Useful Command-line Commands on Windows

Question

The aim for this Wiki is to promote using a command to open up commonly used applications without having to go through many mouse clicks - thus saving time on monitoring and troubleshooting Windows machines.

Answer entries need to specify

• Application name
• Commands
• Screenshot (Optional)

Shortcut to commands

• && - Command Chaining
• %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\rcimlby.exe -LaunchRA - Remote Assistance (Windows XP)
• appwiz.cpl - Programs and Features (Formerly Known as "Add or Remove Programs")
• appwiz.cpl @,2 - Turn Windows Features On and Off (Add/Remove Windows Components pane)
• arp - Displays and modifies the IP-to-Physical address translation tables used by address resolution protocol (ARP)
• at - Schedule tasks either locally or remotely without using Scheduled Tasks
• bootsect.exe - Updates the master boot code for hard disk partitions to switch between BOOTMGR and NTLDR
• cacls - Change Access Control List (ACL) permissions on a directory, its subcontents, or files
• calc - Calculator
• chkdsk - Check/Fix the disk surface for physical errors or bad sectors
• cipher - Displays or alters the encryption of directories [files] on NTFS partitions
• cleanmgr.exe - Disk Cleanup
• clip - Redirects output of command line tools to the Windows clipboard
• cls - clear the command line screen
• cmd /k - Run command with command extensions enabled
• color - Sets the default console foreground and background colors in console
• command.com - Default Operating System Shell
• compmgmt.msc - Computer Management
• control.exe /name Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter - Network and Sharing Center
• control keyboard - Keyboard Properties
• control mouse(or main.cpl) - Mouse Properties
• control sysdm.cpl,@0,3 - Advanced Tab of the System Properties dialog
• control userpasswords2 - Opens the classic User Accounts dialog
• desk.cpl - opens the display properties
• devmgmt.msc - Device Manager
• diskmgmt.msc - Disk Management
• diskpart - Disk management from the command line
• dsa.msc - Opens active directory users and computers
• dsquery - Finds any objects in the directory according to criteria
• dxdiag - DirectX Diagnostic Tool
• eventvwr - Windows Event Log (Event Viewer)
• explorer . - Open explorer with the current folder selected.
• explorer /e, . - Open explorer, with folder tree, with current folder selected.
• F7 - View command history
• find - Searches for a text string in a file or files
• findstr - Find a string in a file
• firewall.cpl - Opens the Windows Firewall settings
• fsmgmt.msc - Shared Folders
• fsutil - Perform tasks related to FAT and NTFS file systems
• ftp - Transfers files to and from a computer running an FTP server service
• getmac - Shows the mac address(es) of your network adapter(s)
• gpedit.msc - Group Policy Editor
• gpresult - Displays the Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) information for a target user and computer
• httpcfg.exe - HTTP Configuration Utility
• iisreset - To restart IIS
• InetMgr.exe - Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager 7
• InetMgr6.exe - Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager 6
• intl.cpl - Regional and Language Options
• ipconfig - Internet protocol configuration
• lusrmgr.msc - Local Users and Groups Administrator
• msconfig - System Configuration
• notepad - Notepad? ;)
• mmsys.cpl - Sound/Recording/Playback properties
• mode - Configure system devices
• more - Displays one screen of output at a time
• mrt - Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
• mstsc.exe - Remote Desktop Connection
• nbstat - displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT
• ncpa.cpl - Network Connections
• netsh - Display or modify the network configuration of a computer that is currently running
• netstat - Network Statistics
• net statistics - Check computer up time
• net stop - Stops a running service.
• net use - Connects a computer to or disconnects a computer from a shared resource, displays information about computer connections, or mounts a local share with different privileges (documentation)
• odbcad32.exe - ODBC Data Source Administrator
• pathping - A traceroute that collects detailed packet loss stats
• perfmon - Opens Reliability and Performance Monitor
• ping - Determine whether a remote computer is accessible over the network
• powercfg.cpl - Power management control panel applet
• qfecheck - Shows installed Hotfixes applied to the server/workstation.
• quser - Display information about user sessions on a terminal server
• qwinsta - See disconnected remote desktop sessions
• reg.exe - Console Registry Tool for Windows
• regedit - Registry Editor
• rasdial - Connects to a VPN or a dialup network
• robocopy - Backup/Restore/Copy large amounts of files reliably
• rsop.msc - Resultant Set of Policy (shows the combined effect of all group policies active on the current system/login)
• runas - Run specific tools and programs with different permissions than the user's current logon provides
• sc - Manage anything you want to do with services.
• schtasks - Enables an administrator to create, delete, query, change, run and end scheduled tasks on a local or remote system.
• secpol.msc - Local Security Settings
• services.msc - Services control panel
• set - Displays, sets, or removes cmd.exe environment variables.
• set DIRCMD - Preset dir parameter in cmd.exe
• start - Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command
• start. - opens the current directory in the Windows Explorer.
• shutdown.exe - Shutdown or Reboot a local/remote machine
• subst.exe - Associates a path with a drive letter, including local drives
• systeminfo -Displays a comprehensive information about the system
• taskkill - terminate tasks by process id (PID) or image name
• tasklist.exe - List Processes on local or a remote machine
• taskmgr.exe - Task Manager
• telephon.cpl - Telephone and Modem properties
• timedate.cpl - Date and Time
• title - Change the title of the CMD window you have open
• tracert - Trace route
• whoami /all - Display Current User/Group/Privilege Information
• wmic - Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line
• winver.exe - Find Windows Version
• wscui.cpl - Windows Security Center
• wuauclt.exe - Windows Update AutoUpdate Client

