A to Z List Of Windows CMD Commands You Need To Know

Command Prompt or CMD is a command line interpreter in the Windows family of operating systems created by Microsoft Corporation. In this article, we have tried to curate an A to Z list of Windows CMD Commands. The list includes both internal and external commands applicable to the command prompt.

In the case of Windows OS, most users are not even remotely concerned about the Command Prompt or cmd.exe. People know that there is some inbuilt software with a black screen which is used to troubleshoot Windows issues sometimes. For instance, when a user has to repair a corrupt pen drive. On the other hand, Linux users are very much familiar with the command line utility and it’s a part of their daily computer usage.

CMD is a command line interpreter – a program designed to understand the commands input by a user, from a text file, or any other medium – in Windows NT family. It is the modern version of the COMMAND.COM which was the default shell present in the DOS operating systems and as a command line interpreter in Windows 9x family.

Similar to Linux command line, the Command Prompt in Windows NT – Windows X, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 – is quite efficient. Using various commands, you can ask your Windows OS to perform desired tasks which you normally do by using the GUI.

Also Read: A To Z List of Linux Commands

How to open Windows CMD?

You can open the Windows Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Start Menu search bar. Alternatively, you can press CTRL+R to open the RUN utility, type cmd, and press Enter.

Are the Commands Case-Sensitive?

The commands used in the Windows Command Prompt are not case-sensitive, unlike the Linux command line. For example, when you type dir or DIR, it’s the same thing. But individual commands may have various options which can be case-sensitive.

A to Z List of Windows CMD Commands

Here is an A to Z list of Windows CMD commands which will be beneficial to you. Once you get the hang of these commands, you can do most of your work more quickly without using the normal graphical interface.

To display help for the commands:

command_name /?

Press Enter.

For example, to see help for the ping command:

ping /?

Note: Some of these commands may require relevant service or Windows version to work correctly.

A – Windows CMD commands

A	Description
addusers	Used to add and list users in a CSV file
admodcmd	Used for bulk modifying contents in an active directory
arp	Address Resolution Protocol is used to map IP address to the hardware address
assoc	Used to change associations for file extensions
associat	One step file association
at	Run a command at a specific time
atmadm	Display connection info of the ATM adapter
attrib	Used to change file attributes

B – Windows CMD Commands

B	Description
bcdboot	Used to create and repair a system partition
bcdedit	Used to manage boot configuration data
bitsadmin	Used to manage the Background Intelligent Transfer Service
bootcfg	Used to edit boot configuration in Windows
break	Enable/Disable break capability (CTRL+C) in CMD

C – Windows CMD Commands

C	Description
cacls	Used to change permissions of files
call	Used one batch program to call another
certreq	Used to request a certificate from a certification authority
certutil	Manage Certification Authority files and services
cd	Used to change folder (directory) or go to a specific one
change	Used to change terminal services
chcp	Displays the number of active console code page
chdir	Same as cd command
chkdsk	Used to check and repair issues in the disk
chkntfs	Used to check the NTFS file system
choice	Accept user input (via keyboard) to a batch file
cipher	Used to encrypt/decrypt files and folder
cleanmgr	Used clean temp files and recycle bin automatically
clip	Copy result of any command (stdin) to Windows clipboard
cls	Clear CMD screen
cmd	Used to start a new CMD shell
cmdkey	Used to manage stored usernames and passwords
cmstp	Used to install or remove a connection manager service profile
color	Change the color of the CMD shell using options
comp	Compare contents of two files or two sets of files
compact	Compress files and folders on an NTFS partition
compress	Compress one or more files
convert	Convert a FAT partition to NTFS
copy	Copy one or more files to another location
coreinfo	Show the mapping between logical and physical processors
cprofile	Cleans specified profiles of wasted space and disabled user-specific file associations
cscmd	Configure offline files on a client computer
csvde	Import or Export the data of an active directory

D – Windows CMD Commands

D	Description
date	Used to display the date or change it.
defrag	Used to defragment system hard drive.
del	Used to delete a file(s).
delprof	Used to delete user profile(s).
deltree	Used to delete a folder and its sub-folders.
devcon	Access the command line device manager utility.
dir	Used to display files and folders list.
dirquota	Manage File Server Resource Manager quotas.
diruse	Used to display disk usage.
diskcomp	Compare contents of two floppy disks.
diskcopy	Copy data of one floppy disk to another.
diskpart	Make changes to partitions of storage, both internal and connected.
diskshadow	Access the Disk Shadow Copy Service.
diskuse	View used space in folder(s).
doskey	Used to edit command line, recall commands, and create macros.
driverquery	Display a list of installed device drivers.
dsacls	View and edit access control entries for objects in active directory.
dsadd	Used to add objects to active directory.
dsget	View objects in active directory.
dsquery	Find objects in an active directory.
dsmod	Used to modify objects in an active directory.
dsmove	Rename or move an active directory object.
dsrm	Remove objects from an active directory.
dsmgmt	Manage Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services

