Cmd In Windows Install
The Command Prompt in Windows provides access to over 280 commands! These commands are used to do certain operating system tasks from a command line interface instead of the graphical Windows interface we use most of the time.
For example, Command Prompt commands let you copy data to a different folder, format an entire disk, back up your files, send messages to other computers, restart your own computer, and much more. There are also several Command Prompt tricks and hacks that utilize some of these commands.
It's important to know that the commands in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP are called CMD commands or Command Prompt commands, and the commands in Windows 98/95 and MS-DOS are called DOS commands. We've included all of them in this list to help show changes in commands from operating system to operating system.
Below is a complete list of Command Prompt commands, often called CMD commands (and sometimes incorrectly as Command Prompt codes), available from the Command Prompt in Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. There were a few minor command changes in Windows 10 and those will be reflected in an update to this list that's still in the works.
Since these commands work within the context of Command Prompt, you have to open that program to utilize them. See How to Open Command Prompt if you're not sure how to do that.
Use Ctrl+F from a desktop browser for a quick way to find more information about a specific command or to look for a particular keyword in this table.
Command Prompt Commands List
As mentioned above, we've also included DOS commands from MS-DOS and early versions of Windows:
The Windows Update sandbox is a protected folder. Wusa.exe calls the appropriate function in the Windows Update Agent API according to the mode in which you start Wusa.exe. When the Windows Update wizard finishes the installation, the Windows Update Agent API returns a status. Then, Wusa.exe works synchronously with the Windows Update Agent API.
Operating System Specific Commands
If you're only interested in the commands available in your version of Windows or MS-DOS, we have accurate and detailed lists for each operating system including Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and DOS Commands.
Cmd In Windows Installer
Finally, we also keep a comparison table of these commands, showing which appear in which version of Windows, which might be helpful depending on what you're after.