COMMAND TIPS

Program Name	Run Command
About Windows	winver
Add a Device	devicepairingwizard
Add Features to Windows 8	windowsanytimeupgradeui
Add Hardware Wizard	hdwwiz
Advanced Startup Options	bootim
Advanced User Accounts	netplwiz
Authorization Manager	azman
Backup and Restore	sdclt
Bluetooth File Transfer	fsquirt
Buy a Product Key Online	purchasewindowslicense
Calculator	calc
Certificates	certmgr
	certlm
Change Computer Performance Settings	systempropertiesperformance
Change Data Execution Prevention Settings	systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention
Change Printer Settings	printui
Character Map	charmap
ClearType Tuner	cttune
Color Management	colorcpl
Command Prompt	cmd
Component Services	comexp
Component Services	dcomcnfg
Computer Management	compmgmt
Computer Management	compmgmtlauncher
Connect to a Network Projector	netproj1
Connect to a Projector	displayswitch
Control Panel	control
Create A Shared Folder Wizard	shrpubw
Create a System Repair Disc	recdisc
Credential Backup and Restore Wizard	credwiz
Data Execution Prevention	systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention
Default Location	locationnotifications
Device Manager	devmgmt
Device Pairing Wizard	devicepairingwizard
Diagnostics Troubleshooting Wizard	msdt
Digitizer Calibration Tool	tabcal
DirectAcesss Properties	daprop
DirectX Diagnostic Tool	dxdiag
Disk Cleanup	cleanmgr
Disk Defragmenter	dfrgui
Disk Management	diskmgmt
Display	dpiscaling
Display Color Calibration	dccw
Display Switch	displayswitch
DPAPI Key Migration Wizard	dpapimig
Driver Verifier Manager	verifier
Ease of Access Center	utilman
EFS REKEY Wizard	rekeywiz
Encrypting File System Wizard	rekeywiz
Event Viewer	eventvwr
Fax Cover Page Editor	fxscover
File History	filehistory
File Signature Verification	sigverif
Flash Player Settings Manager	flashplayerapp
Font Viewer	fontview2
IExpress Wizard	iexpress
Import to Windows Contacts	wabmig3
Install or Uninstall Display Languages	lusrmgr
Internet Explorer	iexplore3
iSCSI Initiator Configuration Tool	iscsicpl
iSCSI Initiator Properties	iscsicpl
Language Pack Installer	lpksetup
Local Group Policy Editor	gpedit
Local Security Policy	secpol
Local Users and Groups	lusrmgr
Location Activity	locationnotifications
Magnifier	magnify
Malicious Software Removal Tool	mrt
Manage Your File Encryption Certificates	rekeywiz
Math Input Panel	mip3
Microsoft Management Console	mmc
Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool	msdt
NAP Client Configuration	napclcfg
Narrator	narrator
New Scan Wizard	wiaacmgr
Notepad	notepad
ODBC Data Source Administrator	odbcad32
ODBC Driver Configuration	odbcconf
On-Screen Keyboard	osk
Paint	mspaint
Performance Monitor	perfmon
Performance Options	systempropertiesperformance
Phone Dialer	dialer
Presentation Settings	presentationsettings
Print Management	printmanagement
Printer Migration	printbrmui
Printer User Interface	printui
Private Character Editor	eudcedit
Protected Content Migration	dpapimig
Recovery Drive	recoverydrive
Refresh Your PC	systemreset
Registry Editor	regedt324
	regedit
Remote Access Phonebook	rasphone
Remote Desktop Connection	mstsc
Resource Monitor	resmon
	perfmon /res
Resultant Set of Policy	rsop
Securing the Windows Account Database	syskey
Services	services
Set Program Access and Computer Defaults	computerdefaults
Share Creation Wizard	shrpubw
Shared Folders	fsmgmt
Snipping Tool	snippingtool
Sound Recorder	soundrecorder
SQL Server Client Network Utility	cliconfg
Steps Recorder	psr
Sticky Notes	stikynot
Stored User Names and Passwords	credwiz
Sync Center	mobsync
System Configuration	msconfig
System Configuration Editor	sysedit5
System Information	msinfo32
System Properties (Advanced Tab)	systempropertiesadvanced
System Properties (Computer Name Tab)	systempropertiescomputername
System Properties (Hardware Tab)	systempropertieshardware
System Properties (Remote Tab)	systempropertiesremote
System Properties (System Protection Tab)	systempropertiesprotection
System Restore	rstrui
Task Manager	taskmgr
Task Manager	launchtm
Task Scheduler	taskschd
Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel	tabtip3
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Management	tpm
User Account Control Settings	useraccountcontrolsettings
Utility Manager	utilman
Version Reporter Applet	winver
Volume Mixer	sndvol
Windows Activation Client	slui
Windows Anytime Upgrade Results	windowsanytimeupgraderesults
Windows Contacts	wab3
Windows Disc Image Burning Tool	isoburn
Windows Easy Transfer	migwiz3
Windows Explorer	explorer
Windows Fax and Scan	wfs
Windows Features	optionalfeatures
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security	wf
Windows Help and Support	winhlp32
Windows Journal	journal3
Windows Media Player	dvdplay
	wmplayer3
Windows Memory Diagnostic Scheduler	mdsched
Windows Mobility Center	mblctr
Windows Picture Acquisition Wizard	wiaacmgr
Windows PowerShell	powershell
Windows PowerShell ISE	powershell_ise
Windows Remote Assistance	msra
Windows Repair Disc	recdisc
Windows Script Host	wscript
Windows SmartScreen	smartscreensettings
Windows Store Cach Clear	wsreset
Windows Update	wuapp
Windows Update Standalone Installer	wusa
WMI Management	wmimgmt
WMI Tester	wbemtest
WordPad	write
XPS Viewer	xpsrchvw

