1.cd\ Go to the top of the directory tree.
- CD (Change Directory): Change the current folder or navigate to another folder.
C:\Users\LillianSIYIN>cd\
C:\>
2.cd.. Go back to one folder up.
C:\Users\LillianSIYIN>cd..
C:\Users>
3.e: Directly accesses to another drive (e drive).
C:\Users\LillianSIYIN>e:
E:\>
4.cd /d ... Changes the drive and the directory at the same time.
C:\Users\LillianSIYIN>cd /d e:\windows
E:\windows>
5.dir View the contents of a folder.
E:\SA>dir
Volume in drive E has no label.
Volume Serial Number is B8E7-1B00
Directory of E:\SA
03/30/2017 11:22 AM <DIR> .
03/30/2017 11:22 AM <DIR> ..
02/21/2017 02:33 PM 107,276,552 Enterprise Architecture.zip
10/26/2016 08:15 PM <DIR> term1
01/11/2017 05:48 PM <DIR> term2
03/30/2017 11:22 AM <DIR> term3
1 File(s) 107,276,552 bytes
5 Dir(s) 35,814,080,512 bytes free
E:\SA>
6.mkdir ... or md ... (make directory) Creates a new folder or makes a new directory
C:\>md my_folder
C:\>
NOTE:
- All these commands depend on the current location in the Command Prompt.
Eg, if you are on the “C:” drive and typemkdir test, test will be created at “C:” drive. - Otherwise, is to type the complete path of the new folder.
Eg, if you are at “C:” drive and you want to create my_folder in “E:”,typemkdir e:\my_folder.
C:\>md e:\my_folder
C:\>
7.ren ... (rename) Rename files and folders.
E:\SA>ren term1 TermOne
E:\SA>
8.copy ... ... Allow to copy files from one location to another.
You will receive a confirmation of the operation as below:
D:\Photos>copy IMG_0462.JPG e:\IMG_0462.JPG
1 file(s) copied.
D:\Photos\about me>
NOTE: If you are copying within the same directory, don't have to put the path.
C:\Users\LillianSIYIN\Desktop>copy idea.docx idea.txt
1 file(s) copied.
C:\Users\LillianSIYIN\Desktop>
9.xcopy /s /i ... ... (rename) Rename files and folders.
- The
/sparameter will ensure that all the directories and sub-directories will be copied, except the ones that are empty. - The
/iparameter will create a new directory if the destination folder doesn't exist and will copy all the files.
E:\>xcopy /s /i e:\travel "c:\Users\LIN SIYIN\Desktop"\travel
E:\travel\abc.txt
1 File(s) copied
E:\>
10.del ... (delete) To delete all the files from the specified folder.
E:\>del travel
E:\travel\*, Are you sure (Y/N)? y
e:\>
NOTE:
- To also delete hidden files from the folder, must add the
/hparameter. - The
delcammand doesn’t work for deleting the folder (viewE:\>dirandE:\travel>dir):
E:\>dir
Volume in drive E has no label.
Volume Serial Number is B8E7-1B00
Directory of E:\
04/05/2017 11:01 AM <DIR> OCBC
03/30/2017 11:27 AM <DIR> others
11/14/2016 03:41 PM 40 product key.txt
03/30/2017 11:22 AM <DIR> SA
04/05/2017 05:49 PM <DIR> travel
01/11/2017 05:54 PM <DIR> Unity
1 File(s) 40 bytes
5 Dir(s) 35,814,080,512 bytes free
E:\>cd travel
E:\travel>dir
Volume in drive E has no label.
Volume Serial Number is B8E7-1B00
Directory of E:\travel
04/05/2017 05:49 PM <DIR> .
04/05/2017 05:49 PM <DIR> ..
0 File(s) 0 bytes
2 Dir(s) 35,814,080,512 bytes free
Some useful DEL combinations that are worth mentioning:
-
DEL *.DOC- delete all.dcofiles (you can use any file extension); -
DEL Test*.*- delete all files beginning with Test; -
DEL *.*- delete ALL files from the current folder.
11.RD (remove directory) Delete the empty folder.
- The
RDcommand can only delete an empty folder.
E:\>RD travel
The directory is not empty.
E:\>del travel
E:\travel\*, Are you sure (Y/N)? y
E:\>RD travel
E:\>dir
Volume in drive E has no label.
Volume Serial Number is B8E7-1B00
Directory of E:\
04/05/2017 11:01 AM <DIR> OCBC
03/30/2017 11:27 AM <DIR> others
11/14/2016 03:41 PM 40 product key.txt
03/30/2017 11:22 AM <DIR> SA
01/11/2017 05:54 PM <DIR> Unity
1 File(s) 40 bytes
4 Dir(s) 35,814,080,512 bytes free
E:\>
12.How to launch an application?
To run a program from the Command Prompt, you need only to navigate to the folder that contains the executable and type the program’s name.
For example, if you want to launch Paint , go to C:\Windows\System32 and you will find the executable called mspaint.exe. Then write mspaint.exe or simply mspaint and press Enter. Both commands and paint can be seen.
