1.2 - Windows Command Line Tools

Question 1

Privileges

Answer 1

• Not all users can run all commands
  – Some tasks are for the administrator only
• Standard privileges
  – Run applications as normal user
  – This works fine for many commands
• Administrative/elevated privileges
  – You must be a member of the Administrators group
  – Right-click Command Prompt,
  choose Run as Administrator
  – cmd, Ctrl+Shift+Enter

Question 2

Command line troubleshooting

Answer 2

• Use “help” if you’re not sure
  > help dir
  > help chkdsk
• Also use:
  [command] /?
  – Close the prompt with exit

Question 3

File management

Answer 3

• dir
  – List files and directories
• cd / chdir
  – Change working directory
  – Use backslash \ to specify volume or folder name
• ..
  – Two dots/periods
  – The folder above the current folder
• md / mkdir
  – Make a directory
• rd / rmdir
  – Remove directory

Question 4

Drive letters

Answer 4

• Each partitions is assigned a letter
  – Primary storage drive is usually C
• Reference the drive with the letter and a colon
  – C:
• Combine with the folder
  – Folder names are separated with backslashes
  – C:\Users\professor

Question 5

CMD - hostname

Answer 5

• View the name of the device
  – This is very useful when there are 10 different terminal
  screen tabs in use
• This is the Windows Device name
  – Name can be changed in the System settings

Question 6

CMD - format

Answer 6

• Formats a disk for use with Windows
• BE CAREFUL - YOU CAN LOSE DATA
  
  • format c:

Question 7

CMD - copy (/v, /y)

Answer 7

• Copy files from one location to another
  /v - Verifies that new files are written correctly
  /y - Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to
  overwrite an existing destination file

Question 8

CMD - xcopy

Answer 8

• Copies files and directory trees
  xcopy /s Documents m:\backups

Question 9

Robust Copy

Answer 9

• robocopy
  – A better Xcopy
  – Included with Windows 10 and 11

Question 10

Managing Group Policy

Answer 10

• Group Policy
  – Manage computers in an Active Directory Domain
  – Group Policy is usually updated at login
• gpupdate
  – Force a Group Policy update
  – gpupdate /target:{computer|user} /force
  – gpupdate /target:user /force
• gpresult
  – Verify policy settings for a computer or user
  – gpresult /r
  – gpresult /user sgc/professor /v

Question 11

CMD - shutdown

Answer 11

• Shutdown a computer
  – And optionally restart
• shutdown /s /t nn
  – Wait nn seconds, then shutdown
• shutdown /r /t nn
  – Shutdown and restart after nn seconds
• shutdown /a
  – Abort the countdown!

Question 12

CMD - sfc

Answer 12

• System File Checker
  – Scan integrity of all protected system files
• sfc /scannow

Question 13

Check Disk

Answer 13

• chkdsk /f
  – Fixes logical file system errors on the disk
• chkdsk /r
  – Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information
  – Implies /f
• If volume is locked, run during startup

Question 14

CMD - diskpart

Answer 14

• Manage disk configurations
• BE CAREFUL - YOU CAN LOSE DATA
  – diskpart - start the DiskPart command interpreter

Question 15

CMD - winver

Answer 15

• View the About Windows dialog
  – A quick check
• Useful when troubleshooting
  – Are you running the latest version?