๐ป Command Prompt Basics 1 - Introduction (Files & Directories)
This video, while poor visual quality, shows a process that can still be used today, with updates required.
Date: Mar 4, 2008
Shortcut created direct to C Drive as asked by a viewer, still usable today:
cmd.exe /k cd \
"Command" in the runbox has been deprecated and will not open in Windows 11. This video demonstrates this with Windows XP.
C:\Documents and Settings was replaced in future Operating Systems with C:\Users. As of Windows 11, the command prompt has been unified into a "Terminal", aligning with Linux.
Commands Used
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
cd .. |
Goes up one folder in the current view |
cd foldername |
Changes the terminal to work in the desired folder name, cd = Change Directory |
h: |
Where the drive exists, change to that drive |
dir |
List the files in the current folder (directory) |
dir /b |
Show the current directory in "bare format", just the file names |
dir *. |
Not recommended - Use dir /ad to just list directories |
dir /ah |
Shows hidden directories |
dir /w |
Shows results in a "wide format" |
dir /s |
Show subfolders |
dir /? |
Help for more command line arguments |
dir *.cfg |
Show all files with a cfg extension, replace with desired extension |
cd and press tab |
Autocompletes the directory or filename currently avalable |
Hindsight Comment
As of 2025:
The command prompt is still relevant today and is worth learning even in Windows 11. While some operations are better performed in PowerShell, basic file operations can help where the user interface cant.
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