Windows commands | Microsoft Learn

All supported versions of Windows and Windows Server have a set of built-in Win32 console commands. This documentation set describes Windows commands that you can use to automate tasks by using scripts or scripting tools.

Command-line

shells

Windows has two command-line shells: the command shell and PowerShell. Each shell is a software program that provides direct communication between you and the operating system or application, providing an environment for automating IT operations.

The

command shell was the first shell built into Windows to automate routine tasks, such as user account management or nightly backups, with batch files (.bat). With Windows Script Host, you can run more sophisticated scripts in the command shell. For more information, see cscript or wscript. You can perform operations more efficiently by using scripts than by using the user interface. The scripts accept all commands that are available on the command line.

PowerShell was designed to extend the capabilities of the command shell to execute PowerShell commands called cmdlets. Cmdlets are similar to Windows commands, but provide a more extensible scripting language. You can run Windows commands and PowerShell cmdlets in PowerShell, but the command shell can only run Windows commands and not PowerShell cmdlets.

For the most robust and up-to-date Windows Automation, we recommend that you use PowerShell instead of Windows Commands or Windows Script Host for Windows Automation.

You can find a reference to the exit and error codes for Windows commands in the Debugging system error codes articles that may be helpful in understanding the errors that occur. Windows commands also include command redirection operators. For more information about using them, see Using Command Redirection Operators.

Automatic completion of the command shell file and directory

name

You can configure the command shell to automatically populate file and directory names on a computer or user session when a specified control character is pressed. By default, this control character is set to be the tab key for file and directory names, although they may be different. To change this control character, run regedit.exe and navigate to any of the following registry keys and entries, depending on whether you want to change the value only for the current user or for all users on the computer.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor\PathCompletionChar HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor\PathCompletionChar

Set these values to the control character you want to use. See virtual key codes for a complete list. To disable a particular ending character in the registry, use the space value (0x20) because it is not a valid control character. The value type for this registry entry is REG_DWORD and can be specified by using a hexadecimal or decimal value.

You can also enable or disable the termination of file and directory names by instance of a command shell by running cmd.exe with the /F:ON or /F:OFF parameter and switch. If name ending is enabled with the /F:ON parameter and the switch, the two control characters used are Ctrl-D to complete the directory name and Ctrl-F to complete the file name. User-specified settings take precedence over computer settings, and command-line options take precedence over registry settings.

A to Z

command-line reference

To find information about a specific command, from the next menu from A to Z, select the letter with which the command begins, and then select the name of the command. A

| M S C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | OR | P | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | AND | Z

A

• active

add add

• alias

add

• add

volume

• append
• arp
• assign
• assoc
• at
• atmadm
• attach-vdisk
• attrib

attributes

• • attributes disk attributes
  • volume

auditpol auditpol audit pol backup auditpol clear auditpol get auditpol list auditpol remove auditpol resourcesacl

• • auditpol

  restore

  • auditpol set
• autochk
• autoconv autofmt
• automount

B

bcdboot bcdedit bdehdcfg bdehdcfg driveinfo bdehdcfg newdriveletter bdehdcfg silent bdehdcfg restart bdehdcfg

• • size
  • bdehdcfg

destination start

• backup
• start restore

bitsadmin

• • bitsadmin addfile

  bitsadmin addfileset

  bitsadmin

  • addfilewithranges

  bitsadmin cache bitsadmin cache bitsadmin cache and delete bitsadmin cache and deleteurl bitsadmin cache and getexpirationtime bitsadmin cache and getlimit bitsadmin cache and help bitsadmin cache and information bitsadmin cache

  • • and list bitsadmin

    cache and

    • setexpirationtime

    bitsadmin

    • cache and

  setlimit bitsadmin cache and clear bitsadmin cancel bitsadmin cache and setlimit bitsadmin

  • cancel

  bitsadmin complete bitsadmin create

  • bitsadministration examples

  bitsadmin

  • getaclflags

  bitsadmin

  • getbytestotal bitsadmin getbytestransferred bitsadmin getclientcertificate

  bitsadmin

  • getcompletiontime

  bitsadmin getcreationtime bitsadmin getcustomheaders bitsadmin getdescription bitsadmin getdisplayname