Starts a new instance of the Windows 2000 or Windows XP command interpreter.

CMD [/A | /U] [/Q] [/D] [/E:ON | /E:OFF] [/F:ON | /F:OFF] [/V:ON | /V:OFF] [[/S] [/C | /K] string]

/C	Carries out the command specified by string and then terminates
/K	Carries out the command specified by string but remains
/S	Modifies the treatment of string after /C or /K (see below)
/Q	Turns echo off
/D	Disable execution of AutoRun commands from registry (see below)
/A	Causes the output of internal commands to a pipe or file to be ANSI
/U	Causes the output of internal commands to a pipe or file to be Unicode
/T:fg	Sets the foreground/background colors (see COLOR /? for more info)
/E:ON	Enable command extensions (see below)
/E:OFF	Disable command extensions (see below)
/F:ON	Enable file and directory name completion characters (see below)
/F:OFF	Disable file and directory name completion characters (see below)
/V:ON	Enable delayed environment variable expansion using c as the delimiter. For example, /V:ON would allow !var! to expand the variable var at execution time. The var syntax expands variables at input time, which is quite a different thing when inside of a FOR loop.
/V:OFF	Disable delayed environment expansion.

Note that multiple commands separated by the command separator '&&' are accepted for string if surrounded by quotes. Also, for compatibility reasons, /X is the same as /E:ON, /Y is the same as /E:OFF and /R is the same as /C. Any other switches are ignored.

If /C or /K is specified, then the remainder of the command line after the switch is processed as a command line, where the following logic is used to process quote (") characters:

1. If all of the following conditions are met, then quote characters on the command line are preserved:

- no /S switch
- exactly two quote characters
- no special characters between the two quote characters, where special is one of: &<>()@^|
- there are one or more whitespace characters between the two quote characters
- the string between the two quote characters is the name of an executable file.

2. Otherwise, old behavior is to see if the first character is a quote character and if so, strip the leading character and remove the last quote character on the command line, preserving any text after the last quote character.

If /D was NOT specified on the command line, then when CMD.EXE starts, it looks for the following REG_SZ/REG_EXPAND_SZ registry variables, and if either or both are present, they are executed first.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun

or

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun

Command Extensions are enabled by default. You may also disable extensions for a particular invocation by using the /E:OFF switch. You can enable or disable extensions for all invocations of CMD.EXE on a machine or user logon session by setting either or both of the following REG_DWORD values in the registry using REGEDT32.EXE:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\EnableExtensions

or

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\EnableExtensions

to either 0x1 or 0x0. The user specific setting takes precedence over the machine setting. The command line switches take precedence over the registry settings.

