- Also see : Windows Official Documentation
Windows Cmd CHEAT SHEET
This Windows Command Cheat Sheet is a non-exhaustive list of the main Windows commands you can use.
command
6
Sections
8
Cards
#Getting Started
Basic
| CMD | Description |
|---|---|
cls | Clears the content of the screen. |
echo | Displays messages or enables/disables command echoing. |
help | Provides help information for Windows commands. |
exit | Exits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter). |
date | Displays or sets the date. |
time | Displays or sets the system time. |
ver | Displays the Windows version. |
dir | Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory. |
cd | Displays the name of or changes the current directory. |
copy | Copies one or more files to another location. |
move | Moves files and renames files and directories. |
del | Deletes one or more files. |
mkdir | Creates a directory. |
rmdir | Removes a directory. |
type | Displays the contents of a text file. |
ren | Renames a file or files. |
start | Starts a separate window to run a specified program or cmd. |
shutdown | Allows you to shut down or restart the computer. |
tasklist | Displays all currently running tasks including services. |
taskkill | Ends one or more tasks or processes. |
#Manage files:
File
| CMD | Description |
|---|---|
attrib | Displays or changes file attributes. |
fc | Compares two files and displays the differences between them. |
find | Searches for a text string in a file or files. |
findstr | Searches for strings in files. |
xcopy | Copies files and directory trees. |
robocopy | Robust File Copy for Windows, a more advanced version of xcopy. |
compact | Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions. |
expand | Expands one or more compressed files. |
replace | Replaces files. |
tree | Graphically displays the folder structure of a drive or path. |
sort | Sorts input. |
more | Displays output one screen at a time. |
print | Prints a text file. |
cipher | Displays or alters the encryption of dir files on NTFS parts. |
diskcomp | Compares the contents of two floppy disks. |
diskcopy | Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another. |
format | Formats a disk for use with Windows. |
chkdsk | Checks a disk and displays a status report. |
label | Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk. |
recover | Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk. |
#System & Network
System
| CMD | Description |
|---|---|
systeminfo | Displays detailed configuration information about a computer and its operating system. |
driverquery | Displays current device driver status and properties. |
msinfo32 | Starts the System Information tool. |
reg | Registry Console Tool, used to manage the Windows Registry. |
sc | Displays or configures services (background processes). |
taskmgr | Starts the Task Manager. |
wmic | Windows Management Instrumentation, used for managing Windows systems. |
sfc | System File Checker, scans and verifies the versions of all protected system files. |
gpupdate | Refreshes local and Active Directory-based Group Policy settings. |
gpresult | Displays Group Policy settings and Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) for a user or computer. |
powercfg | Configures power settings. |
dxdiag | Starts the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. |
perfmon | Starts the Performance Monitor. |
rsop | Resultant Set of Policy, used to view Group Policy settings. |
sigverif | Starts the File Signature Verification tool. |
sysedit | Starts the System Configuration Editor. |
syskey | Secures the Windows XP account database. |
chgport | Displays or changes Com port mappings. |
chgusr | Changes the installed user mode. |
Network
| CMD | Description |
|---|---|
ipconfig | Displays all current TCP/IP network configuration values. |
ping | Tests network connectivity to a specified host. |
tracert | Traces the route taken by packets to a specified destination. |
netstat | Displays active TCP connections, ports on which the computer is listening. |
nslookup | Displays information that you can use to diagnose Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure. |
net | Manages network resources, services, and user accounts. |
netsh | Network Shell, used to configure and monitor network devices. |
arp | Displays and modifies the IP-to-Physical address translation tables used by the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). |
route | Displays and modifies the entries in the local IP routing table. |
ftp | Starts the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client. |
telnet | Starts the Telnet client. |
nbtstat | Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT (NetBIOS over TCP/IP). |
net use | Connects to, disconnects from, and displays information about network connections. |
