Command Line
Windows CMD Cheatsheet
General Windows Command Prompt commands for administration and utility.
Directory Navigation
6cd Display name of or change current directory.
cd /d D:\path Change drive and folder simultaneously.
dir List files and subdirectories in current directory.
dir /ah List only hidden files.
pushd D:\path Save current directory path and switch to specified path.
popd Change back to folder saved by pushd.
File Operations
9type nul > file.txt Create a new empty file.
mkdir new_folder Create a new directory (alias: md).
rmdir folder_name Remove an empty directory (alias: rd).
rmdir /s /q folder_name Delete directory and all its files recursively in quiet mode.
copy src.txt dest.txt Copy file to another location.
xcopy /s /i folder_src\ folder_dest\ Copy directory contents and subdirectories.
move src.txt dest.txt Move file or rename directory.
del file.txt Delete file (alias: erase).
type file.txt Display content of text file.
Network Diagnostics
6ipconfig Display network adapter details (IP, subnet, gateway).
ipconfig /flushdns Clear local DNS resolver cache.
ping google.com Send ICMP Echo requests to host to check connection.
tracert google.com Trace route packets take to destination.
nslookup google.com Lookup DNS records of domain.
netstat -ano Display active network ports and process IDs.
System Commands
6systeminfo Display detailed configuration info about local OS.
tasklist Display a list of currently running processes.
taskkill /pid 1234 /f Force terminate process by PID.
taskkill /im notepad.exe /f Force terminate process by name.
gpupdate /force Force refresh group policy settings.
sfc /scannow Scan and repair integrity of system files (requires Administrator).
Windows Command Prompt (CMD) Cheatsheet
Windows Command Prompt (CMD) is the default command-line interpreter in Windows NT operating systems. This searchable guide provides a list of utility commands for directories, files, administration, and network diagnostics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I run CMD as Administrator?
Press the Windows key, search for cmd, right-click "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator". Certain commands (like sfc /scannow or driver management) require elevated system credentials to modify protected files.
What is the difference between CMD and PowerShell?
CMD is a legacy command interpreter with basic features and syntax based on MS-DOS. PowerShell is a modern automation engine built on the .NET framework that utilizes structured objects instead of raw text output.