Cyber Elite Academy
100 Essential Windows Commands
Command | Sample Usage | Explanation
🔧 System Information & Management
| Command | Sample Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| systeminfo | systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" | Displays detailed system configuration (OS, hardware, patches) |
| msinfo32 | msinfo32 /nfo sysinfo.nfo | Opens System Information GUI |
| hostname | hostname | Displays computer name |
| ver | ver | Displays Windows version |
| set | set | findstr PATH | Displays environment variables |
| tasklist | tasklist /svc /fi "IMAGENAME eq svchost.exe" | Lists all running processes |
| taskkill | taskkill /F /PID 1234 | Terminates tasks by PID or name |
| sc | sc query state= all | Manages Windows services |
| sfc /scannow | sfc /scannow | Scans and repairs system files |
| chkdsk | chkdsk C: /f /r | Checks and repairs disk issues |
| driverquery | driverquery /v /fo list | Lists all installed drivers |
| wmic | wmic bios get serialnumber | Windows Management Instrumentation console |
| gpresult | gpresult /r | Displays Group Policy results |
| bcdedit | bcdedit /enum | Manages boot configuration data |
| mode | mode con: cols=120 lines=50 | Displays or configures system devices |
💻 File System Operations
| Command | Sample Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| dir | dir /s /b *.exe | Lists files and folders |
| cd | cd /d D:\Data | Changes directories |
| copy | copy file.txt C:\backup\ | Copies files |
| xcopy | xcopy /E /H /C source dest\ | Copies files and folders (advanced) |
| robocopy | robocopy C:\src D:\backup /MIR | Robust file copy (ideal for backups) |
| del | del /f /q temp\*.* | Deletes files |
| rmdir | rmdir /s /q old_folder | Deletes directories |
| mkdir | mkdir "New Folder" | Creates directories |
| attrib | attrib +h +s secret.txt | Changes file attributes |
| compact | compact /c /s /a | Compresses files |
| cipher | cipher /e /s:folder | Encrypt/decrypt files using EFS |
| fsutil | fsutil file queryextd C:\file.txt | File system management tool |
| tree | tree /f /a > dir_tree.txt | Displays folder structure |
| type | type config.ini | Displays file content |
| more | type large.log | more | Paginates output |
🌐 Networking & Connectivity
| Command | Sample Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ipconfig | ipconfig /all | Displays IP configuration |
| ping | ping -n 5 8.8.8.8 | Tests connectivity to a host |
| tracert | tracert google.com | Traces route to a host |
| nslookup | nslookup example.com | Resolves DNS to IP |
| netstat | netstat -ano | findstr LISTEN | Displays network connections |
| netsh | netsh advfirewall show allprofiles | Configures network settings |
| route | route print | Displays or modifies routing table |
| arp | arp -a | Displays ARP table |
| getmac | getmac /v /fo list | Displays MAC addresses |
| telnet | telnet 192.168.1.1 80 | Tests TCP connectivity |
| ftp | ftp ftp.example.com | Transfers files over FTP |
| pathping | pathping google.com | Combines ping and tracert |
| nbtstat | nbtstat -a 192.168.1.100 | Displays NetBIOS stats |
| hostname | hostname | Shows the current hostname |
| whoami | whoami /priv | Displays current username |
🛠️ Troubleshooting & Diagnostics
| Command | Sample Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| perfmon | perfmon /res | Opens Performance Monitor |
| resmon | resmon | Opens Resource Monitor |
| dxdiag | dxdiag /t dxdiag.txt | DirectX diagnostics |
| msconfig | msconfig | System Configuration tool |
| devmgmt.msc | devmgmt.msc | Device Manager |
| control | control userpasswords2 | Opens Control Panel |
| cleanmgr | cleanmgr /sageset:1 | Opens Disk Cleanup |
| reagentc | reagentc /info | Configures recovery options |
| dism | dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth | Deployment Image Servicing tool |
| taskmgr | taskmgr | Opens Task Manager |
| diskpart | diskpart /s script.txt | Advanced disk partitioning tool |
| winsat | winsat disk -drive c | Windows System Assessment Tool |
| syskey | syskey | Legacy system encryption config (deprecated) |
| logman | logman create counter perf_log -c "\Processor(_Total)\% Processor Time" | Manages performance logs and alerts |
| wevtutil | wevtutil qe System /f:text | Event logs command-line utility |
📊 Monitoring & Logs
| Command | Sample Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| query | query session | Displays session/user info |
| qwinsta | qwinsta /server:192.168.1.100 | Lists remote desktop sessions |
| quser | quser | Lists user sessions |
| logoff | logoff 1 | Logs off users from sessions |
| schtasks | schtasks /query /fo LIST /v | Manages scheduled tasks |
| w32tm | w32tm /query /status | Windows time service |
| powershell Get-EventLog | Get-EventLog -LogName System -Newest 10 | View event logs (PowerShell) |
| powershell Get-Process | Get-Process | Where {$_.CPU -gt 50} | List processes |
| powershell Get-Service | Get-Service | Where {$_.Status -eq "Running"} | List services |
| powershell Get-LocalUser | Get-LocalUser | Where {$_.Enabled -eq $true} | List users |
| powershell Test-NetConnection | Test-NetConnection google.com -Port 443 | Modern ping |
🧠 Advanced PowerShell & Automation
| Command | Sample Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| powershell ISE | powershell_ise.exe | Opens PowerShell ISE |
| powershell Set-ExecutionPolicy | Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned | Set script policy |
| powershell Start-Job | Start-Job -ScriptBlock {ping google.com} | Background tasks |
| powershell Invoke-WebRequest | Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://example.com" | HTTP request |
| powershell Import-Module | Import-Module ActiveDirectory | Load modules |
| powershell Out-File | Get-Process | Out-File processes.txt | Redirect output |
| powershell Get-Command | Get-Command -Module NetSecurity | Discover commands |
| powershell Get-Help | Get-Help Get-Process -Examples | Command help |
🧰 Misc & Useful Utilities
| Command | Sample Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| control userpasswords2 | control userpasswords2 | Advanced user control |
| clip | ipconfig | clip | Copies output to clipboard |
| assoc | assoc .txt | Views or changes file associations |
| ftype | ftype txtfile | Modifies file types used by extensions |
| echo | echo %PATH% | Outputs text |
| pause | pause | Pauses script execution |