Windows XP Command Prompt Commands
A Complete List of Command Line Commands Available in Windows XP
The commands available in Windows XP are typically used to automate tasks, create batch/script files, and perform various kinds of troubleshooting and diagnostics.
Append
The append command can be used by programs to open files in another directory as if they were located in the current directory.
The append command is not available in 64-bit versions of Windows XP.
Arp
The arp command is used to display or change entries in the ARP cache.Assoc
The assoc command is used to display or change the file type associated with a particular file extension.At
The at command is used to schedule commands and other programs to run at a specific date and time.Atmadm
The atmadm command is used to display information related to asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) connections on the system.Attrib
The attrib command is used to change the attributes of a single file or a directory.Bootcfg
The bootcfg command is used to build, modify, or view the contents of the boot.ini file, a hidden file that is used to identify in what folder, on which partition, and on which hard drive Windows is located.Break
The break command sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking on DOS systems.Cacls
The cacls command is used to display or change access control lists of files.Call
The call command is used to to run a script or batch program from within another script or batch program.Chcp
The chcp command displays or configures the active code page number.Chdir
The chdir command is used to display the drive letter and folder that you are currently in. Chdir can also be used to change the drive and/or directory that you want to work in.Chkdsk
The chkdsk command, often referred to as check disk, is used to identify and correct certain hard drive errors.Chkntfs
The chkntfs command is used to configure or display the checking of the disk drive during the Windows boot process.Cipher
The cipher command shows or changes the encryption status of files and folders on NTFS partitions.Cls
The cls command clears the screen of all previously entered commands and other text.Cmd
The cmd command starts a new instance of the command interpreter.Comp
The comp command is used to compare the contents of two files or sets of files.Compact
The compact command is used to show or change the compression state of files and directories on NTFS partitions.Convert
The convert command is used to convert FAT or FAT32 formatted volumes to the NTFS format.Copy
The copy command does simply that - it copies one or more files from one location to another.Cscript
The cscript command is used to execute scripts via Microsoft Script Host.
The cscript command is most popularly used to manage printers from the command line in Windows XP using scripts like prncnfg.vbs, prndrvr.vbs, prnmngr.vbs, and others.
Other popular scripts include eventquery.vbs and pagefileconfig.vbs.
Date
The date command is used to show or change the current date.Debug
The debug command starts Debug, a command line application used to test and edit programs.
The debug command is not available in 64-bit versions of Windows XP.
Dir
The dir command is used to display a list of files and folders contained inside the folder that you are currently working in. The dir command also displays other important information like the hard drive's serial number, the total number of files listed, their combined size, the total amount of free space left on the drive, and more.Diskcomp
The diskcomp command is used to compare the contents of two floppy disks.Diskcopy
The diskcopy command is used to copy the entire contents of one floppy disk to another.Diskpart
The diskpart command is used to create, manage, and delete hard drive partitions.Diskperf
The diskperf command is used to manage disk performance counters remotely.Doskey
The doskey command is used to edit command lines, create macros, and recall previously entered commands.Dosx
The dosx command is used to start DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI), a special mode designed to give MS-DOS applications access to more than the normally allowed 640 KB.
The dosx command is not available in 64-bit versions of Windows XP.
The dosx command and DPMI is only available in Windows XP to support older MS-DOS programs.
Edlin
The edlin command starts the Edlin tool which is used to create and modify text files from the command line.
The edlin command is not available in 64-bit versions of Windows XP.
Endlocal
The endlocal command is used to end the localization of environment changes inside a batch or script file.Erase
The erase command is used to delete one or more files. The erase command is the same as the del command.Esentutl
The esentutl command is used to manage Extensible Storage Engine databases.Eventcreate
The eventcreate command is used to create a custom event in an event log.Eventtriggers
The eventtriggers command is used to configure and display event triggers.Exe2bin
The exe2bin command is used to convert a file of the EXE file type (executable file) to a binary file.
Fc
The fc command is used to compare two individual or sets of files and then show the differences between them.Find
The find command is used to search for a specified text string in one or more files.Findstr
The findstr command is used to find text string patterns in one or more files.Finger
The finger command is used to return information about one or more users on a remote computer that's running the Finger service.Fltmc
The fltmc command is used to load, unload, list, and otherwise manage Filter drivers.For
The for command is used to run a specified command for each file in a set of files. The for command is most often used within a batch or script file.Ftp
The ftp command can used to transfer files to and from another computer. The remote computer must be operating as an FTP server.Ftype
The ftype command is used to define a default program to open a specified file type.Getmac
The getmac command is used to display the media access control (MAC) address of all the network controllers on a system.Goto
The goto command is used in a batch or script file to direct the command process to a labeled line in the script.Gpresult
The gpresult command is used to display Group Policy settings.Gpupdate
The gpupdate command is used to update Group Policy settings.Graftabl
The graftabl command is used to enable the ability of Windows to display an extended character set in graphics mode.
Md
The md command is the shorthand version of the mkdir command.Mem
The mem command shows information about used and free memory areas and programs that are currently loaded into memory in the MS-DOS subsystem.
The mem command is not available in 64-bit versions of Windows XP.
Mkdir
The mkdir command is used to create a new folder.Mode
The mode command is used to configure system devices, most often COM and LPT ports.More
The more command is used to display the information contained in a text file. The more command can also be used to paginate the results of any other Command Prompt command.Msg
The msg command is used to send a message to a user.Msiexec
The msiexec command is used to start Windows Installer, a tool used to install and configure software.Nbtstat
The nbtstat command is used to show TCP/IP information and other statistical information about a remote computer.Net
The net command is used to display, configure, and correct a wide variety of network settings.Net1
The net1 command is used to display, configure, and correct a wide variety of network settings.