstat -n
Shows active connections and listening ports, but does not attempt to resolve hostnames or service names. -
netstat -o
Shows the process ID associated with each network connection or listening port. -
netstat -p
Shows the protocol associated with each network connection or listening port. -
systeminfo
Shows information about the system, including the operating system version, system uptime, and system configuration. -
whoami
Shows the user account that is currently logged in. -
set
Displays or sets environment variables. -
time
Shows or sets the system time. -
date
Shows or sets the system date. -
ping -t
Pings a networked device continuously until stopped. -
ping -a
Attempts to resolve the hostname of a networked device. -
ping -n
Specifies the number of echo requests to send. -
ping -l
Specifies the size, in bytes, of the echo request packet. -
ping -f
Specifies that the echo request packet should not be fragmented. -
ping -i
Specifies the time-to-live value for the echo request packet.`
These additional commands will help you further explore and utilize the power of the Windows command-line. Again, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with these commands, as well as the various options and arguments that can be used with each command, to make the most of your Windows system.
Posted on February 10, 2023
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