MS-DOSWindows Command Prompt (Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista & 7)

Most of these MS DOS commands, are for the operating system Windows XP. It is very possible that some of them will not be valid for Windows Vista and Windows 7O sa observati in lista de mai jos ca o parte din ele se termina cu /? TABLE“/?” in finalul liniei de comanda, va afisa tabelul cu toate caracteristicile comenzii.

A

addusersAdd or list users to/from a CSV file (XP Only)

ANSI.SYSDefines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement and reassign keys

at*Enables users to schedule tasks to be performed at a specified time and date

appendSimilar to the PATH MS-DOS command, the append command enables a user to open files in the specified directory as if they were in the current directory

appwiz.cplLaunch, add or remove programs and windows components

arpDisplays, adds and removes arp  information from network devices

assocThe assoc command displays the file association for each of the different file extensions on the computer

associate – One step file association

attribAttrib allows a user to change the properties of a specified file i.e. Read-only, Archived, Hidden, and System

B

bootcfg.exeThe bootcfg command is a recovery console command that enables a user to rebuild, view, and otherwise make changes to the boot.ini file

browstat – Get domain, browser and PDC info

C

cacls.exeThe cacls command enables a user to view and modify the ACLs of a file

callCalls one batch program from another without stopping the parent batch program
(call /? TABLE)

CertreqRequests certificates from a certification authority (certreq /? TABLE)

certutilCertutil.exe is a command-line program that is installed as part of Certificate Services (certutil /? TABLE)

chcp.exe(Before the chcp command can be used, the nlsfunc must be loaded, as well as the country.sys must be loaded into the config.sys)The chcp command is used to supplement the International keyboard and character set information, allowing MS-DOS to be used in other countries and with different languages

cd & chdirmeans to change the directory in MSDos (For example chdir\ & cd\ take you to the highest level of the drive, chdir.. & cd.. goes back one, etc)

chkdsk.exeChkdsk is a utility which checks the computer’s hard disk drivesstatus for any cross-linked or any additional errors with the hard disk drive

chknfts.exeThe chkntfs command is used to display or modify the checking of the disk drive using NTFS  at boot time

choiceThis tool allows users to select one item from a list of choices and returns the index of the selected choice. (choice /? TABLE)

cipher.exeDisplays or alters the encryption of directories [files] on NTFS partition
(More commands such as Cipher /e, cipher /d, etcType one incorrctly to get the listUse cipher /R)

clipRedirects output of command line tools to the windows clipboard. This text output can then be pasted into other programs. (clip /? TABLE) e.g. DIR | Clip

clsclears all that is written on a dos window

colorThe color command enables users running Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP to quickly and easily change the default color of their background and/or text in their MS-DOS window e.g. COLOR 0a

compA simple compare that compares two or more files  TABLE BELOW:

data1      Specifies location and name(s) of first file(s) to compare.
data2     Specifies location and name(s) of second files to compare.
/D     Displays differences in decimal format.
/A     Displays differences in ASCII characters.
/L     Displays line numbers for differences.
/N=number     Compares only the first specified number of lines in each file.
/C     Disregards case of ASCII letters when comparing files.
/N MUST BE SELECTED IF YOU WANT TO COMPARE ANYTHING OTHER THAN SIZE

compactCompact is a MS-DOS command used to compress, uncompress, and view compressed files TABLE BELOW:
/C      Compresses the specified files. Directories will be marked so that files added afterward will be compressed.
/U     Uncompresses the specified files. Directories will be marked so that files added afterward will not be compressed.
/S     Performs the specified operation on files in the given directory and all subdirectories. Default "dir" is the current directory.
/A     Displays files with the hidden or system attributes. These files are omitted by default.
/I     Continues performing the specified operation even after errors have occurred. By default, COMPACT stops when an error is encountered.
/F     Forces the compress operation on all specified files, even those which are already compressed. Already-compressed files are skipped by default.
/Q     Reports only the most essential information.
filename     Specifies a pattern, file, or directory.

convertConverts  FAT volumes to NTFS LIST BELOW:
volume      Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name.
/FS:NTFS     Specifies that the volume to be converted to NTFS.
/V     Specifies that Convert should be run in verbose mode.

