Windows XP/2003 Command-Line Reference

Prelude

To get more information on each of these commands type: command /?.

Some command-line tools require the user to have administrator-level privileges on source and/or target computers.

I mostly use these commands (along with those I installed along with Cygwin) to administer my pc remotely via ssh; I wrote a document on this here.

This is a condensed list partly collected from here.

Commands/Tools

arp : Displays and modifies the IP-to-Physical address translation tables used by address resolution protocol (ARP).

assoc : Displays or modifies file extension associations.

at : The AT command schedules commands and programs to run on a computer at a specified time and date. The Schedule service must be running to use the AT command.

atmadm : Windows ATM Call Manager Statistics.

attrib : displays or changes file attributes.

bootcfg : configure, query, change or delete the boot entry settings in the BOOT.INI file.

break : Sets or Clears Extended CTRL+C checking on DOS system.

cacls : Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files.

call : calls one batch program from another.

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; chkdsk c: (checks for errors), chkdsk /f c: (checks for, and fixes corrupt files).

chkntfs : displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.

cipher : displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.

cls : clears the screen;

cmd : opens a new command window.

cmstp : connection manager profile installer (requires a GUI).

color : displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time; color fc (light red on bright white).

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.

copy : copies a file; copy file1.txt file2.txt.

date : displays or sets the date.

defrag : defragments a disk; defrag c:

del : deletes a file.

dir : file listing.

diskcomp : compares the contents of two floppy disks.

diskcopy : compares the contents of two floppy disks.

diskpart : enables you to manage objects (disks, partitions, or volumes).

doskey : edits command lines, recalls Windows XP commands, and creates macros.

driverquery : Enables an administrator to enumerate and display the list of installed device drivers as well as their properties; driverquery.

echo : displays messages, or turns command-echoing on or off; echo hello world

endlocal : ends localization of environment changes in a batch file. Environment changes made after ENDLOCAL has been issued are not local to the batch file; the previous settings are not restored on termination of the batch file.

eventcreate : enables an administrator to create a custom event ID and message in a specified event log.

eventtriggers : enables an administrator to display and configure "Event Triggers" on local or remote system.

exit : quits the command window or the current batch script.

expand : expands one or more compressed files. This command is used to retrieve compressed files from distribution disks.

fc : compares two files or sets of files and displays the differences between them.

find : searches for a specific string of text in a file or files. After searching the specified file or files, find displays any lines of text that contain the specified string.

findstr : searches for strings in files.

finger : collects information.

for : runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.

format : formats a disk for use with Windows XP.

fsutil : file system utility.

ftp : file transfer protocol; ftp username@url.com.

fFtype : displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations

getmac : enables an administrator to display the MAC address for one or more network adapters on a system.

goto : directs cmd.exe to a labeled line in a batch program.

gpupdate : refreshes Group Policies settings.

graftabl : enable Windows to display an extended character set in graphics mode.

help : provides help information for Windows XP commands.

ipconfig : network configuration; ipconfig release (release ip address), ipconfig renew get a new ip address.

ipxroute : routing and Source Routing Control

label : creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.

lodctr : updates Performance Monitor counter names and explain text for an extensible counter

logman : manages the "Performance Logs and Alerts" service for creating and managing Event Trace Session logs and Performance logs.

lpq : displays the state of a remote lpd queue.

lpr : sends a print job to a network printer.

mkdir (md) : creates a directory.

mmc : Microsoft Management Console (a GUI app.).

mode : configure system devices.

more : displays one screen of output at a time; type filename.txt | more

mountvol : creates, deletes, or lists a volume mount point.

move : moves files and renames files and directories.

msconfig : NOTE: This is a GUI application; Allows easy configuration of startup files boot options etc.

msiexec : Windows installer (GUI app.).

