The command line or command prompt is a special program that allows the user to type commands for the operating system to execute. The command line as the cmd.exe program is a component of almost all Windows systems since the 2000 edition, including the latest Windows 10 and Windows 11. In a very similar form, it also appears in all distributions of the Linux operating system under the common names command line or terminal.


While in various Linux distributions "becoming friends" with the terminal is one of the most important skills that greatly affect the comfort of managing and using the system (especially in systems such as Debian, Archlinux or Fedora as opposed to the simpler Ubuntu or Mint), in Windows the average user encounters the command line quite rarely. 


That doesn't mean, however, that it's not worth getting to know the command line better - this minimalist program seems unfriendly and primitive at first glance, but with a little goodwill and mastery of basic commands it can greatly speed up some computer tasks. It's also a great place to learn a little more about operating systems and how computers work in general - the Windows command line operates at a slightly "deeper" level than typical graphical user interfaces.



How to find the command line on Windows systems?


In Windows XP, you had to use the Run option and then type the name of the program, which is cmd. In newer editions, it is much easier to find and run the command line. Windows 7 is much easier in this regard - just open the Start Menu, then search for the cmd.exe program, and then run it - the command line will then appear on the screen. Windows 10 and 11 look identical in this aspect - all you have to do is select a program from the entire list of applications or search for it using the keyboard.


Windows cmd - commands and running programs


The CMD.exe program is not particularly graphically elaborate - it consists of a black background and text displayed on the screen. We can type various commands there. A package of the most useful commands for everyday computer use is presented below with their description and instructions.


Worth knowing: the command line in commands does not distinguish between lowercase and uppercase characters, so the CALC command and the calc command will be interpreted the same. However, this matters when renaming files using the command line.


CMD commands - running programs


You can use the command line to run any program installed on the disk. However, you need to know its location and first navigate to it using the cd command.


cd "C:\nKey-Soft-Desktop".


Then the command will show a change of location - instead of the default (for example C://users/Key-Soft will appear C://users/Key-Soft.


And then enter


Start name_program.exe


However, basic programs do not require a path. Thus, in order to run the most basic system applications, you only need to enter their short name. These include:


  • calc - basic windows calculator
  • charmap - shows a table of characters - with its help you can copy non-standard characters (e.g. other alphabets) that are not on the keyboard
  • explorer - launches file explorer
  • notepad - launches notepad
  • cleanmgr - launches the disk cleanup utility
  • control - opens the control panel
  • defrag - launches the disk defragmenter - today this is no longer of special importance, but a dozen years ago operating systems required regular disk defragmentation
  • perfmon - launches a panel with tools for monitoring the status and performance of your computer. There you will find data on disk, processor, cache, etc.


Other CMD commands


  • copy "file path" - copies a given file and places a copy in the same folder as the original file. The path to a file is the address of the file on disk, for example, "C:\nKeysoft.jpg" and must be enclosed in quotation marks.
  • del "file path" - removes the file from the location.
  • dit "folder path" - displays the files located in the indicated folder.
  • ipconfig - displays data on the operating system's Internet connection(s).
  • mkdir "folder path" - creates a folder in the location specified in the path.
  • net user - Displays a list of users (profiles) present in the operating system along with their permissions
  • ping [Internet address] - displays the time of connection to the server. Interestingly, the command works without the prefix http:// and https:// - just type the domain itself, for example, key-soft.pl. In the 1990s, when, due to the much weaker performance of computers, launching a web browser was proportionally a slightly larger operation than today, it was common to use this command to check the status of an Internet connection.
  • print "file path" - prints the indicated file. The function works only when the default printer is set in advance.
  • rename "file path" new file name - renames the file. After the rename command, the path to the file must be specified in quotation marks and then separated by a single space before specifying the new file name.
  • systeminfo - displays data about the operating system and the computer. The command shows both basic information, such as the name of the computer or the Windows version, and more specialized information, such as the BIOS version.
  • shutdown (commonly known as cmd shutdown) - allows you to manage the shutdown or reboot of your computer and requires a specific instruction after the basic command - for example, Shutdown /s will immediately shut down the system, and shutdown /l will log off the active user.
  • type "text file path" - displays directly on the command line the contents of a text file. The command works only with notepad files, that is, files whose name ends with the extension .txt
  • date - displays the current date, and also allows you to set a different one.
  • time - works similarly to the date command mentioned above - it displays the current time taken from the system and allows you to change it.

Command line - CMD interface commands


  • cls - clears the command line of previous commands, leaving a blank terminal screen.
  • color - changes the color of the text on the command line. After the color command, enter a numeric value - for example, 0 is black, 1 is blue, 4 is red, 5 is purple, 7 is white - the full list will be shown by the command line after typing the basic command.
  • exit - shuts down the command line.