copyaccomplished what ctrl+c does, but in DOS

compmgmt.msc*view and config system settings and components

cmdOpens a command prompt window

control.exe systemView basic info about your computer system settings

CSVDEImports and exports data from Active Directory using files that store data in the comma-separated value (CSV) format. You can also support batch operations based on the CSV file format standard (CSVDE /? TABLE)

D

dateshows you that date (it wants you to input a "new" date)

dcgpofixRestores the default Group Policy objects to their original state (that is, the default state after initial installation) (dcgpofix /? TABLE)

debugDebug is a method of looking at portions of your computer and writing assembly code to perform certain tasks on your compute example: debug C:\windows (press Q to exit debug)

defrag*defrags the computer! (defrag /? TABLE) Note: you want to do this every month or so, or at least I do

dfscmdManages a distributed file system from the command line (dfscmd /? TABLE)

of theused to delete files from the computer

deltreeShort for delete tree, deltree is a command used to  delete   files and directories  permanently from the computer

dirThe dir command allows you to see the available files in the current and/or parent directories

disableThe disable command is a recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers EXAMPLE: disable <service name> SERVICE_AUTO_START

diskcompCompares the contents of a floppy disk in the source drive to the contents of a floppy disk in the target drive

diskcopyThe diskcopy utility allows a user to copy the complete contents of a diskette to another diskette.It is not recommended that the diskcopy command be used for anything but a floppy diskette. TABLE BELOW:
DISKCOPY [drive1: [drive2:]] [/1] [/V] [/M]
/1     Copies only the first side of the disk.
/V     Verifies that the information is copied correctly.
/M     Force multi-pass copy using memory only.

DiskpartThe diskpart command is a recovery console command that enables a user to delete and create partitions on their computer
diskpart [/add | /delete] [device_name | drive_name | partition_name] [size]
/add     Creates a new partition.
/delete     Deletes an existing partition.
device_name     The device on which you want to create or delete a partition. The name can be obtained from the output of the map command.
drive_name     The partition you want to delete, by drive letter. Used only with /delete.
partition_name      The partition you want to delete, by partition name. Can be used in place of the drive_name. Used only with /delete.
size     The size, in megabytes (MB), of the partition you want to create. Used only with /add.

doskeyDoskey is a MS-DOS utility that allows a user to keep a history of commands used on the computer. This allows frequently used commands to be used without having to type the commands in each time you need to use it TABLE BELOW:
/BUFSIZE:size      Sets size of macro and command buffer      (default:512)
/ECHO:on|off     nables/disables echo of macro expansions     (default:on)
/FILE:file     Specifies file containing a list of macros    
/HISTORY     Displays all commands stored in memory    
/INSERT     Inserts new characters into line when typing    
/KEYSIZE:size     Sets size of keyboard type-ahead buffer     (default:15)
/LINE:size     Sets maximum size of line edit buffer     (default:128)
/MACROS     Displays all DOSKey macros    
/OVERSTRIKE     Overwrites new characters onto line when typing     (default)
/REINSTALL     Installs a new copy of DOSKey    
macroname     Specifies a name for a macro you create    
text     Specifies commands you want to assign to the macro

driverqueryenables an admin to display a list of installed device drivers (driverquery /? TABLE)

E

echoEcho is used to repeat the text typed in back to the screen and/or can be used to echo to a peripheral on the computer, such as a COM port

editEdit allows a user to view, create, and/or modify their computer files (Use
edit /? the get the TABLE)

EdlinEdlin is an early version of the MS-DOS edit command. While not as easy as the edit command, edlin allows the user to crudely edit files (edit /? TABLE)

enableThe enable command is a recovery console command to enable a disabled service or driver e.g. enable <servicename> SERVICE_SYSTEM_START

endlocalStops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command (Use endlocal /? for full description)

eraseErase is a command used to remove files from your computer’s hard disk drive and or other writable media (Use erase /? for TABLE)

eventcreateThis commans line tool enables an admin to create a custom event ID and message in a specific event log. (eventcreate /? TABLE)

exitexits dos

expandThe expand command is use to take a compressed Windows file and "expand" it to its original format (Use expand /? for full TABLE)

