For more information on a specific command, type HELP command-name ASSOC Displays or modifies file extension associations.

ATTRIB Displays or changes file attributes. BREAK Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking. BCDEDIT Sets properties in boot database to control boot loading. CACLS Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files. CALL Calls one batch program from another. CD Displays the name of or changes the current directory. CHCP Displays or sets the active code page number. CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the current directory. CHKDSK Checks a disk and displays a status report. CHKNTFS Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time. CLS Clears the screen. CMD Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter. COLOR Sets the default console foreground and background colors. COMP Compares the contents of two files or sets of files. COMPACT Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partiti CONVERT Converts FAT volumes to NTFS. You cannot convert the current drive. COPY Copies one or more files to another location. DATE Displays or sets the date. DEL Deletes one or more files. DIR Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory. DISKCOMP Compares the contents of two floppy disks. DISKCOPY Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another. DISKPART Displays or configures Disk Partition properties. DOSKEY Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates macros. DRIVERQUERY Displays current device driver status and properties. ECHO Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off. ENDLOCAL Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file. ERASE Deletes one or more files. EXIT Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter). FC Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the differences between them. FIND Searches for a text string in a file or files. FINDSTR Searches for strings in files. FOR Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files. FORMAT Formats a disk for use with Windows. FSUTIL Displays or configures the file system properties. FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations. GOTO Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line i a batch program.

GPRESULT Displays Group Policy information for machine or user. GRAFTABL Enables Windows to display an extended character set in graphics mode. HELP Provides Help information for Windows commands. ICACLS Display, modify, backup, or restore ACLs for files and directories. IF Performs conditional processing in batch programs. LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk. MD Creates a directory. MKDIR Creates a directory. MKLINK Creates Symbolic Links and Hard Links MODE Configures a system device. MORE Displays output one screen at a time. MOVE Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory. OPENFILES Displays files opened by remote users for a file share. PATH Displays or sets a search path for executable files. PAUSE Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message. POPD Restores the previous value of the current directory saved PUSHD. PRINT Prints a text file. PROMPT Changes the Windows command prompt. PUSHD Saves the current directory then changes it. RD Removes a directory. RECOVER Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk. REM Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS. REN Renames a file or files. RENAME Renames a file or files. REPLACE Replaces files. RMDIR Removes a directory. ROBOCOPY Advanced utility to copy files and directory trees SET Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables. SETLOCAL Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file. SC Displays or configures services (background processes). SCHTASKS Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer. SHIFT Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch file SHUTDOWN Allows proper local or remote shutdown of machine. SORT Sorts input. START Starts a separate window to run a specified program or comm SUBST Associates a path with a drive letter. SYSTEMINFO Displays machine specific properties and configuration. TASKLIST Displays all currently running tasks including services.

TASKKILL TIME TITLE TREE TYPE VER VERIFY VOL XCOPY WMIC

Kill or stop a running process or application. Displays or sets the system time. Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session. Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path. Displays the contents of a text file. Displays the Windows version. Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written correctly to a disk. Displays a disk volume label and serial number. Copies files and directory trees. Displays WMI information inside interactive command shell.

MS-DOS and command line overview

Below is a listing of each of the MS-DOS commands currently listed on Computer Hope and a brief explanation of what each of the commands do. The below commands are all MS-DOS commands, which means not all the below commands will work in your version of MS-DOS and/or Windows command line. Clicking on the command will open the help page for that command with full details about it.
Command Description ansi.sys append arp assign assoc at atmadm attrib batch bootcfg break Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys. Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command. Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices. Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter. View the file associations. Schedule a time to execute commands or programs. Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager. Display and change file attributes. Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file. Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.ini Enable / disable CTRL + C feature. Type File External External External Internal External Internal External Recovery Recovery Internal

cacls call cd chcp chdir chdsk chkntfs choice cls cmd color command comp compact control convert copy ctty date debug defrag del delete deltree dir disable diskcomp diskcopy doskey dosshell drivparm echo

