MS-DOS definitions & commands

Comprehensive summary on the tools available for CMD for all Windows machines.

Command Summaries:

Select single command - Summarised with options

command_name /?

All commands - Summarised

help -- summarises all command names

Assigning attributes to files & folders

attrib [+R : -R] [+A : -A] [+S:-S] [+H : -H] [+I : -I] [drive:][path][filename] [/S [/D] [/L]]

Options:

+R -- Use the +R option to make a file read-only. Read-only files may be read but they can`t be changed or deleted.
-R -- Use the -R option to change the file protection attribute back to normal (so it can be read, changed, or deleted).
+A -- Use the +A option to set the ARCHIVE attribute of a file. When the +A option is used, this flags the file as available for archiving when using the BACKUP or XCOPY commands.
-A -- Use the -A option to turn off the ARCHIVE attribute.
+H -- Set the HIDDEN attribute of a file so that it will not appear in a directory listing.
-H -- Use the -H option to turn off the HIDDEN attribute.
+S -- Flags the file as a command file used only by DOS. The file will not appear in a directory listing. This attribute is generally reserved for programmers.
-S -- Use the -S option to turn off the SYSTEM attribute.
/S -- Use the /S switch to set attributes on subdirectories found within the specified path.

Process Management

List active processes

  tasklist

Kill active processes

  taskkill

Disk Management

Disk Defragmentation

defrag <volume>

Clean out temporary files from Disk Drives

cleanmgr

Check Disk for errors

CHKDSK [volume[[path]filename]]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]] [/B]

Options:

volume -- Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name.
filename -- FAT/FAT32 only: Specifies the files to check for fragmentation.
/F -- Fixes errors on the disk.
/V -- On FAT/FAT32: Displays the full path and name of every file on the disk.
On NTFS: Displays cleanup messages if any.
/R -- Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information (implies /F).
/L:size -- NTFS only:  Changes the log file size to the specified number of kilobytes.  
If size is not specified, displays current size.
/X -- Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary.
/I -- NTFS only: Performs a less vigorous check of index entries.
/C -- NTFS only: Skips checking of cycles within the folder structure.
/B -- NTFS only: Re-evaluates bad clusters on the volume (implies /R)

Diskpart - Microsoft Partitioning Tool

diskpart

System Information

systeminfo | more

Listing available servers

net view

Gather information on server - remote access

systeminfo /S server_name

Performance Monitor

perfmon

File Checker - for corrupted or missing files

sfc /SCANNOW

Driver Information

driverquery | more

Monitoring Active Internet Services

netstat [-a] [-n] [-b]
-a -- Displays all connections and listening ports
-n -- Displays addresses and port numbers in numerical form
-b -- Displays the executable involved in each connection (note: also provides PID)

Windows IP Configuration

ipconfig
/renew -- Renew the IPv4 address for the specified adaptor
/flushdns -- Purges the DNS Resolver cache

Ping & Tracing route from Destination to Local Machine

ping url
tracert url

Network Services

Requirement: Start -> services.msc -> Routing and Remote Access – needs to be Enabled

netsh

Changing IP Address

netsh interface ip set address name=”Local Area Connection” static 192.168.0.1 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.254

This assumes the following:

The name of the interface you want to change the IP address for is Local Area Network
You want to statically assign an IP address of 192.168.0.1
You want to set a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0
You want to set a default gateway of 192.168.0.254

Changing DNS Address

netsh interface ip set dns name=”Local Area Connection” static 192.168.0.250

This assumes the following:

The name of the interface you want to change the primary DNS setting for is Local Area Network
The IP address of the DNS Server is 192.168.0.250

Change IP address of the secondary DNS server

Note: Google public DNS servers: 8.8.8.8

netsh interface ip add dns name=”Local Area Connection” 8.8.8.8 index=2

Set DNS Servers to assign Dynamically

netsh interface ip set dnsservers name=”Local Area Connection” source=dhcp

Windows Registery

List of Operations

REG QUERY [ROOT\]RegKey /v ValueName [/s]
REG QUERY [ROOT\]RegKey /ve --This returns the (default) value

REG ADD [ROOT\]RegKey /v ValueName [/t DataType] [/S Separator] [/d Data] [/f]
REG ADD [ROOT\]RegKey /ve [/d Data] [/f] -- Set the (default) value

REG DELETE [ROOT\]RegKey /v ValueName [/f]
REG DELETE [ROOT\]RegKey /ve [/f] -- Remove the (default) value
REG DELETE [ROOT\]RegKey /va [/f] -- Delete all values under this key

REG COPY \[\\SourceMachine\][ROOT\]RegKey \[\\DestMachine\][ROOT\]RegKey

REG EXPORT [ROOT\]RegKey FileName.reg
REG IMPORT FileName.reg
REG SAVE [ROOT\]RegKey FileName.hiv
REG RESTORE \\MachineName\[ROOT]\KeyName FileName.hiv

REG LOAD KeyName FileName
REG UNLOAD KeyName

REG COMPARE [ROOT\]RegKey [ROOT\]RegKey [/v ValueName] [Output] [/s]
REG COMPARE [ROOT\]RegKey [ROOT\]RegKey [/ve] [Output] [/s]

Key:

   ROOT :
         HKLM = HKey_Local_machine (default)
         HKCU = HKey_current_user
         HKU  = HKey_users
         HKCR = HKey_classes_root

   ValueName : The value, under the selected RegKey, to edit.
               (default is all keys and values)

   /d Data   : The actual data to store as a "String", integer etc

   /f        : Force an update without prompting "Value exists, overwrite Y/N"

   \\Machine : Name of remote machine - omitting defaults to current machine.
                Only HKLM and HKU are available on remote machines.