extractThe Windows extract command is used to take files that are compressed in a Windows Cabinet file and place it into a specified location on the hard disk drive (Use extract /? for a bit Ohistory provided at the bottom, as well as the TABLE)

eventvwr.exeView monitoring and troubleshooting messages

F

FC – FC, or file compare, is used to compare two files against each other. Once completed, fc will return lines which differ between the two files. If no lines differ, you will receive a message indicating no differences encountered (Use FC /? for TABLE)
e.g. "fc c:\autoexec.bat c:\config.sys"

findAllows you to search for text within a file. Although MS-DOS itself is not case sensitive, when typing in the string that you are looking for with the find command, it is case sensitive (Use find /? for TABLE)

findstrThe findstr command is short for find string and is a command used in MS-DOS to locate files containing a specific string of plain text (Use findsrt /? for TABLE)
e.g. findstr "computer help" myfile.txt

fingerDisplays info about a user on a specified system running the Finger service. Output varies based on the remote system. (finger /?)

fixbootThe fixboot command is a recovery console command that creates a new partition boot sector; the fixboot command is only available when you are using the Recovery Console e.g. fixboot C:

FORThe FOR variable is used for batch files to run a specified command when a parameter is met or specified (Use FOR /? for description)

whaleselects a file (or set of files) and executes a command on that file, helpful for batch jobs. (forfiles /?)

formatFormat is used to erase  all of the information off of a computer diskette or fixed drive e.g. format a: would erase all the contents off a disk. Commonly used on a diskette that has not been formatted or on a diskette you wish to erase (Use format /?
don’t be an idiot and type format C: and follow throught with it, this will delete everything off of your C: wich, by deafult, is your main drive).

futilFsutil is a command-line utility that you can use to perform many tasks related to file allocation table (FAT) and NTFS file systems, such as managing reparse points, managing sparse files, or dismounting a volume (fsutil /? TABLE)

ftpFTP is short for File Transfer Protocol, this page contains additional information about the FTP command and help using that command in Unix and MS-DOS
(Use FTP /?)

ftypeDisplays or modifies file types used in file extension associations (fytpe /?)

G

getmacThis tool enables an admin to display the MAC address for the network adapters on a system (getmac /? TABLE)

gotoMoves a batch file to a specific label or location, enabling a user to rerun a batch file or skip other lines depending on user inputs or events (Use goto /?)

GPEDIT.MSC. The local Group Policy editor appears on the screen, enabling you to adjust policies that affect the local machine

gpresultThis command line tool displays the Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) info for a target user or computer (gpresult /? TABLE)

gpupdateRefreshes the local computers policy and any Active Directory-based Group policies (Use gpupdate /? for TABLE.

graftablGraftabl command allows the display to show extended characters in graphics mode from a specific code page. Most monitors do not need the graftabl command to be loaded (Use graftabl /? for TABLE)

H

helpaccomplished what /? does e.g. Help cls

hostnameDisplay the hostname of the machine the command is being run on

I

IFAllows for batch files to perform conditional processing (IF /? for TABLE)

inetcpl.cplView Internet explorer settings

ipconfig.exeView and configure network address settings (Use ipconfig.exe /all for advanced options)

K

keybKeyb is used to change the layout of the keyboard used for different countries (not supported with XP or VISTA; NT, 98, 95 only)

L

labelLabel is used to view or change the label of the computer disk drives (label /?
e.g. label a: mydisk)

loadfixLoads a program above the first 64K of memory, and runs the program
(loadfix /? for TABEL) e.g. loadfix C:MouseMouse.com

Lock/Unlock commandLOCK allows a user to lock a drive, enabling direct disk access for an application.UNLOCK allows a users to unlock a drive, disabling direct disk access for an application (Win 98 & 95 ONLY)

lodctrUpdates registry values related to preformance counters (lodctr /? TABLE)

logoffThe logoff command is an external command that allows a user to quickly logoff their computer from the command line or within a batch file (Note: does not prompt you)

logonThe logon command is a recovery console command that lists the installations of Windows 2000 / Windows XP and requests the local administrator password for those installations

logmanManages and schedules performance counter and event trace log collections on local and remote systems (logman /? TABLE)

