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Contents

• Recommended Books
• How to open the Windows Command Prompt
• Top 25 Windows Commands
• Conclusion
• See Also
• Further Reading

Recommended Books

I can highly recommend these books to help you learn more about Windows 10/11.

• Windows 11 For Dummies
• Windows 10 For Dummies
• Windows 11 Bible
• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Windows 10
• The Windows Command Line Beginner’s Guide – Second Edition

Windows Command Prompt is a powerful tool that provides access to over 280 command-line tools. These commands can perform various tasks, such as managing files and directories, running programs, and modifying system settings. Here’s a list of 25 of the most commonly used Windows commands with examples for your reference.

How to open the Windows Command Prompt

To open the Command Prompt on Windows, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button on the bottom left corner of the screen.
2. Type cmd in the search bar and select “Command Prompt” from the search results.
3. Alternatively, you can also press the Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt” from the Power User menu.
4. Another option is to hold down the Windows key + R, type cmd in the Run dialog box and press Enter.
5. To open an elevated command prompt, right-click on the Command Prompt icon and choose “Run as Administrator”
6. Once the Command Prompt window opens, you can start typing commands.

Note: The appearance of the Command Prompt may vary depending on the version of Windows you are using.

Top 25 Windows Commands

1. dir: Display a list of files and folders in a directory. Example: dir
2. cd: Change the current directory. Example: cd Documents
3. mkdir: Create a new directory. Example: mkdir Test
4. rmdir: Delete an empty directory. Example: rmdir Test
5. echo: Display a message on the screen. Example: echo Hello World!
6. copy: Copy files or directories. Example: copy file1.txt file2.txt
7. move: Move files or directories. Example: move file1.txt Documents
8. del: Delete files. Example: del file1.txt
9. type: Display the contents of a file. Example: type file1.txt
10. cls: Clear the Command Prompt screen. Example: cls
11. start: Open a file or run a program. Example: start notepad.exe
12. ipconfig: Display network configuration information. Example: ipconfig
13. ping: Test the connection to a network address. Example: ping google.com
14. netstat: Display network status information. Example: netstat
15. nslookup: Display the IP address of a website. Example: nslookup google.com
16. tracert: Display the route taken by packets to a network address. Example: tracert google.com
17. systeminfo: Display system information. Example: systeminfo
18. tasklist: Display a list of running processes. Example: tasklist
19. taskkill: End a running process. Example: taskkill /pid 1234
20. driverquery: Display information about installed drivers. Example: driverquery
21. sfc: Scan and repair system files. Example: sfc /scannow
22. chkdsk: Check and repair file system errors. Example: chkdsk C:
23. diskpart: Manage disk partitions. Example: diskpart
24. regedit: Edit the Windows registry. Example: regedit
25. shutdown: Shut down or restart the computer. Example: shutdown /r

Conclusion

Windows Command Prompt provides access to over 280 command-line tools that can perform various tasks, such as managing files and directories, running programs, and modifying system settings. This guide provides a list of 25 of the most commonly used Windows commands with examples, including displaying file and directory information, managing files, running programs, and system information.

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See Also

• Fix Windows Errors with System File Checker
• Perform disk error check (chkdsk) on Windows 10

Further Reading

• Windows Commands at Microsoft
• Beginner Command Line Guide
• Command Prompt at Dell