prompt

Changes the Cmd.exe command prompt, including displaying any text you want, such as the name of the current directory, the time and date, or the Microsoft Windows version number. If used without parameters, this command resets the command prompt to the default setting, which is the current drive letter and directory followed by the greater than symbol (>).

Syntax

Parameters

Specifies the text and information that you want to include in the command prompt. /? Displays help at the command prompt.

Remarks

The character combinations you can include instead of, or in addition to, one or more character strings in the text parameter:

Character	Description
$q	= (Equal sign)
$$	$ (Dollar sign)
$t	Current time
$d	Current date
$p	Current drive and path
$v	Windows version number
$n	Current drive
$g	> (Greater than sign)
$l	| (Pipe symbol)
$_	ENTER-LINEFEED
$e	ANSI escape code (code 27)
$h	Backspace (to delete a character that has been written to the command line)
$a	& (Ampersand)
$c	( (Left parenthesis)
$f	) (Right parenthesis)
$s	Space

When command extensions are enabled the prompt command supports the following formatting characters:

Character	Description
$+	Zero or more plus sign (+) characters, depending on the depth of the pushd directory stack (one character for each level pushed).
$m	The remote name associated with the current drive letter or the empty string if current drive is not a network drive.

If you include the $p character in the text parameter, your disk is read after you enter each command (to determine the current drive and path). This can take extra time, especially for floppy disk drives.

Examples

To set a two-line command prompt with the current time and date on the first line and the greater than sign on the next line, type:

The prompt is changed as follows, where the date and time are current:

To set the command prompt to display as an arrow ( —> ), type:

To manually change the command prompt to the default setting (the current drive and path followed by the greater than sign), type:

prompt prompt

Изменяет Cmd.exe командной строки, включая отображение любого нужного текста, например имя текущего каталога, дату и время или номер версии Microsoft Windows. Changes the Cmd.exe command prompt, including displaying any text you want, such as the name of the current directory, the time and date, or the Microsoft Windows version number. При использовании без параметров эта команда сбрасывает командную строку до значения по умолчанию, которое представляет собой текущую букву диска и каталог, за которыми следует символ «больше чем» ( > ). If used without parameters, this command resets the command prompt to the default setting, which is the current drive letter and directory followed by the greater than symbol (>).

Синтаксис Syntax

Параметры Parameters

Параметр Parameter	Описание Description
Задает текст и сведения, которые необходимо включить в командную строку. Specifies the text and information that you want to include in the command prompt.
/? /?	Отображение справки в командной строке. Displays help at the command prompt.

Комментарии Remarks

Сочетания символов, которые можно включить вместо или в дополнение к одной или нескольким символьным строкам в текстовом параметре: The character combinations you can include instead of, or in addition to, one or more character strings in the text parameter:

Символ Character	Описание Description
$q $q	= (Знак равенства) = (Equal sign)
$$	$ (Знак доллара) $ (Dollar sign)
$t $t	Текущее время Current time
$d $d	Текущая дата Current date
$p $p	Текущий диск и путь Current drive and path
$v $v	Номер версии Windows Windows version number
$n $n	Текущий диск Current drive
$g $g	> (больше чем знак) > (Greater than sign)
$l $l
$b $b	| (Символ вертикальной черты) | (Pipe symbol)
$ $	ВВОД-ПЕРЕВОД СТРОКИ ENTER-LINEFEED
$e $e	Escape-код ANSI (код 27) ANSI escape code (code 27)
$h $h	Backspace (для удаления символа, записанного в командную строку) Backspace (to delete a character that has been written to the command line)
$a $a	& (амперсанд) & (Ampersand)
$c $c	((Левая круглая скобка) ( (Left parenthesis)
$f $f	) (Правая круглая скобка) ) (Right parenthesis)
$s $s	Пробел Space

Если расширения команд включены, команда Prompt поддерживает следующие символы форматирования: When command extensions are enabled the prompt command supports the following formatting characters:

Символ Character	Описание Description
$+	Ноль или более символов плюса ( + ) в зависимости от глубины стека pushd Directory (по одному символу для каждого уровня). Zero or more plus sign (+) characters, depending on the depth of the pushd directory stack (one character for each level pushed).
$m $m	Удаленное имя, связанное с текущей буквой диска или пустой строкой, если текущий диск не является сетевым диском. The remote name associated with the current drive letter or the empty string if current drive is not a network drive.

Если включить $p символ в текстовый параметр, диск считывается после ввода каждой команды (для определения текущего диска и пути). If you include the $p character in the text parameter, your disk is read after you enter each command (to determine the current drive and path). Это может занять некоторое время, особенно для дисководов гибких дисков. This can take extra time, especially for floppy disk drives.

Примеры Examples

Чтобы установить в командной строке с двумя строками текущее время и дату в первой строке и знак «больше чем» на следующей строке, введите: To set a two-line command prompt with the current time and date on the first line and the greater than sign on the next line, type:

Запрос изменится следующим образом, где Дата и время будут актуальными: The prompt is changed as follows, where the date and time are current:

Чтобы настроить командную строку для вывода в виде стрелки ( —> ), введите: To set the command prompt to display as an arrow ( —> ), type:

Чтобы вручную изменить командную строку на значение по умолчанию (текущий диск и путь, за которым следует знак «больше чем»), введите: To manually change the command prompt to the default setting (the current drive and path followed by the greater than sign), type:

Windows commands

All supported versions of Windows (server and client) have a set of Win32 console commands built in.

