Skip to main content
Sign Out

Welcome to Dell

My Account
  • Place orders quickly and easily
  • View orders and track your shipping status
  • Create and access a list of your products
Sign In Create an Account Premier Sign In Partner Program Sign In

Command Prompt - What It Is and How to Use Its Commands List

Summary: Know all about command prompts - including basic commands list, running commands prompts, access previous commands, most used commands and related helpful information.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
Check out other resources

Instructions

Table of Contents:

  1. What is the Command Prompt
  2. How to Access Command Prompt
  3. Commonly Used Commands
  4. Frequently Asked Question's and Links

What is the Command Prompt

In Windows operating systems, the Command Prompt is a program that emulates the input field in a text-based user interface screen with the Windows Graphical User Interface (UI).

It can be used to perform entered commands and perform advanced administrative functions. It can also be used to troubleshoot and solve certain kinds of Windows issues.

cmd window
Figure 1: Command Prompt Window

Back to Top

How to Open the Command Prompt

Dependent on which operating system you have installed, select the Tab that corresponds to your version of Windows.

NOTE: The examples below show how to open an Elevated Command Prompt. This means opening the Command Prompt with administrator rights.
 

Open Command Prompt in Windows 8 / 8.1

  1. Move the mouse pointer to the bottom-left corner of the screen and Right-click, or press Windows key + X.

  2. In the power user task menu, select Command Prompt (Admin) (Figure 5).


    power_menu_win 8
    Figure 5: Power user task menu

  3. This opens the Command Prompt window (Figure 6).


    Win 8 cmd window
    Figure 6: Windows 8 Command Prompt

  4. To change to the Root directory type cd\ and hit Enter (Figure 7).


    Win 8 cmd window cd
    Figure 7: Command Prompt at Root directory
    NOTE: The Root directory is the best place to enter any required commands or instructions.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 10

  1. Move the mouse pointer to the bottom-left corner of the screen and Right-click, or press Windows key + X.

  2. In the power user task menu, select Command Prompt (Admin) (Figure 8).


    power menu 10
    Figure 8: Power user task menu

  3. This opens the Command Prompt window (Figure 9).


    win10 cmd window 2
    Figure 9: Windows 10 Command Prompt

  4. To change to the Root directory type cd\ and press Enter (Figure 10).


    win10 cmd window cd
    Figure 10: Command Prompt at Root directory
    NOTE: The Root directory is the best place to enter any required commands or instructions.

Back to Top

Commonly Used Commands

  • cd (change directory)
    Command used to switch the directory (path) in which you are working.

    Example: cd\windows\system32 Will move the prompt to the system32 folder path located in the Windows folder.
     

  • dir (Directory)
    Allows you to see available files and folders within the selected directory. Also provides details on the modification date and size of files.

    Several additional switches can be used with the command to perform additional actions. (see the Microsoft guide This link takes you to an website outside of Dell's control. below for further info on the available commands.)

    Example: C:\> dir
    This displays the contents of the C: directory or drive.
  • ipconfig
    This command displays the current network information for your adapters, including IP Address, Default Gateway, Subnet Mask and so forth.
     
  • ping
    This command is used as a troubleshooting tool to resolve network issues. It sends a data packet to another system on the network and awaits a reply - outputting the results.

    Example: ping 192.168.0.2
    This pings the computer with the address 192.168.0.2 and output any response.
     
  • Help (/?)
    The help command provides information about another command including available switches to perform additional tasks.

    Example: ipconfig /help

A list of commands can be found at Microsoft Command-line Reference Guide External Link

Back to Top

FAQs

How do I cancel a command?

Use Ctrl + C to stop a command from running.
NOTE: This is not an undo. The command will only stop the current command during its process.

How can I shut down or restart the computer from the Command Prompt screen?

The commands below can also be used to shutdown or restart computers on your network. This can be handy when applying updates that require restarts to take effect.
  • shutdown /s command shuts down the system that you are working on.
  • shutdown / i from the command prompt opens the Remote Shutdown Dialog window, this provides options available using an easy-to-use interface including networked systems.

How do I access previous commands that I have used?

You can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to cycle through the previously performed commands. For example, the UP and DOWN arrows show the most recently used commands. The RIGHT and LEFT arrows display the commands letter by letter.

Where do I find a comprehensive list of commands available?

Microsoft Command-Line Reference A-Z   This link takes you to an website outside of Dell's control.

What tools are available?

Command-Line Tools (Microsoft)  This link takes you to an website outside of Dell's control.

Back to Top

Additional Information

Recommended Articles

Here are some recommended articles related to this topic that might be of interest to you.

Affected Products

Chromebox, Alienware, Inspiron, Legacy Desktop Models, OptiPlex, Vostro, XPS, G Series, Chromebook, G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Legacy Laptop Models
Article Properties
Article Number: 000130703
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 21 Aug 2024
Version:  8
Find answers to your questions from other Dell users
Support Services
Check if your device is covered by Support Services.