M

mapThe map command is a recovery console command that displays the physical device name of a drive letter

memAllows you to determine the available, used and free memory (mem /? TABLE)

md/ mkdirAllows you to create your own directories in MS-DOS e.g. md test example creates the "test" directory in the directory you are currently in and md C:\test Creates the "test" directory in the c:\ directory (md /? TABLE)

modeMode status is used to view and/or modify a port or display setting
(mode /? TABLE)

moreMore allows information to be displayed one page at a time (more /? TABLE)
e.g. dir | more and more myfile.txt

mountvolCreates, deletes, or lists a volume mount point (mountvol /? TABLE)

moveAllows you to move files or directories from one folder to another, or from one drive to another (more /? TABLE) e.g. move c:\windows\temp\*.* c:\temp

mscdexMscdex is a CD-ROM "redirector" that enables CD-ROM access from the MS-DOS

msinfo32.exedisplays advanced info about hardware and software settings

msra.exeReceve help from (or offer help to) a friend over the internet

N

netThe net command is used to update, fix, or view the network or network settings
(Net /? TABLE) e.g.  net view \\hope and net localgroup

netshMS-DOS command that enables users to change network settings such as changing their network device from a dynamic address to a static address or changing the IP address (netsh /? TABLE) e.g. netsh dump (don’t be stupid and hit enter)

netstatThe netstat command is used to display the  TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information (netstat /? TABLE) e.g. netstat -ban

nlsfuncUsed to load country specific information (nlsfunc /? TABLE) e.g. Below:
nlsfunc a:langSpain.dat (don’t unless you’re fluent in spanish)

nslookupMS-DOS utility that enables a user to look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network (nslookup /? TABLE) Note: type ‘quitto stop nslookup

A

openfilesEnables an admin to lost or disconnect files and folders that have been opened on a system (openfiles /? TABLE)

P

pathPath is used to specify the location where MS-DOS looks when using a command
(path /? TABLE) e.g. path=c:windowscommand

pathpingSimilar to the tracert command, pathping  provides users with the ability of locating spots that have network latency and network loss (pathping /? TABLE)
e.g. patping traffic.com

pauseThe pause command is used within a computer batch file and allows the computer to pause the currently running batch file until the user presses any key

perfmon.exe*Monitor the reliability and preformance of local or remote computers (Use preform.exe /report for advanced settings)

pingHelps in determining TCP/IP Networks IP address as well as determine issues with the network and assists in resolving them (ping /? TABLE) e.g. ping localhost

popdChanges to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command
(popd /? TABLE)

PowerCFGThis command line tool enables users to control the power settings on a system (powercgf /? TABLE)

printThis command allowed users to print a text file to a line printer, in the background (print /? TABLE) e.g. print C:\file.txt /c /d:lpt1

promptAllows you to change the MS-DOS prompt to display more or less information
(prompt /? TABLE, MUST USE!!)

pushdStores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time (pushd /? TABLE) e.g. pushd ..

R

rasdialnot sure actually, but rasdial /? provides some info and a link that you can use for more information.

rd/ rmdirRemoves empty directories in MS-DOS e.g.
rd C:usersJohn_smithappdatatempav19023

recoverRecovers readable info from a bad or defective disk (recover /? TABLE)

regCommand line registry tool that enables you to change, display, update, and otherwise manipulate the registry from the prompt (reg /? TABLE)

regedit32.exe*Makes changes to the Windows registry.

remRecords comments (remarks) in a batch file or CONFIG.SYS (rem /? TABLE)

ren/ renameUsed to rename files and directories from the original name to a new name
(ren /? TABLE) e.g. ren c:chope hope

relogRelog creates new preformance logs from data in existing preformance logs by changing the sampling rate and/or converting the file formate. Supperts all preformance log formats, including windows NT 4.0 compressed logs. (relog /? TABLE)

replaceReplaces files (replace /? TABLE)

routeUse the command to manually configure the routes in the routing table (route /? TABLE)

rstrui.exe*restore your computer system to an eariler state

speechEnables a user to execute a program on another computer as yourself or as another user (runas /? TABLE)

S

scandiskScandisk is designed to check the integrity of a computer hard disk drive to verify that there are no significant issues which could cause issues with your computer data (scandisk /? TABLE) e.g. scandisk /all