C:\Windows\System32>mspaint.exe
C:\Windows\System32>
13.How to get help in Command Prompt
-
helpA list with all available commands will be displayed:
C:\Windows\System32>help
For more information on a specific command, type HELP command-name
ASSOC Displays or modifies file extension associations.
ATTRIB Displays or changes file attributes.
BREAK Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
BCDEDIT Sets properties in boot database to control boot loading.
CACLS Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files.
CALL Calls one batch program from another.
CD Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHCP Displays or sets the active code page number.
CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHKDSK Checks a disk and displays a status report.
CHKNTFS Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.
CLS Clears the screen.
CMD Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter.
COLOR Sets the default console foreground and background colors.
COMP Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
COMPACT Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions.
CONVERT Converts FAT volumes to NTFS. You cannot convert the
current drive.
COPY Copies one or more files to another location.
DATE Displays or sets the date.
DEL Deletes one or more files.
DIR Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.
DISKPART Displays or configures Disk Partition properties.
DOSKEY Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and
creates macros.
DRIVERQUERY Displays current device driver status and properties.
ECHO Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off.
ENDLOCAL Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file.
ERASE Deletes one or more files.
EXIT Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter).
FC Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the
differences between them.
FIND Searches for a text string in a file or files.
FINDSTR Searches for strings in files.
FOR Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
FORMAT Formats a disk for use with Windows.
FSUTIL Displays or configures the file system properties.
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension
associations.
GOTO Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in
a batch program.
GPRESULT Displays Group Policy information for machine or user.
GRAFTABL Enables Windows to display an extended character set in
graphics mode.
HELP Provides Help information for Windows commands.
ICACLS Display, modify, backup, or restore ACLs for files and
directories.
IF Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
MD Creates a directory.
MKDIR Creates a directory.
MKLINK Creates Symbolic Links and Hard Links
MODE Configures a system device.
MORE Displays output one screen at a time.
MOVE Moves one or more files from one directory to another
directory.
OPENFILES Displays files opened by remote users for a file share.
PATH Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
PAUSE Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message.
POPD Restores the previous value of the current directory saved by
PUSHD.
PRINT Prints a text file.
PROMPT Changes the Windows command prompt.
PUSHD Saves the current directory then changes it.
RD Removes a directory.
RECOVER Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
REM Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS.
REN Renames a file or files.
RENAME Renames a file or files.
REPLACE Replaces files.
RMDIR Removes a directory.
ROBOCOPY Advanced utility to copy files and directory trees
SET Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables.
SETLOCAL Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file.
SC Displays or configures services (background processes).
SCHTASKS Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer.
SHIFT Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch files.
SHUTDOWN Allows proper local or remote shutdown of machine.
SORT Sorts input.
START Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
SUBST Associates a path with a drive letter.
SYSTEMINFO Displays machine specific properties and configuration.
TASKLIST Displays all currently running tasks including services.
TASKKILL Kill or stop a running process or application.
TIME Displays or sets the system time.
TITLE Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session.
TREE Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or
path.
TYPE Displays the contents of a text file.
VER Displays the Windows version.
VERIFY Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written
correctly to a disk.
VOL Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
XCOPY Copies files and directory trees.
WMIC Displays WMI information inside interactive command shell.
For more information on tools see the command-line reference in the online help.
C:\Windows\System32>
- Type
helpfollowed by the name of that command or type the command’s name followed by the/?parameter: Looking into a specified command.
C:\Windows\System32>help cd
Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHDIR [/D] [drive:][path]
CHDIR [..]
CD [/D] [drive:][path]
CD [..]
.. Specifies that you want to change to the parent directory.
Type CD drive: to display the current directory in the specified drive.
Type CD without parameters to display the current drive and directory.
Use the /D switch to change current drive in addition to changing current
directory for a drive.
If Command Extensions are enabled CHDIR changes as follows:
The current directory string is converted to use the same case as
the on disk names. So CD C:\TEMP would actually set the current
directory to C:\Temp if that is the case on disk.
CHDIR command does not treat spaces as delimiters, so it is possible to
CD into a subdirectory name that contains a space without surrounding
the name with quotes. For example:
cd \winnt\profiles\username\programs\start menu
is the same as:
cd "\winnt\profiles\username\programs\start menu"
which is what you would have to type if extensions were disabled.
C:\Windows\System32>
or
C:\Windows\System32>copy /?
Copies one or more files to another location.
COPY [/D] [/V] [/N] [/Y | /-Y] [/Z] [/L] [/A | /B ] source [/A | /B]
[+ source [/A | /B] [+ ...]] [destination [/A | /B]]
source Specifies the file or files to be copied.
/A Indicates an ASCII text file.
/B Indicates a binary file.
/D Allow the destination file to be created decrypted
destination Specifies the directory and/or filename for the new file(s).
/V Verifies that new files are written correctly.
/N Uses short filename, if available, when copying a file with a
non-8dot3 name.
/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
existing destination file.
/-Y Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
existing destination file.
/Z Copies networked files in restartable mode.
/L If the source is a symbolic link, copy the link to the target
instead of the actual file the source link points to.
The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line. Default is
to prompt on overwrites unless COPY command is being executed from
within a batch script.
To append files, specify a single file for destination, but multiple files
for source (using wildcards or file1+file2+file3 format).
C:\Windows\System32>
