Command Prompt Is Still A Great Tool For Windows. Here’s A Look At Some Of The Most Commonly Used CMD Commands Every Windows User Should Know.

Command prompts slowly disappear from the Windows interface for logical reasons: CMD commands are the most unnecessary Windows utility, primarily text-based inputs.
However, many of these commands are still widely used, and new features have even been added to them in Windows 8 and 10.

Below, we have compiled the essential commands that every Windows user should know.

Windows CMD Commands

1- Assoc

Most files in Windows are associated with a specific program and open with that program by default. Too often, remembering these connections can be confusing. If you have this problem, you can enter the Assoc command to display a complete list of filename extensions and related programs.

You can even change file connections to programs with the same command. For example, command = Assoc. txt changes the relationship of text files to any program you put after the “=” sign. The Assoc command detects both extension letters and application letters.

Windows 10 can quickly change file relationships with different programs in a more user-friendly interface. To do this, go to Settings (Windows + I)> Apps> Default apps> Choose default app by file type.

2- Cipher

Deleting files on a mechanical hard drive does not completely erase them. Those files you delete are labeled as those or files that are no longer available, and the space they occupy is freed up. We will still retrieve files until the system overwrites them with new data, which can be time-consuming.

However, the Cipher command clears a random path or data written to it. For example, remove the C drive by using the cipher / w: d command. Running it clears free or empty space on the drive. Of course, this command does not write anything to the deleted data, so running this command will not delete the files you need.

3- Driverquery

Drivers are still one of the most important software installed on a computer. Drivers that are not correctly configured, are missing, or even outdated drivers can cause any model you can think of. So, it’s best to have access to everything you have on your computer.

Driverquery does this. For even more information, run this command as a driver query.

4- File Compare

You can use this command to identify differences in the text between two files. Just type the knowledge in FC with the directory path and file name of the two files you want to compare. This command is more advantageous for programmers when finding small changes between two file versions.

You can run this command in several different ways to get more information. If you type with b /, only the binary output is compared. Only the ski text is reached if you use it with / /.

For example, you can use it as follows:

fc / l “C: \ Program Files (x86) \ example1.doc” “C: \ Program Files (x86) \ example2.doc”

The above command compares skeletal text in two Word files.

5- Ipconfig

This command displays your computer’s IP address. If you use a router, you will see the router’s local network address.

The Ipconfig command is handy because of its plugins. ipconfig / release first, ipconfig / renew then forces the computer to request a new IP address; this is when the laptop claims one is not available. You can use the ipconfig / flushdns command to refresh DNS.

6- Netstat

Entering the netstat, a command will display a list of currently open ports and tP addresses. It even tells you the port’s status, whether it is listening, set up, or closed.

This command is handy when looking for a problem with devices connected to a computer or when you are afraid that a trojan has infected your system. You are trying to detect a malicious connection.

7- Ping

Sometimes, you need to know if packets reach a specific device on the network. It is where Ping comes in handy.

Type ping with an IP address or web address to send a series of test packets to the specified address. If the packets reach their destination and return, the device can communicate with the router. But if they do not reach their goal, you will notice that something is in the way of communication between the device and the computer.

8- Pathping

If there are multiple routers between your computer and the device you are testing, you can use Pathping. This command is a more advanced version of the ping command. Type it in the IP address, but unlike ping, it will display the test packets’ path information.

9- Tracert

This command is similar to pathping. Type it with the IP address or domain you want. You will receive information about each step of the journey between your computer and the destination. However, the difference between tracers and pathping is that tracers track the time between each hop between servers or devices in milliseconds.

10- Powercfg

The powercfg command is compelling for managing and monitoring how much energy your computer consumes. You can work in hibernation using the powercfg hibernate on and powering off orders. You can view power-saving statuses currently available on your computer using the powercfg / a command.

Another command used is powercfg / device query s1_supported, which displays a list of all the computer devices supporting connected standby. When enabled, you can use these devices to take your laptop off standby, even remotely.

You can activate it by selecting the device in Device Manager, opening the properties, going to the Power Management tab, and checking to Allow this device to wake the computer.

The Powercfg / last wake command indicates which device last woke the computer.

Use the powercfg / energy command to create a complete and detailed report on your computer’s power consumption. After completing the order, the relevant information is stored in the specified directory.

This report alerts you to any system errors that increase the system’s power consumption, such as when devices block specific sleep modes.

Windows 8 added the powercfg / battery report command, which analyzes the time and length of charge and discharge cycles, average battery life, and estimated battery capacity.

11- Shutdown

The Shutdown command used to shut down the system has been added to Windows 8.

The shutdown / r / o command restarts the computer and displays the Advanced Start Options menu.

12- Systeminfo

This command gives an accurate report of your computer’s configuration. The list includes operating systems and hardware. For example, you can see the exact date of Windows installation, the time of the last system boot, the BIOS version, general and available memory, installed patches, network card settings, and so on.

Use the system info / s command with the computer’s hostname or local area network to retrieve information about that system. Of course, you may need to enter a few extra keys for your domain, username, and password:

systeminfo / s [host_name] / u [domain] \ [user_name] / p [user_password]

13 – System File Checker

This command runs the AutoScan and Restore tool, focusing on Windows system files.

You must have administrator privileges to execute this command. Enter the SFC / scannow command. If it finds corrupted or missing files, it will automatically replace them with cached copies stored by Windows for that purpose only.

14- Tasklist

Use the tasklist command to get a list of everything that runs on your computer.

If you use the command Tasklist -svc, Services related to each task are displayed, and Tasklist -v shows more details on each job. Tasklist -m lists the DLL files associated with each active duty. These commands are widely used for advanced troubleshooting.

15- Chkdsk

Windows automatically marks the drive to scan chkdsk when it indicates that the local sector drive has a broken sector, missing clusters, or other physical or logical errors.

If you think the hard drive is broken, scan it yourself. The most basic command is chkdsk c, which quickly scans the C drive without restarting the computer. Using parameters such as f / or r / or x / or b / as: chkdsk / f / r / x / bc, chkdsk corrects all errors, recovers data, or clears the list of bad sectors.