Answer 1

fsmgmt.msc to access File Shares.

Answer 2

To manage the entire IIS7 from the standard command-line (no PowerShell needed ;)

appcmd.exe

Answer 3

There have been a couple of mentions of WMIC, but there's a lot of power there that isn't being highlighted. Granted, much of this can be done easier now with PowerShell, but if you don't know PowerShell or aren't able to use it for whatever reason, then it's WMIC to the rescue!

You are able to use many of the WQL keywords. For some reason a nice well-documented syntax on how to use these on the command line in conjunction with WMIC is not found anywhere.

Some examples:

---

List the QFE (Quick Fix Engineering) hotfixes installed on a system

// See them all
wmic qfe | more

// List the HotFixID, InstalledBy and InstalledOn properties of the ones that begin with "KB9"
wmic qfe where "HotfixID like '%KB9%'" get HotFixID,InstalledBy,InstalledOn

// Useful if you're just trying to find out if a particular KB is installed, and you don't care about the properties
wmic qfe | find "981793"

// Or, if you need the properties just for the one
wmic qfe where "HotFixID = 'KB981793'"

Display, start and stop services! Very useful when you have a group of related services that you need to stop/start.

// Display McAfee services
wmic service where "DisplayName like '%McAfee%'"

// Stop all McAfee services
wmic service where "DisplayName like '%McAfee%'" call StopService

Context-sensitive Help

---

See what properties are available with a particular alias:

wmic service get /?

See what methods are available with a particular alias:

wmic service call /?

See which classes the aliases map to:

wmic alias list brief

Run a query or command against multiple computers:

---

// Get a list of all the patches on hostname1 and hostname2 and save it as a .csv file for easy import into Excel
wmic /node:hostname1,hostname2 get /format:csv > Patches.csv

// You can also list all your systems (one per line) in a text file and run it against all of them:
wmic /node:@MyServers.txt get /format:csv > Patches.csv

Answer 4

"| more" is an essential sub-command. It pauses at each screen, making large amounts of text easier to read.

Examples:

dir | more
help | more
type filename.txt | more

It saves from scrolling back up to find what you want, and losing your place.