View and modify file ACL's. Calls a batch file from another batch file. Changes directories. Supplement the International keyboard and character set information. Changes directories. Check the hard disk drive running FAT for errors. Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors. Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file. Clears the screen. Opens the command interpreter. Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window. Opens the command interpreter. Compares files. Compresses and uncompress files. Open Control Panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt. Convert FAT to NTFS. Copy one or more files to an alternate location. Change the computers input/output devices. View or change the systems date. Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings. Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs. Deletes one or more files. Recovery console command that deletes a file. Deletes one or more files and/or directories. List the contents of one or more directory. Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers. Compare a disk with another disk. Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk. Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past. A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users. Enables overwrite of original device drivers. Displays messages and enables and disables echo.

External Internal Internal External Internal External External External Internal Internal External External External External Internal Internal Internal External External Internal Internal External Internal Recovery External External External External Internal Internal

edit edlin emm386 ename endlocal erase exit expand extract fasthelp fc fdisk find findstr fixboot fixmbr for format ftp ftype goto graftabl help if ifshlp.sys ipconfig keyb label lh listsvc loadfix loadhigh

View and edit files. View and edit files. Load extended Memory Manager. Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver. Erase files from computer. Exit from the command interpreter. Expand a Microsoft Windows file back to it's original format. Extract files from the Microsoft Windows cabinets. Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them. Compare files. Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive. Search for text within a file. Searches for a string of text within a file. Writes a new boot sector. Writes a new boot record to a disk drive. Boolean used in batch files. Command to erase and prepare a disk drive. Command to connect and operate on a FTP server. Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations. Moves a batch file to a specific label or location. Show extended characters in graphics mode. Display a listing of commands and brief explanation. Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing. 32-bit file manager. Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values. Change layout of keyboard. Change the label of a disk drive. Load a device driver in to high memory. Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers. Load a program above the first 64k. Load a device driver in to high memory.

External External External Recovery Internal Internal External External External External External External External Recovery Recovery Internal External External Recovery Internal External External Internal External External External External Internal Recovery External Internal

Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command. Internal

lock logoff logon map md mem mkdir mode more move msav msd msdex nbtstat net netsh netstat nlsfunc nslookup path pathping pause ping popd power print prompt pushd qbasic rd ren rename

Lock the hard disk drive. Logoff the currently profile using the computer. Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login. Displays the device name of a drive. Command to create a new directory. Display memory on system. Command to create a new directory. Modify the port or display settings. Display one page at a time. Move one or more files from one directory to another directory. Early Microsoft Virus scanner. Diagnostics utility. Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM. Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT Update, fix, or view the network or network settings Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS. Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information. Load country specific information. Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network. View and modify the computers path location. View and locate locations of network latency. Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command. Test / send information to another network computer or network device. Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command. Conserve power with computer portables. Prints data to a printer port. View and change the MS-DOS prompt. Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time. Open the QBasic. Removes an empty directory. Renames a file or directory. Renames a file or directory.

Internal External Recovery Recovery Internal External Internal External External Internal External External External External External External External External External Internal External Internal External Internal External External Internal Internal External Internal Internal Internal

rmdir route runas scandisk scanreg set setlocal setver share shift shutdown smartdrv sort start subst switches sys telnet time title tracert tree type undelete unformat unlock ver verify vol xcopy

Removes an empty directory. View and configure windows network route tables. Enables a user to run a program as a different user. Run the scandisk utility. Scan registry and recover registry from errors. Change one variable or string to another. Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else. Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs. Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities. Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program. Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt. Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory. Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen. Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt. Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter. Remove add functions from MS-DOS. Transfer system files to disk drive. Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt. View or modify the system time. Change the title of their MS-DOS window. Visually view a network packets route across a network. View a visual tree of the hard disk drive. Display the contents of a file. Undelete a file that has been deleted. Unformat a hard disk drive. Unlock a disk drive. Display the version information. Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly. Displays the volume information about the designated drive. Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another.

Internal External External External External Internal Internal External External Internal External External External Internal External Internal External External Internal Internal External External Internal External External Internal Internal Internal Internal External