Buzz
Using CMD commands requires accurate recall and execution in the classic black-and-white console of Windows. Despite the perceived monotony, many find these CMD commands to be remarkably beneficial, especially for network administrators and hackers who consider them priceless tools.
Compilation of Must-Know CMD Commands for Windows
To utilize CMD commands, open the CMD window as follows:
On the Desktop, click on the Start menu, select Run.... Type cmd in the Open field of the Run dialog, and press Enter. The Command Line window will appear for you to input commands. Note that some systems may require running cmd with administrator privileges; refer to how to Run CMD as Admin here.
On a computer running Windows 7, simply click on Start, type cmd in the Search bar, and press Enter to start using it.
Essential and Popular CMD Commands on Windows
SYSTEMINFO
Display detailed configuration information about your computer and operating system, including OS configuration, security information, product ID, and hardware attributes such as RAM, disk space, and network cards.
IPCONFIG
Show all current TCP/IP network configuration values and refresh Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) settings along with Domain Name System (DNS) configurations. When used without parameters, ipconfig displays IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for all network devices.
TASKLIST
Display a list of applications and services with names and process IDs (PID) on the computer, featuring all tasks running locally or remotely.
TASKILL
Terminate one or more tasks or processes active on the computer. Programs can be forcibly closed, similar to the Windows Task Manager you commonly use.
NETSTAT
Display active TCP connections, network ports in use, internet statistics, IP routing tables, IPv4 statistics (for IP, ICMP, TCP, and UDP protocols), and IPv6 statistics (for IPv6, ICMPv6, TCP over IPv6, UDP over IPv6 protocols). When used without parameters, netstat shows active TCP connections.
NET
NET assists in updating, troubleshooting, configuring, and managing network devices. To start a specific service, type net start
NSLOOKUP
Applicable to: Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows 8. It provides more DNS information than the commonly used Ping.
Display information useful for diagnosing Domain Name System (DNS) server infrastructure. Familiarize yourself with how DNS operates before using this tool. The Nslookup command-line tool is only available if you have TCP/IP protocol installed.
PING and TRACERT
Perhaps you're familiar with this command; it verifies IP connectivity to another TCP/IP-enabled computer by sending ICMP request messages and receiving corresponding replies. It displays on the command line along with the round-trip time. Ping is the primary TCP/IP command used for troubleshooting connectivity issues, checking availability, and resolving domain names.
As for tracert, it's used to determine the route of data packets circulating in an IP network.
GPRESULT
Designed for administrators, this command-line tool verifies all effective settings for specific users or computers. Administrators can run GPResult on any remotely managed computer within their scope. By default, GPResult returns the effective settings on the target computer.
NETSH
Netsh is a command-line firewall utility that allows you to control a computer locally or remotely, displaying or modifying the network configuration of a running computer. Netsh also provides a scripting feature allowing you to run a group of commands in a predefined setting for a specific computer. It can save a configuration command set in a text file for storage purposes or to help configure other servers.
The CMD commands mentioned above are undoubtedly crucial for administrators and network enthusiasts. Keep these cmd commands handy for use when needed in home or business computer networks. If you prefer not to type CMD commands, you can copy and paste the command lines in cmd using this method.
