Windows Command Prompt Cheatsheet
- Command line interface (as opposed to a GUI - graphical user interface)
- Used to execute programs
- Commands are small programs that do something useful
- There are many commands already included with Windows, but we will use a few.
- A lepath is where you are in the lesystem
• C: is the C drive
• C:\user\Documents is the Documents folder
• C:\user\Documents\hello.c is a le in the Documents folder
Command What it Does Usage
dir Displays a list of a folder’s les dir (shows current folder)
and subfolders dir myfolder
cd Displays the name of the current cd lepath
chdir directory or changes the current chdir lepath
folder. cd .. (goes one directory up)
md Creates a folder (directory) md folder-name
mkdir mkdir folder-name
rm Deletes a folder (directory) rm folder-name
rmdir rmdir folder-name
rm /s folder-name
rmdir /s folder-name
Note: if the folder isn’t empty,
you must add the /s.
copy Copies a le from one location to copy lepath-from lepath-to
another
move Moves le from one folder to move folder1\le.txt folder2\
another
ren Changes the name of a le ren le1 le2
rename
del Deletes one or more les del lename
exit Exits batch script or current exit
command control
echo Used to display a message or to echo message
turn off/on messages in batch
scripts
type Displays contents of a text le type myle.txt
fc Compares two les and displays fc le1 le2
the difference between them
cls Clears the screen cls
help Provides more details about help (lists all commands)
DOS/Command Prompt help command
commands
Source: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754340.aspx