This set of documentation describes the Windows Commands you can use to automate tasks by using scripts or scripting tools.

Prerequisites

The information that is contained in this topic applies to:

• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server (Semi-Annual Channel)
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows 10
• Windows 8.1

Command shell overview

The Command shell was the first shell built into Windows to automate routine tasks, like user account management or nightly backups, with batch (.bat) files. With Windows Script Host you could run more sophisticated scripts in the Command shell. For more information, see cscript or wscript. You can perform operations more efficiently by using scripts than you can by using the user interface. Scripts accept all Commands that are available at the command line.

Windows has two command shells: The Command shell and PowerShell. Each shell is a software program that provides direct communication between you and the operating system or application, providing an environment to automate IT operations.

PowerShell was designed to extend the capabilities of the Command shell to run PowerShell commands called cmdlets. Cmdlets are similar to Windows Commands but provide a more extensible scripting language. You can run Windows Commands and PowerShell cmdlets in Powershell, but the Command shell can only run Windows Commands and not PowerShell cmdlets.

For the most robust, up-to-date Windows automation, we recommend using PowerShell instead of Windows Commands or Windows Script Host for Windows automation.

You can also download and install PowerShell Core, the open source version of PowerShell.

Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making the following changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.

To enable or disable file and directory name completion in the Command shell on a computer or user logon session, run regedit.exe and set the following reg_DWOrd value:

To set the reg_DWOrd value, use the hexadecimal value of a control character for a particular function (for example, 0 9 is Tab and 0 08 is Backspace). User-specified settings take precedence over computer settings, and command-line options take precedence over registry settings.

Command-line reference A-Z

To find information about a specific command, in the following A-Z menu, click the letter that the command starts with, and then click the command name.

How to Open Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt to Execute Commands in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, & XP

Some popular Command Prompt commands you might have heard of include ping, netstat, tracert, shutdown, and attrib, but there are many more. We have a complete list here.

While Command Prompt probably isn’t a tool most of you will use on a regular basis, it can really come in handy now and then, maybe to troubleshoot a specific Windows problem or to automate some kind of task.

How you open Command Prompt differs between Windows versions, so you’ll find steps below for Windows 10, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, and Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. See What Version of Windows Do I Have? if you’re not sure.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 10

Select the Start button.

Type cmd.

Select Command Prompt from the list.

Open Command Prompt Through the Start Menu

Another way to open Command Prompt in Windows 10 is to look in its Start menu folder:

Select the Start button.

Select the Windows System folder from the list.

Choose Command Prompt from the folder group.

Open Command Prompt Using Power User Menu

One more method in Windows 10 is through the Power User Menu. If you’re using a keyboard or mouse, choose Command Prompt from the menu that appears after pressing Win+X or right-clicking the Start button.

You might see Windows PowerShell options in the Power User Menu instead of Command Prompt. In more recent versions of Windows 10, Command Prompt has been replaced by PowerShell, but you can still access it from the Power User Menu by editing the taskbar settings.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 8 or 8.1

Select the Start button and then swipe up to show the Apps screen. You can accomplish the same thing with a mouse by selecting the down arrow icon at the bottom of the screen.

Prior to the Windows 8.1 update, the Apps screen can be accessed from the Start screen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, or right-clicking anywhere, and then choosing All apps.

If you’re using a keyboard or mouse, a really quick way to open a Command Prompt window in Windows 8 is through the Power User Menu—just hold the WIN and X keys down together, or right-click the Start button, and choose Command Prompt.

Swipe or scroll to the right on the Apps screen to locate the Windows System section heading.

Select Command Prompt. You can now execute whatever command you needed to run.

See our List of Windows 8 Command Prompt Commands for a complete list of the commands available through Command Prompt in Windows 8, including short descriptions and links to more in-depth information if we have it.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 7, Vista, or XP

Open the Start menu from the bottom-left corner of the screen.

In Windows 7 and Windows Vista, it’s a bit faster to enter command in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu and then choose Command Prompt when it appears in the results.

Go to All Programs > Accessories.

Choose Command Prompt from the list of programs.

Here’s our List of Windows 7 Commands and List of Windows XP Commands if you need a command reference for any of those versions of Windows.

Other Ways to Open Command Prompt

Command Prompt in Windows XP through Windows 10 can also be opened with a command. This is especially helpful if you like using the Run dialog box or if Windows Explorer has crashed and the Start menu is inaccessible (and thus the directions above don’t work).

To do this, enter cmd into the command-line interface. This can be in the Run dialog box (WIN+R) or Task Manager’s File > Run new task menu.

Elevated Command Prompts and Old Windows Versions

In versions of Windows released before Windows XP, like Windows 98 and Windows 95, Command Prompt doesn’t exist. However, the older and very similar MS-DOS Prompt does. This program is located in the Start menu and can be opened with the command run command.

Some commands, like the sfc command that’s used to repair Windows files, require that Command Prompt be opened as an administrator before they can be executed. You’ll know if this is the case if you get a message like one of these after trying to execute the command:

• check that you have administrative rights
• . command can only be executed from an elevated command prompt
• you must be an administrator

See How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt for help starting Command Prompt as an administrator, a process that’s a bit more complicated than what’s outlined above.