Windows CMD Tools Reference

This page provides a quick reference for various Windows Command Prompt (CMD) tools, PowerShell commands, and other system utilities. To get started, you'll need to open a command-line interface in Windows 11:

Below, you'll find a categorized list of commands. Click on any command name to view detailed information, including its syntax, examples, and a description of its options. To close the popup, click the "X" in the corner, press the Esc key, or click anywhere outside the popup box.

Core Command-Line Shells & Programs

CommandDescriptionOptions
cmd Classic command interpreter /c, /k, /s
powershell PowerShell environment -Command, -File, -NoProfile
wt Windows Terminal wt new-tab, wt split-pane

System Consoles (.msc)

ToolDescriptionNotes
compmgmt.msc Computer Management Includes Event Viewer, Disk Manager
devmgmt.msc Device Manager Manage device drivers
diskmgmt.msc Disk Management Partition utilities
eventvwr.msc Event Viewer System and app logs
services.msc Service Control Start/stop background services
gpedit.msc Local Group Policy Advanced policy control
secpol.msc Security Policies User rights and audit policy
perfmon.msc Performance Monitor Graph system metrics
fsmgmt.msc Shared Folders Manage shares and sessions
lusrmgr.msc Local Users/Groups User management (Pro only)
certmgr.msc Certificate Manager Manage trusted certs

Control Panel Applets (.cpl)

AppletDescriptionExample Usage
appwiz.cpl Add/Remove Programs Uninstall software
desk.cpl Display Settings Configure screen setup
mmsys.cpl Sound Settings Audio playback and record
inetcpl.cpl Internet Options Control browser config
ncpa.cpl Network Connections View and modify adapters
sysdm.cpl System Properties Control performance and profiles
joy.cpl Game Controllers Test and calibrate input devices
firewall.cpl Windows Firewall Security config
intl.cpl Region & Language Adjust formats and locales

Network Diagnostics

CommandPurposeCommon Options
ipconfig Network adapter settings /all, /renew, /release
ping Test connection to host -t, -n X, -l SIZE
netstat Current TCP/IP activity -a, -n, -o
tracert Route trace to server -d to disable DNS lookup
nslookup DNS resolver test Interactive DNS querying

Disk & File Utilities

CommandDescriptionOptions
chkdsk Check disk integrity /f, /r, /x
diskpart Partition management Interactive shell
defrag Optimize disk layout /C, /H, /U
robocopy Robust file copier /MIR, /LOG, /MT
xcopy Legacy file copier /S, /E, /Y
fsutil File system admin Hard links, sparse files, etc.

PowerShell Modules

CommandPurposeExample
Get-Process List active processes Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -desc
Get-Service Inspect services Get-Service -Status Running
Set-ExecutionPolicy Control script security RemoteSigned, Bypass
Get-WmiObject System info via WMI Win32_LogicalDisk, Win32_Processor
Test-Connection Ping replacement Test-Connection google.com -Count 4

Recovery & Diagnostics

CommandDescriptionCommon Options / Notes
dxdiag DirectX Diagnostic Tool Displays GPU, sound, and driver data
msinfo32 System Information Utility Complete system summary by hardware and software
sfc System File Checker /scannow — Scans and repairs protected Windows files
DISM Deployment Image Servicing and Management /CheckHealth — Determines corruption state
/ScanHealth — Logs corruption
/RestoreHealth — Fixes system image
rstrui System Restore Opens recovery wizard
cleanmgr Disk Cleanup Manager /sageset:n — Save custom cleanup settings
/sagerun:n — Run cleanup using saved set