Full List of Windows Terminal Commands

The Command Prompt (CMD) utility built into Windows OS is run with commands. This utility helps you to troubleshoot and fix most issues with the OS. It is quite easy to use if you know the commands and their functions. Basically, there are over 200 Windows terminal commands (yes, the command prompt interface is also called “Terminal”).

Well, most of the commands are for experienced developers that understand the depth of Windows OS. This article lists the most common ones you’re likely to use quite frequently for troubleshooting, file copying, or accessing files over a network. More so, to run these commands successfully, you need to use an admin account on the computer.

The Full List of Windows Terminal Commands

cmd Tips

On a quick note, if you want to view all the CMD commands, launch the CMD terminal, type “help” and press the Enter key. Meanwhile, here are the commands and their function.

Append Open files in another directory
Arp Display or change entries in the ARP cache
Assoc Display or change file type
At Schedule commands
Atmadm Display Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connections
Attrib Change file attributes
Auditpol Display or change audit policies.
Bcdboot Copy boot files to system partition and create new system BCD store
Bcdedit View or edit Boot Configuration Data
Bdehdcfg Prepare a hard drive for BitLocker Drive Encryption
Bitsadmin Create, manage, and monitor jobs
Bootcfg Build, modify, or view the boot.ini file
Bootsect Configure the dows 10 and Windows 8.
Call Run scripts or batch programs from another script
Certreq For performing different certification authority (CA) certificate functions
Certutil Dump and display CA configuration information
Chcp Display or configure the active code page number
Chdir Display the drive letter and folder you’re currently in
Checknetisolation For testing network apps
Chglogon Enables, disables, or drains terminal server session logins
Chgport Display and change COM port mappings
Chgusr Change installation mode of terminal servers
Chkdsk Check disk command for troubleshooting hard disk issues
Chkntfs Configure or display disk drive boot
Cipher Print or changes encryption status for files/folders on NTFS partitions
Clip Send command results to Windows clipboard
Cls Clears all previous commands in the terminal
Cmd Starts the command prompt terminals
Cmdkey Display, create, and remove saved usernames and passwords
Comp For comparing two files
Compact Display of edit compression state of files on NTFS partitions
Convert Convert FAT or FAT32 to the NTFS format
Copy Copy files
Cscript Run scripts via Microsoft Script Host
Ctty Change input and output devices
Date Show the date
Debug To test and edit programs
Defrag Defragment a drive
Del Delete files
Deltree Delete a directory and all files in it
Diantz Losslessly compress file
Dir Display the directory you’re in
Diskcomp Compare floppy disks
Diskcopy Copy floppy disks
Diskpart Create, manage, and delete partitions
Diskraid Manage and configure RAID arrays
Driverquery Display all installed drivers
Echo Show messages from within a script or batch file
Edit Start the MS-DOS Editor
Erase File deletion
Exit Close the CMD terminal
Forcedos Start program in the MS-DOS subsystem
Format Format a drive
Ftp Transfer files via FTP
Getmac Display MAC address of all the network controllers
Gpresult Display Group Policy settings
Gpupdate Update Group Policy settings
Hostname Name of the current host
Hwrcomp Compile custom dictionaries for handwriting recognition
Hwrreg Install previously compiled dictionaries
Icacls Display or change access control lists of files
Ipconfig Show your network IP information
Irftp Transmit files via an infrared link
Ktmutil Starts the Kernel Transaction Manager utility
Licensingdiag Generate text-based log
Loadhigh (LH) Load programs in high memory
Lock Lock a drive
Logman Create and manage Event Trace Session and Performance logs
Logoff Terminate a session
Mem Shows free and used memory info
Mkdir Create a new folder
Mount Mount Network File System (NFS) network shares
Move Move files
Msg Send message to a user
Nbtstat Show TCP/IP information of a remote PC
Net Display network settings and information
Netsh Start Network Shell
Nfsadmin Manage servers or clients for NFS
Path Display the path of an executable file
Ping Sends an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request message
Pkgmgr Start Windows Package Manager
Print Print texts
Qappsrv Display Remote Desktop Session Host servers
Qbasic Starts QBasic
Qprocess Display information of running processes
Rdpsign Sign a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) file
Reagentc Configure Windows Recovery Environment (RE)
Reset Reset sessions
Robocopy Run the robocopy utility
Sc Configure services
Sfc System File Checker – used to troubleshoot issues with hard drives
Shutdown Log off or shut down a computer
Systeminfo Print all basic Windows configuration information
Takeown Regain access to files an administrator was denied access to
Tasklist Show all ongoing applications, services, and their Process ID (PID)
Time Show current time
Tree Graphically display folder structures
Umount Remove Network File System (NFS) mounted network shares
Vol Show the volume and serial number of a disk
Winmgmt Starts the CLI version of WMI
Winrm Start Windows Remote Management
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Conclusion

These are the commonest commands you need to know. They are all executable from the command prompt terminal.

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Samuel Odamah
Ebuka O. Samuel is a technical writer at 3rd Planet Techies Media. He's a tech enthusiast, Android gadgets freak, consumer electronics tweakstar, and a lover of wearable techs.

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