15 Useful Command Prompt Commands that you should know

Since the beginning of the Windows OS, there have been a few things in particular that have stayed on with the newer versions. The Command Prompt has been around for a long time and will continue to stay the same. Sure, Windows is all about the GUI and ease of getting things done by simply clicking, there are a few things that can be done by simply using commands. It helps in reducing time usage and is simple without you having to worry about what and where to go next. Let’s take a look at the 15 best CMD commands you need to know.

Accessing the Command Prompt application is simple and super easy. You can either access it from the Start Menu itself, or you could even run it using the run dialog box by pressing Windows and R keys followed by typing in cmd and hitting the enter key. Do you also know that you can open the command prompt application within a folder as well?

You can read about that over here. Yes, you might have used the Command prompt maybe once or twice to probably sideload a Microsoft Store app or even run adb commands for your Android device. Here is a list of the best and useful commands that can be helpful in your day-to-day life.

Best CMD Commands

Encrypting Files and Folders

Want to encrypt a particular folder and all its contents right away without having to perform several steps > ere is a simple way to do it. You can use this command to encrypt your folder and files.

best cmd commands
cipher /e (folder path)

You can also decrypt files easily by typing in

cipher /d (folder path)

See system IP Address

This command displays all the addresses. Your IP Address, Physical as well as MAC Addresses. Here is what you need to enter into the Command Prompt.

best cmd commands
ipconfig /all

Fix DNS Issues

Ever had trouble with some websites not opening or loading correctly on a particular network? Here is where being able to flush the DNS comes in handy. The command is simple.

best cmd commands
ipconfig /flushdns

Finding a Website’s IP Address

The next command in the list of best CMD commands is the command to find the website’s IP address. You can use the ping command to see how long a particular website takes to open or respond to your connection. You also get to see the IP Address of the website.

best cmd commands
ping (website name)

Check Connection Issues

At times, it could be that a website might be working fine as always but suddenly it just refuses to open up or load. With the Tracert command, you see where the issue lies, Whether it is something to do with your router or the ISP or maybe even the server.

best cmd commands
tracert (website name)

Check Core System Files

At times, a few files might have got into some error or could even be damaged. Such issues with core files can sometimes cause your system to not function properly. You can use a command to look for such files and even repair them right away.

best cmd commands
sfc /scannow

Repair Corrupted System Files

This command can be used if the previous sfc command was not able to fix up the corrupted files. However before you run this command, it is best to restart your system and then run the command. Also, you will need to run Command Prompt as an Administrator

best cmd commands
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image .RestoreHealth

See Currently Running Tasks

This command replicates the popular Task Manager window that shows you all the running programs and services on your Windows PC. It is one of the useful and best CMD commands.

best cmd commands
tasklist

Terminate or End running tasks

Sure, the Task Manager lets you end certain tasks or programs that are not behaving or responding correctly. However, at times ending a particular program via the Task Manager simply is not able to end. In this case, using the taskkill command will work the best

best cmd commands
taskkill /f /t /pid (program id number)

Check System Power usage and battery health status

It is always good to know what the power output your system and its connected devices are drawing. It shows you how much power is being used and what stays active while the system is put into sleep mode. The Battery status report shows you the battery charge cycle and the battery cycle too. You get to see these results in an HTML file that gets generated for you to see.

best cmd commands
powercfg /energy
powercfg /batteryreport

Check All Installed Drivers

This does what the title says. It displays all your drivers that have been installed on your Windows PC. You will also be able to see the date and time of the drivers too.

best cmd commands
driverquery

Check System Hardware Specs

This is an alternative to looking out for the system specifications in the Settings app. A  command line will simply show you all the details right away.

best cmd commands
systeminfo

Clear Command Prompt Screen

Now, you might have tried all of these commands on your system, but the Command Prompt screen might look full with results from various other commands. You can simply clear it up with a single command instead of opening a new Command Prompt window.

best cmd commands
cls

Repair Particular Disk Error

And the last in the list of best CMD codes is the repair disk error command. Sometimes, hard drives might have a few errors that might lead to slow loading or even file transfer times. The command used here will look for errors if any and will also try to solve these errors.

chkdsk (drive path)/r

Conclusion

These are some of the important command lines you need to know as these are super helpful to you and can come in super handy. Of course, there are other advanced command lines. However, it is always best to know the simple ones first and what they do.

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If we miss including your favorite CMD command, do let us know about them in the comments below. Also, share these best CMD commands with your friends.

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Joshua D'souza

Enjoy games, 90's hip-hop, and tech. Loves exploring the infinite world of laptops and food. Every ready to provide assistance in anything that rocks his boat. Will gladly enjoy capturing memories through various lenses. Worked previously at PiunikaWeb as an author and researcher.

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