The command extensions involve changes or additions to the below commands.

DEL or ERASE
COLOR
CD or CHDIR
MD or MKDIR
PROMPT
PUSHD
POPD
SET
SETLOCAL
ENDLOCAL
IF
FOR
CALL
SHIFT
GOTO
START (also includes changes to external command invocation)
ASSOC
FType

To get specific details, type commandname /? to view the specifics.

Delayed environment variable expansion is NOT enabled by default. You can enable or disable delayed environment variable expansion for a particular invocation of CMD.EXE with the /V:ON or /V:OFF switch. You can enable or disable completion for all invocations of CMD.EXE on a machine or user logon session by setting either or both of the following REG_DWORD values in the registry using REGEDT32.EXE:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\DelayedExpansion

or

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\DelayedExpansion

to either 0x1 or 0x0. The user specific setting takes precedence over the machine setting. The command line switches take precedence over the registry settings.

If delayed environment variable expansion is enabled, then the exclamation character can be used to substitute the value of an environment variable at execution time.

File and Directory name completion is NOT enabled by default. You can enable or disable file name completion for a particular invocation of CMD.EXE with the /F:ON or /F:OFF switch. You can enable or disable completion for all invocations of CMD.EXE on a machine or user logon session by setting either or both of the following REG_DWORD values in the registry using REGEDT32.EXE:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\PathCompletionChar

or

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\PathCompletionChar

with the hex value of a control character to use for a particular function (e.g. 0x4 is Ctrl-D and 0x6 is Ctrl-F). The user specific settings take precedence over the machine settings. The command line switches take precedence over the registry settings.

If completion is enabled with the /F:ON switch, the two control characters used are Ctrl-D for directory name completion and Ctrl-F for file name completion. To disable a particular completion character in the registry, use the value for space (0x20) as it is not a valid control character.

Completion is invoked when you type either of the two control characters. The completion function takes the path string to the left of the cursor appends a wild card character to it if none is already present and builds up a list of paths that match. It then displays the first matching path. If no paths match, it just beeps and leaves the display alone. Thereafter, repeated pressing of the same control character will cycle through the list of matching paths. Pressing the Shift key with the control character will move through the list backwards. If you edit the line in any way and press the control character again, the saved list of matching paths is discarded and a new one generated. The same occurs if you switch between file and directory name completion. The only difference between the two control characters is the file completion character matches both file and directory names, while the directory completion character only matches directory names. If file completion is used on any of the built in directory commands (CD, MD or RD) then directory completion is assumed.

The completion code deals correctly with file names that contain spaces or other special characters by placing quotes around the matching path. Also, if you backup, then invoke completion from within a line, the text to the right of the cursor at the point completion was invoked is discarded.

The special characters that require quotes are:
<space>
&()[]{}^=;!'+,`~

Early Windows "command" syntax

Starts a new copy of the Windows Command Interpreter.

COMMAND [[drive:] path] [device] [/E:nnnnn] [/L:nnnn] [/U:nnn] [/P] [/MSG] [/LOW] [/Y [/C|K] command]

[drive:]path	Specifies the directory containing COMMAND.COM.
device	Specifies the device to use for command input and output.
/E:nnnnn	Sets the initial environment size to nnnnn bytes. (nnnnn should be between 256 and 32,768).
/L:nnnn	Specifies internal buffers length (requires /P as well). (nnnn should be between 128 and 1,024).
/U:nnn	Specifies the input buffer length (requires /P as well). (nnn should be between 128 and 255).
/P	Makes the new Command Interpreter permanent (can't exit).
/MSG	Stores all error messages in memory (requires /P as well).
/LOW	Forces COMMAND to keep its resident data in low memory.
/Y	Steps through the batch program specified by /C or /K. (Only available in MS-DOS 6.x and above).
/C command	Executes the specified command and returns.
/K command	Executes the specified command and continues running.
/Z	Display the errorlevel of every command executed (Only available in MS-DOS 7.x and above).

Examples

cmd

Opens the cmd command shell. If you were already in a command shell and run the "cmd" or "command" command at the command line a new Windows command line would be opened. Typing "exit" would exit the new command line and return you back to the command line you ran the command from.