  • bitsadmin

  geterror bitsadmin

  • geterrorcount

  bitsadmin getfilestotal

  bitsadmin

  • getfilestransferred

  bitsadmin gethelpertokenflags bitsadmin

  • gethelpertokensid

  bitsadmin gethttpmethod bitsadmin getmaxdownloadtime bitsadmin

  • getminretrydelay

  bitsadmin

  • getmodificationtime bitsadmin getnoprogressout

  bitsadmin getnotifycmdline bitsadmin getnotifyflags

  • bitsadmin
  • getnotifyinterface

  bitsadmin getowner bitsadmin

  • getpeercachingflags

  bitsadmin getpriority bitsadmin

  • getproxybypasslist bitsadmin getproxylist

  bitsadmin

  • getproxyusage bitsadmin getreplyfilename bitsadmin getreplyprogress

  bitsadmin

  • getsecurityflags

  bitsadmin

  • getstate bitsadmin gettemporaryname

  bitsadmin

  • gettype

  bitsadmin bitsadmin

  • GetValidationState

  bitsadmin help bitsadmin information bitsadmin bitsadmin bitsadmin

  • listfiles

  bitsadmin

  • makecustomheaderswriteonly

  bitsadmin monitor bitsadmin

  • nowrap

  bitsadmin peercaching bitsadmin peercaching and getconfigurationflags bitsadmin peercaching and help bitsadmin peercaching and

  setconfigurationflags

  bitsadmin

  • • peercaching and set configurationflags

    bitsadmin peers

    bitsadmin peers and clear bitsadmin peers and discover bitsadmin peers and help bitsadmin peers and list bitsadmin rawreturn bitsadmin removeclientcertificate bitsadmin removecredentials bitsadmin replaceremoteprefix bitsadmin reset bitsadmin resume bitsadmin setaclflag bitsadmin
  • setclientcertificatebyid bitsadmin setclientcertificatebyclient setclientcertificatebyname

  bitsadmin setcredentials bitsadmin setcustomheaders bitsadmin

  • setdisplayname

  bitsadmin

  • sethelpertoken

  bitsadmin sethelpertokenflags bitsadmin

  • sethttpmethod

  bitsadmin

  • setmaxdownloadtime

  bitsadmin

  • setminretrydelay
  • bitsadmin
  • setnoprogresstimeout

  bitsadmin setnotifycmdline bitsadmin

  • setnotifyflags

  bitsadmin setpeercachingflags bitsadmin setpriority bitsadmin

  • setproxysettings

  bitsadmin

  • setreplyfilename

  bitsadmin

  • setsecurityflags

  bitsadmin

  • setvalidationstate

  bitsadmin suspend bitsadmin

  • takeownership

  bitsadmin transfer bitsadmin util bitsadmin

  • • util y enableanalyticchannel

    bitsadmin util and getieproxy bitsadmin util and help bitsadmin util and repairservice bitsadmin util

    • and setieproxy

    bitsadmin

    • util and version
  • bitsadmin

wrap bootcfg bootcfg addsw bootcfg copy bootcfg

• • dbg1394

  bootcfg

  • debugging

  bootcfg default bootcfg remove bootcfg ems bootcfg query bootcfg

  • raw bootcfg
  • rmsw
  • bootcfg
  • timeout
• break

C

• cacls
• call
• cd
• certreq certutil

change change

• • logon

  change change user
• chcp chdir
• chglogon chgport
• chgusr
• chkdsk
• chkntfs

choice

• cipher
• clean
• cleanmgr
• clip
• cls
• cmd

cmdkey

• cmstp
• color
• comp

compact

• compact vdisk

convert

• • basic

  convert dynamic convert

  • gpt convert
  • mbr
• copy

create create partition efi create partition

• extended create
  • partition logical

  create partition

  • msr create partition

  primary create volume

  • mirroring

  create raid

  volume create volume volume create

  • simple volume create
  • volume stripe
• cscript

D

• date
• dcgpofix
• defragment

delete delete disk delete partition delete

• • shadows
  • delete volume
• detach

vdisk detail detail disk detail

• • detail Partition

  Detail

  • vdisk Detail Volume

dfsdiag dfsdiag

• testdcs dfsdiag testdfsconfig dfsdiag testdfsintegrity dfsdiag testreferral dfsdiag
  • testsites dfsrmig
• diantz
• dir
• diskcomp
• diskcopy diskpart
• diskperf
• diskraid
• diskshadow
• dispdiag
• dnscmd
• doskey
• driverquery