E – Windows CMD Commands

E	Description
echo	Turn command-echoing feature on/off, display a message on the screen.
endlocal	End localization environment changes in a batch file.
erase	Used to delete on or more file(s).
eventcreate	Add custom event to Windows event log (Admin rights required).
eventquerry	Display list of events and their properties from event logs.
eventtriggers	Display and configure event triggers on local and remote machines.
exit	Exit the command line (Quit current batch script).
expand	Uncompress one or more .CAB file(s)
explorer	Open Windows Explorer.
extract	Uncompress one or more Windows cabinet file(s)

F – Windows CMD Commands

F	Description
fc	Used to compare two files.
find	Used to search a specified text string in a file.
findstr	Used to find string patterns in files.
finger	Display information about user(s) on a specified remote computer.
flattemp	Used to enable/disable flat temporary folders.
For	Run a command in a loop for a file(s) for defined parameter.
forfiles	Used for batch processing of selected file(s)
format	Used to format a disk.
freedisk	Used to check free space on a disk.
fsutil	File system utility to manage file and drive properties.
ftp	Use FTP service to transfer files from one PC to another.
ftype	Display/ Modify file extension type associations.

G – Windows CMD Commands

G	Description
getmac	Used to display the MAC address of your network adapter.
goto	Used to direct a batch program to a line identified by a label.
gpresult	Display Group Policy Settings and Resultant Set of Policy for a user.
gpupdate	Update local and active directory based on group policy settings.
graftabl	Turn on the ability to display an extended character in graphics mode.

H – Windows CMD Commands

H	Description
help	Display a list of commands and see online information for them.
hostname	Used to display hostname of the computer.

I – Windows CMD Commands

I	Description
icacls	Used to change permissions of files and folders.
iexpress	Used to create a self-extracting zip archive.
if	Used for conditional processing in batch programs.
ifmember	Display the group(s) an active user belongs to.
inuse	Replace the files which the OS is currently using (restart required).
ipconfig	Display and change Windows IP configuration.
ipseccmd	Used to configure IP Security policies.
ipxroute	Display and modify routing table information used by IPX protocol.
irftp	Used to send files over an infrared link (infrared functionality required).

L – Windows CMD Commands

L	Description
label	Used to change the name of a disk.
lodctr	Update registry values with latest performance counters.
logman	Used to manage performance monitor logs.
logoff	Log a user off.
logtime	Add the date, time, and a message to a text file.
lpq	Displays print queue status.
lpr	Used to send a file to a computer running the Line Printer Daemon service.

M – Windows CMD Commands

M	Description
macfile	Manage files server for Mackintosh.
makecab	Used to create .cab files.
mapisend	Used to send email from command line.
mbsacli	Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser.
mem	Used to show memory usage.
md	Used to create directories and sub-directories.
mkdir	Used to create directories and sub-directories.
mklink	Used to create symbolic link to a directory.
mmc	Access Microsoft Management Console.
mode	Configure COM, LPT, CON system devies.
more	Display one screen of output at time.
mountvol	Create, list, or delete a volume mount point.
move	Used to move files from one folder to another.
moveuser	Move user account to a domain or between machines.
msg	Used to send a pop-up message to a user.
msiexec	Install, modify, consfigure using Windows Installer.
msinfo32	Display system information.
mstsc	Create a remote desktop connection.

N – Windows CMD Commands

N	Description
nbstat	Display NetBIOS over TCP/IP information.
net	Used to manage network resources and services.
netdom	Network Domain Manager utility
netsh	Display or modify network configuration
netstat	Display active TCP/IP connections.
nlsinfo	Used to display locale information
nltest	List domain controllers, force remote shutdown, etc.
now	Display date and time.
nslookup	Check IP address on a Name Server.
ntbackup	Backup data to tape using CMD or batch file.
ntcmdprompt	Runs cmd.exe instead of command.exe in an MS-DOS application.
ntdsutil	Manage Active Directory Domain Services
ntrights	Used to edit user account privileges.
ntsd	Only for system developers.
nvspbind	Used to modify network bindings.

O – Windows CMD Commands

O	Description
openfiles	Queries or displays open files.

P – Windows CMD Commands

P	Description
pagefileconfig	Display and configure Virtual memory settings.
path	Set PATH environment variable for executable files.
pathping	Latency and Packet loss info for each node in the network path.
pause	Used to stop processing of a batch file.
pbadmin	Starts Phone Book Administrator
pentnt	Detect Floating Point Division error in the Pentium chip.
perfmon	Access performance monitor in CMD
perms	Display a user’s ACL permissions for a file.
ping	Test network connection to a computer.
popd	Go to the latest path/folder stored by PUSHD command
portqry	Display TCP and UDP port status.
powercfg	Used to configure power settings and know battery health.
print	Used to print a text file(s) from CMD.
printbrm	For backup/recovery/migration of the print queue.
prncnfg	Used to configure/rename a printing device.
prndrvr	List/add/delete printer drivers.
prnjobs	List/pause/resume/cancel print jobs.
prnmngr	List/add/delete printers, display/set default printer.
prnport	List/create/delete TCP printer ports, display/change port configuration.
prnqctl	Clear printer queue, print a test page.
procdump	Monitor system for CPU spikes, generate a crash report during a spike.
prompt	Used to change the Prompt in CMD.
psexec	Run a CMD process on a remote computer.
psfile	Display remotely opened files, close an open file.
psinfo	List system information about a local/remote machine.
pskill	Kill a process(es) using its name or process ID.
pslist	Display process status and info about active processes.
psloggedon	See active users on machine.
psloglist	Display event log records.
pspasswd	Used to change account password.
psping	Used to measure network performance.
psservice	Display and control services on a machine.
psshutdown	Shutdown/restart/logoff/lock a local or remote machine.
pssuspend	Used to suspend a process on a local or remote computer.
pushd	Change current folder and store previous folder for use by POPD.