   FileName  : The filename to save or restore a registry hive.

   KeyName   : A key name to load a hive file into. (Creating a new key)

   /S        : Query all subkeys and values.

   /S Separator : Character to use as the separator in REG_MULTI_SZ values
                  the default is "\0"

   /t DataType  : REG_SZ (default) | REG_DWORD | REG_EXPAND_SZ | REG_MULTI_SZ

   /reg:32   : Force REG.exe to write to the 32-bit registry location
   /reg:64   : Force REG.exe to write to the 64-bit registry location

             By default a 32-bit process (such as an SCCM client or a 32 bit MSI installer)
             on a 64 bit machine, will use a 32-bit view of the registry: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node
             Use the /REG switch to over-ride this. See Q305097 for more details.

   Output    : /od (only differences) /os (only matches) /oa (all) /on (no output)

Basic Task Scheduling

Query tasks

schtasks /query

Creating tasks

schtasks /create /tn "Task Name" /tr "Path" /sc "schedule_time"

Deleting tasks

schtasks /delete /tn "task_name"

Additional Information:

Thorough Explaination on Schtasks

Remote PC Control

Requirement: Windows Features -> Enable Telnet Client & Telnet Server

telnet server_address [port]

Windows NT Service Controller Services

Service Controller Information

SC

Query the Services/ a service

SC query [service_name]

Stop a service

SC [server_name] stop service_name

Start a service

SC [server_name] start service_name

Configuration details of Service

SC [server_name] qc service_name

Thorough Explaination on SC

Advanced File Management

Encryption and Decryption

CIPHER

Options:

/A -- AddUser - encryption to unique user
/E -- Encryption
/D -- Decryption
/X -- Create keys for copying to another machine/pen drive <to provide access>
/W -- Removes data from available unused disk space on the entire volume.
      <Permanent deletion to deleted files>

File Allocation Table (FAT) and NTFS file systems Tools

FSUTIL is a powerful command-line utility that can provide very technical information about your computer’s drives, or if utilized incorrectly can cause damage to the file system.

fsutil

Supported Commands

Warning: use this command at your own risk…

fsutil 8dot3name: 8dot3name management
fsutil behavior: Control file system behavior
fsutil dirty: Manage volume dirty bit
fsutil file: File specific commands
fsutil fsinfo: File system information
fsutil hardlink: Hardlink management
fsutil objectid: Object ID management
fsutil quota: Quota management
fsutil repair: Self healing management
fsutil reparsepoint: Reparse point management
fsutil resource: Transactional Resource Manager management
fsutil sparse: Sparse file control
fsutil transaction: Transaction management
fsutil usn: USN management
fsutil volume: Volume management

Thorough Explaination on Fsutil

Additional available commands

Remember help will offer examples, syntax for the command you want.

command_name /?

Other commands note worthy for consideration

convert -- Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partions
exe2bin -- Converts .exe files to binary format
shutdown -- shutdown operation
finger -- Displays information about a user on a specified system running the finger service.
hostname -- reveals hostname
ftp -- File Transfer Protocol
rcp -- Copies files to and from computer running the RCP service.
lpr -- Sends a print job to a network printer
arp -- Displays and modifies the IP-to-Physical address translation tables used by address resolution protocol
getmac -- Returns mac address
pathping -- Used for testing ping with limitations
nslookup -- Displays information that you can use to diagnose Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure.
Doskey /history -- Dos command history
powercfg -- Controls the power settings on a system.
cscript -- Windows Script Host that provides command-line options for setting script properties.
wscript -- Set the script host properties.
route -- Manipulates network routing tables.
net view -- network view

MS-DOS

Windows DOS command webpage

MS-DOS definitions & commands

Command Summaries:

Select single command - Summarised with options

All commands - Summarised

Assigning attributes to files & folders

Options:

Process Management

List active processes

Kill active processes

Disk Management

Disk Defragmentation

Clean out temporary files from Disk Drives

Check Disk for errors

Options:

Diskpart - Microsoft Partitioning Tool

System Information

Listing available servers

Gather information on server - remote access

Performance Monitor

File Checker - for corrupted or missing files

Driver Information

Monitoring Active Internet Services

Windows IP Configuration

Ping & Tracing route from Destination to Local Machine

Network Services

Changing IP Address

Changing DNS Address

Change IP address of the secondary DNS server

Set DNS Servers to assign Dynamically

Windows Registery

List of Operations

Key:

Basic Task Scheduling

Query tasks

Creating tasks

Deleting tasks

Additional Information:

Remote PC Control

Windows NT Service Controller Services

Service Controller Information

Query the Services/ a service

Stop a service

Start a service

Configuration details of Service

Advanced File Management

Encryption and Decryption

Options:

File Allocation Table (FAT) and NTFS file systems Tools

Supported Commands

Additional available commands