Answer 5

sqlwb Starts Microsof SQL Server Management Studio. Handy when you can't find it listed in the start menu, but you know it's installed on that server. :)

Answer 6

Amazing Shutdown timer:

shutdown -s -t 7200 -c "shutting down in 120 mins, please type 'shutdown -a' in a command prompt to cancel" -f

Answer 7

System Properties

The command

sysdm.cpl

opens

Answer 8

cls clears the command line screen.

It is very useful when you want to run a new command and clear the current screen.

Answer 9

If you're on one of the more professional Windows distributions (XP Professional, Vista Business, Vista Ultimate), use

gpedit.msc

to do Group Policy editing.

Answer 10

The command

powercfg.cpl

launches the power management control panel applet.

Answer 11

DIRCMD is an environmental variable that the DIR command reads its switches from.

Order directory listing by sub-directories, file extension, and name, including hidden and system files:

set DIRCMD=/ogen/a

dir

Answer 12

If you have pstools installed in the root of drive C;

c:\pstools\psexec \\\\computername -u username -p password cmd

opens the command prompt on a remote machine. From there you can do whatever you want.

Answer 13

Run dxdiag, a DirectX diagnostic tool. Apart from giving DirectX components installed on your system it also gives a system information summary. All information can be exported as a text file.

CIPHER: this is a good one to permanently delete files off the computer. Once a file is deleted, it is only marked as deleted and it won't truly be delted off the hard drive until it's overwritten with the information or you can run cipher and the location of where the file used to be to truly delete it from the hard drive.

Usage:

cipher /w:"drive letter":"folder name"  

Example:

 cipher /w:C: (to do all the C: drive.) 

Answer 14

Keyboard Properties

control keyboard

Opens

Answer 15

Regional and Language Options

intl.cpl

Opens

Answer 16

Internet Properties

inetcpl.cpl

Opens

Answer 17

Task Manager | taskmgr.exe

Answer 18

desk.cpl

opens the display properties. (Sorry, no image)

Answer 19

Best way to avoid clicks is to stay on the command line. A directory in your path with the GNU tools and the sysinternals tools will go a long way to making your life simpler. Nothing that a good grep can't fix. :-)

Answer 20

My favorites:

ipconfig
tracert
ping
telnet

Answer 21

Notepad or something similar

notepad

Answer 22

dsa.msc

is a nice quick way to open up Active Directory Users and Computers.

Answer 23

firewall.cpl

Opens the Windows Firewall settings.

Answer 24

System Configuration

msconfig

It is very useful to see what runs at startup

Answer 25

To allow user to log on without pressing ctrl-alt-delete, or log on without entering a password:

control userpasswords2

Answer 26

Years ago I started using sync.exe (for file cache flushing) from the NTinternals guys. I've been migrating that binary around for maybe a decade, and it still works. Their company got assimilated by Microsoft, but the binaries are still hanging around on the net if you search.

Answer 27

I've found Launchy to be a very useful tool for Windows. It lets you launch many programs that would normally be launched by clicking icons by typing a few keystrokes. There's also a version for Linux. It can be found at www.launchy.net, and is free and open-source.

For example, to open an Explorer window from anywhere, type Alt-space (the default Launchy hot-key) followed by "c:\" followed by Enter. You can run any program for which you have a Windows shortcut by typing a few characters from the name of the shortcut. For example: Alt-space "co" Enter brings up Control Panel. You can also do Google searches, open URLs in the browser, and many other things without taking your fingers from the keyboard.

Answer 28

FTP

Answer 29

Here is a VBScript that will do elevation when you RUNAS in Vista:

Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
app = wscript.arguments(0)
args = ""
for i = 1 to (WScript.Arguments.length - 1)
   args = args + wscript.arguments(i)
next
objShell.ShellExecute app, args, "", "runas"

Use like so: runas.exe /user:domain\user "wscript.exe runas_script.vbs mmc.exe"

Answer 30

The following web site shows how to create command line shortcuts to anything using the Windows registry key, "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths".

Customizing Windows Run Command
http://weblogs.asp.net/whaggard/archive/2004/04/11/111232.aspx