15 CMD Commands Every Windows User Should Know

Microsoft has slowly but surely pushed the command line aside in the Windows interface. This is not without reason. It’s an antiquated and mostly unnecessary tool from an era of text-based input.

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[JeanYvesHemlin]

Been working for over 30 years in the industry but never learned driverquery. I learn something new everyday! Thanks!

Doing any of these commands in front of your computer illiterate friends will make them think you’re a hacker mastermind lol

[RealArtVandelay]

When I started using the command and run prompt, I couldnt stop, its so convenient, for repetitive emails where only the date changes, to locking or putting my pc to sleep, and other tools. It's accessible with one clic or press of the key arrow because it keeps in memory the previous commands. Just love it

[jamirdiaz]

Random kid: boots whole family offline
Crazy hacker: boots whole world offline

[andrieswolmarans]

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise>help
For more information on a specific command, type HELP command-name
ASSOC Displays or modifies file extension associations.
ATTRIB Displays or changes file attributes.
BREAK Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
BCDEDIT Sets properties in boot database to control boot loading.
CACLS Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files.
CALL Calls one batch program from another.
CD Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
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.
CHKNTFS Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.
CLS Clears the screen.
CMD Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter.
COLOR Sets the default console foreground and background colors.
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. You cannot convert the
current drive.
COPY Copies one or more files to another location.
DATE Displays or sets the date.
DEL Deletes one or more files.
DIR Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.
DISKPART Displays or configures Disk Partition properties.
DOSKEY Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and
creates macros.
DRIVERQUERY Displays current device driver status and properties.
ECHO Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off.
ENDLOCAL Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file.
ERASE Deletes one or more files.
EXIT Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter).
FC Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the
differences between them.
FIND Searches for a text string in a file or files.
FINDSTR Searches for strings in files.
FOR Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
FORMAT Formats a disk for use with Windows.
FSUTIL Displays or configures the file system properties.
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension
associations.
GOTO Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in
a batch program.
GPRESULT Displays Group Policy information for machine or user.
GRAFTABL Enables Windows to display an extended character set in
graphics mode.
HELP Provides Help information for Windows commands.
ICACLS Display, modify, backup, or restore ACLs for files and
directories.
IF Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
MD Creates a directory.
MKDIR Creates a directory.
MKLINK Creates Symbolic Links and Hard Links
MODE Configures a system device.
MORE Displays output one screen at a time.
MOVE Moves one or more files from one directory to another
directory.
OPENFILES Displays files opened by remote users for a file share.
PATH Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
PAUSE Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message.
POPD Restores the previous value of the current directory saved by
PUSHD.
PRINT Prints a text file.
PROMPT Changes the Windows command prompt.
PUSHD Saves the current directory then changes it.
RD Removes a directory.
RECOVER Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
REM Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS.
REN Renames a file or files.
RENAME Renames a file or files.
REPLACE Replaces files.
RMDIR Removes a directory.
ROBOCOPY Advanced utility to copy files and directory trees
SET Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables.
SETLOCAL Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file.
SC Displays or configures services (background processes).
SCHTASKS Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer.
SHIFT Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch files.
SHUTDOWN Allows proper local or remote shutdown of machine.
SORT Sorts input.
START Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
SUBST Associates a path with a drive letter.
SYSTEMINFO Displays machine specific properties and configuration.
TASKLIST Displays all currently running tasks including services.
TASKKILL Kill or stop a running process or application.
TIME Displays or sets the system time.
TITLE Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session.
TREE Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or
path.
TYPE Displays the contents of a text file.
VER Displays the Windows version.
VERIFY Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written
correctly to a disk.
VOL Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
XCOPY Copies files and directory trees.
WMIC Displays WMI information inside interactive command shell.

For more information on tools see the command-line reference in the online help.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise>

[Ranjitsasmalprofessionsist]

Excellent and useful commands. Please upload more. Thank you :)

[williamcattr]

Good video! Lot's of useful tricks here. While I was aware of some of them, there were a few that I learned (and some I forgot about) watching this video.

[ricardorose]

Thank you so much for this video, it's helping me prep for a IT helpdesk job . Just refreshing me on the basics . Will let you know what happens ....

[slapmyfunkybass]

Useful, but would say the most useful is holding down the right arrow which retypes the command

[admotor]

You are my savior of window.
My father sent me to study this kind of command in 1986 computer class. This is my first time touch the keyboard with a black n white screen monitor. Hahaha u can imagine the desktop.
I really excited to learn and my age is 12. But we dont have our own desktop. So i stop learning.
I know this is the future and i can conquer the internet if my family can support my class.
Thanks kid.. you wake me up again.

[sharrimarasigan]

Be having my technical interview later. Thanks for this very accurate details this difinately help😇

[diegofabianledesmamotta]

5:50 is not "sfc /scanow", but "sfc /scannow"

[montez]

Very nice video man, I found this very useful!!!

[credittrickscredithacks]

how can you INSERT characters in a command line, without having to delete the entire line, just made changes, to a word in a long string?

[dufc]

Great video my friend, just one little thing, your text says systeminto instead of systeminfo.

[juniorgallegos]

Thank you! great vid! Found it very useful...

[mohamedayaan]

bro your my best youtuber rn love you bro

[DatriaxGD]

Use
shutdown /r /f /t 0
That works really well!

[TheEpikalREKT]

if you type "prompt lol, it $T"(and press enter) in cmd, it will say "prompt lol, it yes, it can track milliseconds, in case that's useful.

[gerardusschoorl]

Why did I get a phone call reference cmd. How did you get my phone number.I never use the command line.