E

• echo
• edit
• endlocal
• end restore
• erase eventcreate
• Evntcmd
• exec
• exit

expand

• expand
• vdisk
• expose
• extend
• extract

F

• fc
• filesystems
• find
• findstr
• finger
• flattemp
• fondue
• for
• forfiles
• format
• freedisk

fsutil

• • fsutil 8dot3name
  • Behavior of

  fsutil fsutil file fsutil dirty fsutil fsinfo fsutil hardlink fsutil objectid fsutil quota fsutil repair fsutil reparsepoint fsutil resource fsutil sparse fsutil tiering fsutil transaction fsutil usn

  fsutil

  • volume
  • fsutil
  • wim

ftp ftp

• • append

  ftp

  • ascii

  ftp bell ftp

  • binary

  ftp

  • bye
  • ftp
  • cd

  ftp close ftp

  • debug

  ftp delete ftp dir ftp

  • disconnect ftp get

  ftp

  • glob

  ftp hash lcd ftp

  • literal

  ftp ls ftp

  • mget ftp mkdir

  ftp

  • mls

  ftp

  • mput ftp open

  ftp

  • indicator
  • put

  ftp

  • pwd

  ftp exit ftp quote ftp

  • recv
  • ftp remotehelp

  ftp

  • rename
  • ftp rmdir
  • ftp send

  ftp status ftp trace ftp

  • type

  ftp

  • user

  ftp

  • verbose

  ftp

  • mdelete ftp mdir
  • ftype
• fveupdate

G

• getmac gettype
• goto
• gpfixup gpresult
• gpt gpupdate
• graftabl

H

• help
• helpctr
• hostname

I

• icacls
• if
• import (shadowdisk

)

• import (diskpart)
• inactive
• ipconfig ipxroute
• irftp

J

• jetpack

K

klist ksetup ksetup addenctypeattr ksetup addhosttorealmmap ksetup addkdc ksetup addkpasswd ksetup

addrealmflags ksetup changepassword ksetup delenctypeattr ksetup delhosttorealmmap ksetup delkdc
• • ksetup delkpasswd
  • ksetup

  delrealmflags ksetup domain ksetup

  • dumpstate

  ksetup getenctypeattr ksetup listrealmflags ksetup

  • mapuser

  ksetup removerealm ksetup server ksetup

  • setcomputerpassword ksetup setenctypeattr

  ksetup

  • setrealm ksetup setrealmflags
• ktmutil
• ktpass

l

• label list
  • providers list
  • shadows list
  • list Writers
• load metadata
• lodctr

logman logman create logman create alert logman create api logman create cfg logman create counter logman create trace logman delete logman import and logman export logman query logman start and logman stop logman update logman update alert logman update

• api
  • logman
  • update
  • cfg
  • logman

  update

  • counter
  • logman update trace logoff
• lpq lpr
• M

macfile makecab manage bde manage bde status manage bde on manage bde off manage bde pause manage bde resume manage bde lock manage bde lock manage bde

unlock manage bde autounlock manage bde protectors manage bde tpm manage bde

• • setidentifier

  manage

  • bde

  forcerecovery manage

  • bde
  • forcerecovery

  manage bde changepassword manage bde

  • changepin

  manage bde changekey manage bde keypackage manage bde

  • keypackage

  manage

  • bde

  update

  • manage bde
  • wipefreespace
• mapadmin
• md
• merge vdisk

mkdir mklink

• mmc
• mode
• more
• mount
• mountvol
• move

mqbkup mqsvc

• mqtgsvc
• msdt

msg

• msiexec
• msinfo32
• mstsc

n

• nbtstat

• netcfg
• netdom
• net print
• netsh netstat

nfsadmin nfsshare

• nfsstat
• nlbmgr
• nltest

nslookup nslookup exit Command nslookup finger Command nslookup help nslookup ls nslookup lserver nslookup root nslookup

