The command prompt, also known as the Windows command line, command shell, or cmd, is a text-based interface used to execute commands on Windows operating systems. It provides a powerful set of commands for manipulating files, executing programs, configuring system settings, and performing diagnostic tasks on your computer.
On Windows 10
1. Press the Windows key + X to open the Power User menu.
2. Select Command Prompt (Admin).
On Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP
1. Click the Start button.
2. In the Start Search box, type cmd.
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
Once you have the Command Prompt open, you can start typing commands. For example, type dir to list the contents of the current directory, or type ipconfig to show your network configuration.
If you want to run a program in the Command Prompt, type the program name followed by any arguments. For example, if you want to run Notepad, you would type notepad.exe. You can also run commands from other programs, such as FTP clients by typing their names as well.
To run an executable in the current directory, you must use the full path. For example, if you have a file named “myprogram.exe” in the current directory, you would type .\myprogram.exe to run it.
The Command Prompt also contains several environment variables that you can use in your commands. These environment variables allow you to access important information about the system, such as the user’s home directory, the current working directory, and the system’s PATH variable.
Using the command prompt can be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that it’s a powerful tool and a valuable asset in your arsenal. To get more information on how to use the command prompt, check out the Microsoft documentation and other third-party tutorials.