SCSC is a command line program used for communicating with the Service Control Manager and services. (SC /? TABLE)

scanregUsing Scanreg a user can backup his or her registry manually and or allow Windows to backup the registry daily (default) FOR WINDOWS 98 AND ME

seceditConfigures and analyzes system security by comparing your current configuration to at least one template (secedit /? TABLE)

setAllows you to change one variable or string to another (set /? GIANT TABLE)
e.g. set path=c:windowscommand

setlocalEnables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else
(setlocal /? TABLE)

seatFor setver to work, setver.exe device must be loaded in the config.sys.Setver is used to imitate the version of DOS in case an application was unable to run because of a newer version of MS-DOS. (setver /? TABLE) e.g. setver 4.01

septSetx creates or modifies environment variables in the user or system environment. Can set variables based on arguments, regkeys, or file input (setx /? TABLE)

sfcScans and replaces any Microsoft Windows file on the computer and replaces any changed file with the correct version (sfc /? TABLE) e.g. sfc /scannow

shareInstalls support for file sharing and locking capabilities (share /? TABLE)

shiftChanges the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program (shift /? TABLE)

shutdownEnables a user to shutdown a Windows XP computer from the command line as well as perform additional features that are not available through Windows
(shutdown /? for cool features)

sortSorts the input and displays the output to the screen (sort /? TABLE)
e.g. sort test.txt

startEnables a user to start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt
(start /? GIANT TABLE)

substAllows you to substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter
(subst /? TABLE) e.g. subst a:.

systeminfoDisplays complete system information (XP Professional and Vista ONLY)
(systeminfo /? TABLE)

SystemrootThe systemroot command is a recovery console command that sets the current directory as the system root  directory (Win 2000 and XP only)

T

takeownThis tool allows an admin to recover access to a file that was denied by re-assigning file ownership (takeown /? TABLE)

taskmgr.exeViews details about programs and processes running on your computer

tassesAllows user to kill a task from a MS-DOS prompt. (XP Pro and Vista ONLY)
(taskkill /? TABLE) e.g. taskkill /f /im notepad.exe

tasklistThis tool displays a list of currently running processes on either a local or remote machine. (tasklist /? TABLE)

telnetEnables a user to telnet  to another computer from the command prompt (telnet /? TABLE) e.g. telnet myhost.com

timeAllows the user to view and edit the computer’s time

timeoutPauses the command processor for the specified number of seconds (timeout /? TABLE)

TracertThe tracert command is used to visually see a network packet being sent and received and the amount of hops required for that packet to get to its destination
(tracert /? TABLE)

tracerptProcesses event trace logs or real-time data from instrumented event trace providers and allows you to generate trace analysis reports and CSV (comma-delimited) files for the events generated (tracerpt /? TABLE)

treeAllows the user to view a listing of files and folders in an easy to read listing (tree /? TABLE)

typeAllows the user to see the contents of a file (Type /? TABLE) e.g. type c:\autoexec.bat

typeperfWrites performance counter data to the command window, or to a supported log file format. To stop Typeperf, press CTRL+C (typeperf /? TABLE)

V

verDisplays the version of MS-DOS or if running Windows 95 or above the version of Windows

verifyEnables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly (verify on or verify off)

volDisplays the volume information about the designated drive e.g. vol c:

VSSAdminDisplays current volume shadow copy backups and all installed shadow copy writers and providers in the command window

W

W32tmA tool used to diagnose problems occuring with Windows Time (W32tm /? TABLE)

waitforSynchronizes multiple computers across a network by using signals (waitfor /? TABLE)

whereLocates and displays all of the files that match the given parameter. By default, the search is done in the current directory and in the PATH environment variable (where /? TABLE)

whoamiReturns domain name, computer name, user name, group names, logon identifier, and privileges for the user who is currently logged on (whoami /? TABLE)

winver.exedisplays info about MS OS

wscui.cplView and configure the security essentials for your computer

X

xcopyXcopy is a powerful version of the copy command with additional features; has the capability of moving files, directories, and even whole drives from one location to another (xcopy /? TABLE) e.g. xcopy c:\temp /e

Orders can be launched from Run or from Command Prompt.

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