15 Windows Command Prompt Commands to Know as Sysadmin

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Windows command prompt can perform many unique tasks that usually can’t be

done by other Windows components. Best of all, it works even when other Windows
components break, making it the best tool for system admins to master.

As a system administrator, the Windows command prompt can help you get more
information about computers and run automatic commands on multiple computers at
once to complete tasks remotely. Whether you want complete information about
connected networks, fix file errors, get info about hardware components, or manage
volume drives, you can do it all via command prompt.

If you are new to using command prompt as a system admin, then I can give you a
boost to get started. Although there are hundreds of commands, in this post, I will list
some of the most useful ones that system admins commonly use.

How to access command prompt in Windows?

You first need to know how to access the command prompt and run commands in it.
The easiest way to do this is by using the Run command.

Press Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog and type cmd in it to launch the
command prompt. You can then type the commands I have mentioned below and
press Enter key to execute them.

For some commands that interfere with system files and components, you might
have to launch the command prompt as administrator. To do so, simply search
for cmd in the Windows search box and right-click on the command prompt app, and
select Run as administrator.

Now that you know how to access the command prompt and use commands, let’s
see 15 Windows command prompt commands that will help you as a system admin.

ipconfig/all
Whether you need to fix connection errors or create a remote connection with other
PCs, ipconfig/all command is your best friend. This command will show all the
network configuration values in one place. This includes hostname, IP address,
default gateway, subnet mask, network features, and much more.
How to use ipconfig/all command and its parameters

Tracert
If the computers you are administrating are a part of a large network and connected
via multiple routers or bridges, the tracert command can help find network issues by
tracing the route a packet takes. This command can show each host the packets
routes through while reaching a specific host. Using this information, you can track
the cause of the problem where the packet is getting lost.

It also tells the time it takes to reach each host, so you can also track network
performance issues.

How to use tracert command and its parameters

DriverQuery
The command driverquery shows the complete list of installed drivers in your PC
along with the history of when they were installed. Although the Windows Device
Manager is a better tool to fix driver issues, this command can help when you need
to track driver installation history.

How to use driverquery command and its parameters

SystemInfo
With systeminfo command you can view detailed information about your PC and the
OS, such as system owner, PC model, boot time, network name, system type, and
much more. It also shows basic information about hardware, including processor,
RAM, and disk space.
How to use systeminfo command and its parameters

Powercfg
powercfg command is used to manage the power options of Windows. Unlike the
regular power options settings of Windows, powercfg lets you run commands that
are impossible to do from power settings, like import/export settings or track wake
times.

How to use powercfg command and its parameters

SFC/scannow
SFC (System File Checker) is the command used to check all the system files and
look for errors. Once found, the command will automatically replace the file with a
new one from the cache. Although it has multiple parameters, the most common one
is sfc/scannow that simply runs the scan on all the system files.

How to use the SFC command and its parameters

Chkdsk
This command is used to scan the hard drive for logical or physical errors
and automatically fix them. However, you need to use the right parameter to fix the
errors. For most users, the command chkdsk/r should be enough to find and fix file
system errors and bad sectors automatically.
How to use chkdsk command and its parameters

Netstat
A powerful network troubleshooting command that shows both incoming and
outgoing connections to your PC along with the protocol type. Not only that, but you
can also use netstat command to do a bunch of other things using parameters. You
can see the routing table, the number of bytes and packets sent/received, process ID
(PID), program name that established the connection, and many more.

Tasklist
A simple command to see the currently running processes on a PC, similar to the
processes tab in the task manager of Windows. However, tasklist command is
more useful for seeing processes of another PC remotely. Although keep in mind
that it doesn’t show memory usage in real-time, unlike the task manager.

How to use tasklist command and its parameters

GetMac
If you need to see the MAC address of a PC or multiple PCs connected over a
network, then getmac is the right command. Using without parameters, it will show the
MAC address of the current device. Although you can use parameters to view MAC
addresses of PCs over a network.

How to use getmac command and its parameters

Shutdown/s
The shutdown command has many parameters to control the shutdown and restart
of a PC or multiple PCs remotely. The command shutdown/s will shut down the
current PC after a delay. You can also use parameters like /r or /h to restart the
specified PC or put it in hibernate state.

Definitely, a must-know command to quickly shutdown multiple PCs you are

managing.

Assoc
You can use this command to view and manage file associations of a PC.
The assoc command will list all the file extensions along with programs associated
with them. You can add the extension next to the assoc command to see the
program associated with that extension; for example, assoc .mp3 will show the
program that runs mp3 files on the PC.
You can also use parameters to change file associations on the PCs remotely.

How to use assoc command and its parameters

Robocopy
It’s similar to the copy/paste feature of Windows, but it’s extremely customizable
using parameters. The basic robocopy <source> <destination> <file>  command will
copy/paste the file to the specified destination. You can add parameters
like /nocopy to remove associated information or /s to exclude empty subdirectories.

This command has dozens of parameters that can give full control over moving data,
perfect for managing data between multiple PCs.

How to use robocopy command and its parameters

Format
If you need to format the disk without access to the formatting feature of Windows,
then format is a powerful command to do it. You need to provide the volume label,
and the command will delete all the data on that volume. You can also configure file
system type, change volume label, change allocation unit size, create compressed
volume, and much more using parameters.

How to use format command and its parameters

Hostname
You need to know the hostname of a computer to create a remote connection,
and hostname command can easily tell you the name of any PC. Just type hostname,
and the command prompt will immediately tell you the hostname of the PC. It’s a
simple command that doesn’t even have parameters, but it’s extremely useful when
you need to create remote connections.