net session | Manages server computer connections. |
net start | Starts a network service. |
net stop | Stops a network service. |
net view | Displays a list of resources being shared on a specified computer. |
net user | Manages user accounts. |
net localgroup | Manages local groups. |
net share | Manages shared resources. |
net statistics | Displays network statistics. |
#Miscellaneous
Process Management
| CMD | Description |
|---|---|
wmic process | Manages processes using Windows Management Instrumentation . |
timeout | Waits for specified number of seconds / until a key pressed. |
Disk Management
| CMD Command | Description |
|---|---|
diskpart | Manages disk partitions. |
defrag | Defragments a disk. |
convert | Converts a FAT volume to NTFS. |
diskperf | Manages disk performance counters. |
System Configuration
| CMD Command | Description |
|---|---|
bcdedit | Manages the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. |
bootcfg | Configures, queries, or changes Boot.ini file settings. |
msconfig | Starts the System Configuration utility. |
regedit | Starts the Registry Editor. |
#Tips & Tricks
Miscellaneous Tips & Tricks
| Tip or Trick | Description |
|---|---|
wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey | Get your Windows Product key |
cmd /k | Opens the command prompt and executes a specified command, keeping the window open. |
cmd /c | Opens the command prompt, executes a specified command, and then closes the window. |
&& | Allows you to run multiple commands in sequence. For example, command1 && command2. |
|| | Allows you to run a second command only if the first command fails. For example, command1 || command2. |
> | Redirects the output of a command to a file, overwriting the file if it already exists. For example, command > output.txt. |
>> | Redirects the output of a command to a file, appending the output if the file already exists. For example, command >> output.txt. |
| | Pipes the output of one command to another command. For example, command1 | command2. |
clip | Redirects the output of a command to the Windows clipboard. For example, dir | clip. |
for %i in (*.txt) do echo %i | Loops through all .txt files in the current directory and echoes their names. |
pushd and popd | pushd saves the current directory and then changes to a new directory. popd returns to the saved directory. |
set | Displays, sets, or removes environment variables. For example, set PATH=C:\newpath. |
start "" "C:\Path\To\Program\program.exe" | Starts a program without waiting for it to finish. |
taskkill /IM "process.exe" /F | Forcefully kills a process by its image name. |
wmic product get name | Lists all installed software on the system. |
wmic logicaldisk get size,freespace,caption | Displays the size, free space, and caption of all logical disks. |
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version" | Displays the OS name and version. |
schtasks /query /fo LIST /v | Lists all scheduled tasks in detail. |
netsh wlan show profiles | Displays a list of all saved Wi-Fi profiles. |
netsh wlan show profiles name="ProfileName" key=clear | Displays the password for a specific Wi-Fi profile. |
assoc | Displays or modifies file extension associations. |
ftype | Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations. |
driverquery /v | Lists all installed drivers with detailed information. |
powercfg /energy | Generates a detailed energy report for the system. |
powercfg /batteryreport | Generates a battery life report for laptops. |
robocopy C:\Source D:\Destination /MIR | Mirrors a directory from one location to another, including subdirectories and files. |
mklink /D "C:\Path\To\Link" "C:\Path\To\Target" | Creates a symbolic link to a directory. |
mklink /H "C:\Path\To\Link" "C:\Path\To\Target" | Creates a hard link to a file. |
mklink /J "C:\Path\To\Link" "C:\Path\To\Target" | Creates a directory junction. |
diskpart /s script.txt | Runs a DiskPart script to automate disk partitioning tasks. |
shutdown /a | Aborts a system shutdown. |
chkdsk /f /r | Checks a disk and fixes errors, also recovers readable information from bad sectors. |
sfc /scannow | Scans and repairs protected system files. |
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth | Repairs the Windows image using DISM. |
bcdboot C:\Windows | Repairs the boot environment by copying boot files from the Windows directory. |
bootrec /fixmbr | Repairs the Master Boot Record (MBR). |
bootrec /fixboot | Writes a new boot sector to the system partition. |
bootrec /scanos | Scans for installations compatible with Windows and displays the entries that are currently not in the Boot Configuration Data store. |
bootrec /rebuildbcd | Scans for installations compatible with Windows and allows you to select the installations you want to add to the Boot Configuration Data store. |