Server nslookup set nslookup set

• all
  nslookup set class nslookup set d2 nslookup set

  • debug

  nslookup set domain nslookup set port nslookup set querytype nslookup set recurse nslookup set retry nslookup set root nslookup set search

  • nslookup set
  • srchlist

  nslookup set timeout nslookup set type nslookup

  • set vc nslookup
  • view
• ntbackup
• ntcmdprompt
• ntfrsutl

O

offline disk

• • offline

  volume online

  disk

online

• • volume
  • openfiles

P

• pagefileconfig
• path
• pathping
• pause
• pbadmin pentnt

perfmon

• ping
• pktmon

pnpunattend pnputil

• popd

PowerShell

• PowerShell
• ise
• print
• prncnfg
• prndrvr prnjobs
• prnmngr
• prnport prnqctl
• prompt
• pubprn
• pushd pushprinterconnections
• pwlauncher pwsh

Q

• qappsrv qprocess

query

• query process query
  session query
  • termserver

  query

  • user
• quser
• qwinsta

R

• rd rdpsign

recover

• recover
• disk group
• refsutil

reg reg

• • reg add

  reg compare reg

  • copy

  reg delete reg

  • export

  reg import reg load reg query reg restore reg

  • save
  • reg
  • unload

regini

• regsvr32
• relog rem
• remove
• ren
• rename
• repadmin
• repair
  • repair bde
• replace rescan

reset session reset

• • session
• retain
• revert
• rexec
• risetup
• rmdir
• robocopy
• route ws2008
• rpcinfo rpcping
• rsh

rundll32

• rundll32
• printui
• rwinsta

S

• san

sc

• config

sc

• create

sc

• delete
• sc query
• schtasks

scwcmd scwcmd analyze scwcmd configure scwcmd register scwcmd

• rollback scwcmd
  • transform
  • scwcmd view

  secedit secedit analyze secedit configure secedit export secedit generaterollback

secedit

• • secedit

  import

  • secedit
  • validate

select select

• disk select partition select
  • vdisk
  • select volume
• serverceipoptin
• servermanagercmd
• serverweroptin

set

• environment variables

set shadow

• copy set
  • context

  set

  • id
  • setlocal

  set metadata set

  • option

  set

  • verbose

  setx
• sfc
• shadow
• shift
• showmount
• shrink
• shutdown
• simular restore
• sort

start subcommand set device subcommand set drivergroup subcommand set drivergroup subcommand set

• drivergroupfilter subcommand set driverpackage

subcommand set

• image

subcommand set set

• imagegroup

subcommand

• set

subcommand set transportserver subcommand

• multicasttransmission

subcommand start

• namespace
• subcommand
• start server

subcommand start transportserver subcommand stop

• server
• subcommand

stop

• transportserver
• subst
• sxstrace
• sysocmgr systeminfo

t

• takeown
• tapicfg
• taskkill tasklist
• tcmsetup

telnet telnet close telnet display

telnet open telnet exit telnet send telnet

• • set
  • telnet
  • state
  • telnet unset
• tftp
• timeout
• title
• tlntadmn
• tpmtool tpmvscmgr
• tracerpt
• tracert
• tree
• tscon tsdiscon tsecimp
• tskill
• tsprof

type

• typeperf
• tzutil

U

• unexpose
• uniqueid
• unlodctr

V

ver verifier verify vol vssadmin vssadmin delete shadows vssadmin list shadows vssadmin

• • list writers
  • vssadmin resize shadowstorage

W

waitfor wbadmin wbadmin delete catalog wbadmin

• • delete systemstatebackup

  wbadmin

  • disable

  backup

  • wbadmin
  • enable

  backup

  wbadmin get wbadmin disks get wbadmin items get wbadmin status get wbadmin versions restore wbadmin catalog start wbadmin backup start wbadmin recovery start sysrecovery wbadmin start systemstatebackup

  • wbadmin start systemstaterecovery
  • wbadmin stop
  • wdsutil
  • job
• wecutil
• wevtutil
• where
• whoami
• winnt
• winnt32
• winrs

winsat

• mem winsat
• mfmedia
• wmic
• writer
• wscript

x

• xcopy