net : network commands, there are several, net help (gives the options), net use s: \\ComputerName\ShareName (map a drive) or for a more complete example: net use n: \\ComputerName\ShareName /USER:domainname\username password, net share (view all shares), net view (lists computers, or resources being shared on domain)

netsh : locally or remotely, display or modify the network configuration of a computer that is currently running.

netstat : displays NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) protocol statistics.

nslookup : displays information that you can use to diagnose Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure.

ntsd : a debugging tool.

openfiles : enables an administrator to list or disconnect files and folders that have been opened on a system.

path : displays or sets a search path for executable files.

pathping : provides information about network latency and network loss at intermediate hops between a source and destination.

pause : suspends processing of a batch program and displays the message: "Press any key to continue . . ."

pentnt : reports on whether local computer exhibits Intel(tm) Pentium Floating Point Division Error

perfmon : performance monitor (a GUI app.).

ping : verifies IP-level connectivity to another TCP/IP computer by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request messages.

popd : changes the current directory to the directory stored by the pushd command.

print : prints a text file.

prompt : changes the Cmd.exe prompt; prompt $p$g

pushd : stores the current directory for use by the POPD command, then changes to the specified directory.

rasdial : starts a network connection by using a specified entry.

rcp : copies files to and from computer running the RCP service.

recover : recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.

reg : console Registry Tool for Windows.

regsvr32 : registers DLL's (partial GUI app.).

relog : creates new performance logs.

rem : comment for batch files; rem This Is a Comment

rename : renames a file.

replace : replaces files.

rexec : runs commands on remote hosts running the REXEC service. Rexec authenticates the user name on the remote host before executing the specified command.

rmdir : deletes a directory.

route : manipulates network routing tables.

rsh : runs commands on remote hosts running the RSH service.

rsm : See Start->Help (search for "Using the command line for Removable Storage") for more details.

runas : run as another user or process.

sc : used for communicating with the NT Service Controller and services.

schtasks : enables an administrator to create, delete, query, change, run and end scheduled tasks on a local or remote system. Replaces AT.exe.

secedit : configures and analyzes system security by comparing your current configuration to at least one template (a partial GUI app.).

set : displays, sets, or removes cmd.exe environment variables.

setlocal : begins localization of environment changes in a batch file.

shift : changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch file.

shutdown : shuts down or restarts the computer; shutdown -r (reboot), shutdown -s (shuts down).

sort : reads input, sorts data, and writes the results to the screen, to a file, or to another device.

start : starts a separate window and runs the default application associated with the file that followed the command; start somefile.txt (if the notepad program is associated with all .txt files, then notepad will open with file somefile.txt). Additional switches (used before the filename): /minimized or /m, /maximized or /max, /restored or /r, /wait or /w.

subst : associates a path with a drive letter.

systeminfo : shows basic system information.

sfc : scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with correct Microsoft versions.

taskkill : kills a job running on machine

tasklist : lists jobs running on machine

tcmsetup : telephony client setup (a partial GUI app.).

telnet : remote terminal connection; telnet -l username hostname

tftp : Transfers files to and from a remote computer running the TFTP service.

time : displays or sets the system time.

title : sets the window title for the command prompt window; title My Command Window

tracerpt : processes binary Event Trace Session log files or real-time streams from instrumented Event Trace providers and creates a report or a text (CSV) file describing the events generated.

tracert : trace route.

tree : graphically displays the folder structure of a drive or path.

type : displays the contents of a text file or files; type filename.txt

typeperf : writes performance data to the command window or to a log file. To stop Typeperf, press CTRL+C.

unlodctr : removes counter names and explain text for the specified extensible counter.

ver : displays the Windows XP version.

verify : tells cmd.exe whether to verify that your files are written correctly to a disk.

vol : displays the disk volume label and serial number, if they exist; vol c:

vssadmin : volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool.

w32tm : display the current time zone settings.

wmic : Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC), a command-line and scripting interface that simplifies the use of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and systems managed through WMI. For example, type wmic and enter, and then type process

xcopy : copies files and directory trees.