How To Use Command Prompt In Windows 10

The Control Prompt is a Windows utility that lets y'all give the system instructions. It can automate tasks, troubleshoot issues, and perform all sorts of functions. We're going to testify yous how to get the most out of it, including changing the colors, executing multiple commands, getting help on any command, and much more than.

To open the Control Prompt, blazoncmdin the Showtime menu search bar and select the Best Lucifer. Alternatively, press Windows primal + R, type cmd into the Run utility, and printing Enter to launch the Control Prompt.

one. How to Ever Open Command Prompt as Administrator

You can run the Command Prompt in standard and administrator modes. Some commands will only work in the latter, so it generally makes sense just to use that mode all the time.

To fix Control Prompt to always opens every bit administrator from the Start card:

Blazon cmd in the Start menu search bar.
Right-click the All-time Friction match and click Open file location.
Right-click the Command Prompt shortcut and click Properties.
On the Shortcut tab, click Advanced.
Check Run as ambassador and click OK twice.

If y'all press Windows central + X, yous will launch the power user carte. It gives y'all quick access to things like Device Manager, Disk Management, and Job Manager.

It can also list the Command Prompt, but yours might have Windows PowerShell instead.

To adjust this and so that Command Prompt appears on the ability user menu:

Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
Click Personalization > Taskbar.
Slide Supervene upon Control Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the carte du jour when I right-click the start button or press Windows logo key + X to Off.

Sometimes, you want to run a Control Prompt string from a specific binder. Rather than manually do that, you tin can edit the registry so that when you press Shift and correct-click within a folder, yous become the option to Open command window here.

To apply this alter, head to TenForums and download its registry tweak.

4. How to Copy and Paste in Control Prompt

To paste text into the Command Prompt, printing Ctrl + V, the same equally y'all would in most other applications.

Copying works a fleck differently. First, printing Ctrl + Thousand to enter Mark style. Left-click and drag to highlight the text you demand, then press Ctrl + C or Enter to re-create information technology to your clipboard.

Think that sounds too cumbersome? Right-click the Command Prompt title bar and click Backdrop. Switch to the Options tab, tick Quick Edit Mode, and click OK. Now you don't need to press anything before being able to highlight text.

5. Use Arrows Keys for Previous Commands

If yous've entered a previous command that you lot want to employ again, use the up and down arrows on your keyboard to move between them. This is handy if you're repeatedly executing the same commands or want to right a mistake in what you merely submitted.

You can also press the right arrow primal to enter your previous command character by graphic symbol. This could be useful if you demand to enter multiple commands that have the same opening.

Alternatively, printing F7 to see a listing of all your previous inputs, using the upwards and down arrows to navigate and Enter to select, or blazon doskey /history to output information technology in the Command Prompt.

half dozen. Drag and Drop Files for Input in Command Prompt

Information technology can be tedious to write out a folder or file path name in the Command Prompt. You don't need to waste matter time, though, considering at that place'due south a much quicker way.

Navigate to the folder or file you want in File Explorer. Left-click and drag it into a Command Prompt window. That path will then appear. It's that simple!

7. How to Get Help With Any Command

Is in that location a control that you can't quite remember how to use or what it does? No problem. Just append /? to your command, and you'll be shown information about that command, similar what options you lot can apply and some examples. It works on all of them.

For example, if you lot want more information about the ipconfig command, then input ipconfig /?. It won't actually run the command, then don't worry nearly that.

8. Utilise Tab to Auto-Complete Commands

Yous can printing the Tab key to auto-complete your command. This is useful when you don't know the full name of the control or salvage you fourth dimension. For example, you lot can press Tab to automatically complete it rather than typing out a full file path.

If what it serves isn't what yous need, but go along pressing Tab to progress through the options. Alternatively, press Shift + Tab to contrary through the options.

nine. How to Output to a File or Clipboard on Command Prompt

If y'all want to salvage the output of the Command Prompt, then you lot could copy it, paste information technology into a text editor, and so save. But at that place's a quicker method, all inside Command Prompt.

To do this, input your control followed by a > and the file you lot desire to output to. For example, to output your ipconfig to a text file in my Documents, I would input ipconfig > C:\Users\Joe\Documents\myinfo.txt.

Y'all can too output to your clipboard, set up to paste elsewhere. To do this, input your command followed by | clip. For case, ipconfig | prune.

10. How to Cancel a Control

If you've submitted a command that y'all want to stop, just press Ctrl + C. This will end the control upwardly to the signal that it'd processed. It won't opposite what has already been done, but it will finish it from going any further.

You lot'll find a lot of commands will complete earlier you fifty-fifty take time to press the keys, but it's useful for those that do without having to exit Command Prompt completely.

11. How to Execute Multiple Commands

If there are multiple commands y'all want to utilise, you don't need to input each in turn and wait for them to consummate. Instead, yous can separate your commands with &&.

For case, if you wanted to output both ipconfig and tree, you would input ipconfig && tree. You can do this for however many commands yous demand. It's not just express to two.

12. How to Customize the Look of Command Prompt

The default black and white advent of the Control Prompt is iconic, but information technology doesn't injure to mix things upwardly a scrap. To brainstorm customizing the wait, right-click the championship bar of Command Prompt and click Backdrop.

Begin with the Font tab. Hither you can alter the Size and Font used. It's recommended to use a TrueType font (signified with a TT symbol) for clearer display.

Move to the Layout tab. Here yous can change the size and position of the Command Prompt window. In actuality, it's easier just to practice this on the window itself: drag the sides of the window to resize and drag on the title bar to move the window.

Finally, go to the Colors tab. Every bit you lot might expect, here, yous can change the colour of many Command Prompt elements. Use the radio buttons to select what you desire to recolor, and then click a colour to set it. Alternatively, input the scarlet, green, and blue values. The Opacity slider will suit the entirety of the Control Prompt window. Set up it to 100% if yous don't want whatsoever opacity.

Larn Some New Commands

Hopefully, you've learned something new about how to get the most from the Command Prompt. Whether it'due south something to make y'all more than efficient, like outputting to a file or motorcar-completing a command, or only something fun, similar changing the colors, at that place'south then much the Command Prompt tin do.