Windows CMD Commands Cheat Sheet

Windows CMD Commands Cheat Sheet

Files and Folders Management

  • COPY - Copies files to another location

  • DIR – Displays files and folders in current directory

  • DEL or ERASE - Deletes files

  • EDIT - Starts file editor

  • CD - Changes directory

  • EXPAND - Decompresses compressed files

  • FC - Compares files and shows the differences between them

  • FIND - Finds a text string in the file

  • MD or MAKEDIR - Creates a folder

  • MOVE - Moves files from one folder to another

  • PRINT - Prints out the text file contents

  • RD or RMDIR - Deletes a folder

  • REN or RENAME - Renames a file or folder

  • REPLACE - Replaces files in one directory with files of the same name in another directory (overwrite)

  • ROBOCOPY - Uses an advanced tool to copy files and directories

  • TREE - Shows directory structure of a disk or folder

  • TYPE - Displays the contents of text files

  • OPENFILES – Manages opened local or network files

  • XCOPY - Copies files and directory trees

Applications and Processes

  • SCHTASKS - Executes a command or start a scheduled application (Task Scheduler)

  • SHUTDOWN - Shutdowns or reboots your computer

  • TASKLIST - Lists the tasks being performed

  • TASKKILL - Stops or halts a task (to stop a task you use a PID which you can find out from TASKLIST)

  • REG – Starts registry editor

  • RUNAS - Launches the task as another user

Disks Management

  • CHKDISK - Checks disk and shows statistics

  • DEFRAG – Starts disk defragmentation

  • CHKNTFS - Displays or changes execution of disk check at boot

  • COMPACT - Displays and change the compression of files in NTFS partitions

  • CONVERT - Converts FAT disk volume to NTFS

  • DISKPART - Displays and adjusts disk partition properties

  • FORMAT - Formats the disk

  • FSUTIL - Displays and configures file system properties

  • LABEL - Creates, changes, or deletes a disk volume label

  • RECOVER - Recovers data from a bad or damaged disk

  • VOL - Displays volume label and serial number for the disk

System Information

  • DATE - Outputs or sets the current date

  • TIME - Displays or sets the system time

  • DRIVERQUERY - Displays the current state and properties of the device driver

  • HOSTNAME - Displays name of the computer

  • SYSTEMINFO - Shows configuration information about your computer

  • VER - Allows you to view the Windows version

  • GPRESULT – Displays current applied group policies (RSoP)

  • GPUPDATE – Updates group policies

Network

  • IPCONFIG - Shows information about network interfaces

  • PING – Sends ICMP requests to the target host, checks host availability

  • TRACERT - Finds the path for packets traveling over the network

  • NSLOOKUP - Finds IP address by resource name

  • ROUTE - Displays network route tables

  • ARP- Shows a table with IP addresses converted into physical addresses

  • NETSH – Starts is a network settings control program

  • GETMAC - Shows the MAC address of the network adapter

  • TFTP – Starts TFTP client in console

Command Line Setup

  • CLS - Clears screen

  • CMD - Displays another command prompt

  • COLOR - Sets the text and background color

  • PROMPT - Changes the command line prompt

  • TITLE - Assigns a title for the current session

  • HELP – Launches CMD help

  • EXIT - Exits the command line