Q – Windows CMD Commands

Q	Description
qgrep	Search file(s) for a given string pattern.
query process or qprocess	Display information about processes.

R – Windows CMD Commands

R	Description
rasdial	Display Remote Access Service Status.
rasphone	Manage RAS connections.
rcp	Copy files to a computer running remote shell service.
recover	Recover readable data from a defective disk.
reg	Display/add/change registry keys and values in Windows registry.
regedit	Import/export/delete settings from a .reg text file.
regsvr32	Used to register/unregister a DLL file.
regini	Used to change registry permissions.
relog	Export performance counters to other formats like TSV, CSV, SQL.
rem	Add comments in batch file.
ren	Used to rename a file(s).
replace	Used to replace a file with another file of same name.
reset session	Used to reset a remote desktop session.
rexec	Run commands on remote machines running Rexec service.
rd	Used to delete a folder(s).
rmdir	Used to delete a folder(s).
rmtshare	Manage file and printer shares local or remote servers.
robocopy	Used to copy files and folders that have changed.
route	Display/change the local IP routing table.
rsh	Run commands on remote servers running RSH service.
rsm	Manage media resources using Removable storage.
runas	Run a program as a different user.
rundll32	Used to run a DLL program.

S – Windows CMD Commands

S	Description
sc	Use Service Controller to manage Windows services.
schtasks	Schedule command(s) to run at a specific time.
secedit	Configure system security.
set	Display/set/remove environment variables in CMD.
setlocal	Control visibility of environment variables in a batch file.
setspn	Manage Service Principal Names for an Active Directory service account.
setx	Set Environment Variables permanently.
sfc	System File Checker
share	List/edit a file share or print on any computer.
shellrunas	Used to run a command as a different user.
shift	Change the position of the batch parameters in a batch file.
shortcut	Create a Windows shortcut.
shutdown	Shutdown the computer.
sleep	Put computer to sleep for specified number of seconds.
slmgr	Software Licensing Management tool for activation and KMS.
sort	Used to sort and display a redirected or piped input.
start	Start a program, command, or batch file.
strings	Find ANSI and UNICODE strings in binary files.
subinacl	Display/modify ACEs for file and folder permissions.
subst	Associate a path with a drive letter.
sysmon	Monitor and log system activity to Windows event log.
systeminfo	Display detailed configuration information about the computer.

T – Windows CMD Commands

T	Description
takeown	Used to take the ownership of a file.
taskkill	Used to terminate on or more running processes.
tasklist	Display a list of running apps and services.
tcmsetup	Enable/disable TAPI client.
telnet	Communicate with a remote machine using TELNET protocol.
tftp	Transfer files to and from a remote machine running TFTP protocol.
time	Display/change system time.
timeout	Delay a batch file execution for specified seconds.
title	Change the text on top of CMD window.
touch	Change file timestamps.
tracerpt	Process event trace logs and generate trace analysis report.
tracert	Trace route to a remote host by sending ICMP request messages.
tree	Display a folder structure in the form of a graphical tree.
tsdiscon	Terminate a remote desktop connection.
tskill	Terminate a running process on a RD Session Host server.
tssutdn	Shutdown/reboot a terminal server remotely.
type	Show contents of a text file.
typeperf	Write performance data to a CMD window or a log file.
tzutil	Time Zone Utility.

U – Windows CMD Commands

U	Description
unlodctr	Remove performance counter names and explain text for a service from the registry.

V – Windows CMD Commands

V	Descrption
ver	Show version number of installed OS.
verify	Verify whether files are saved correctly on the disk.
vol	Show disk volume label and serial number.
vssadmin	Show shadow copy backups, installed shadow copy writers and providers.

W – Windows CMD Commands

W	Description
w32tm	Access Windows Time Service Utility
waitfor	Used to synchronise events between networked computer(s).
wevtutil	Retrieve information about event logs and publishers.
where	Find and display file(s) in the current directory.
whoami	Display information about the active user.
windiff	Compare contents of two files or sets of files.
winrm	Windows Remote Management.
winrs	Windows Remote Shell.
wmic	Windows Management Instrumentation Command.
wuauclt	Windows Update Agent to download new update files.

X – Windows CMD Commands

X	Description
xcalcs	Change ACLs for files and folders.
xcopy	Copy files or directory trees to another folder.

This was the ultimate A-Z List of Windows CMD Commands which has been created with the inputs from SS64 and TechNet. A lot of attention has been paid while preparing it but if you find any discrepancy, feel free to notify.

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Also Read: A To Z List of Linux Commands