Common File and Directory Commands

Navigation

• cd foldername - Change Directory
  Use Case: Navigate to a specific folder.
  Example: cd C:\Users\YourName\Documents moves to the "Documents" folder.

• cd .. / cd ../.. - Move Up a Directory
  Use Case: Navigate up one or two levels in the directory structure.
  Example: cd .. moves up one level; cd ../.. moves up two levels.

• dir - List Files and Directories
  Use Case: View contents of the current directory.
  Example: dir displays all files and folders in the current directory.

• tree /f - Display Directory Structure with Files
  Use Case: View a visual representation of folders and their files.
  Example: tree /f displays the directory tree along with files instead of just folder names.
  Insight:

  • /f - This flag forces the command to show file names inside directories instead of only showing the folder structure.

File and Folder Management

• mkdir foldername - Create a Directory
  Use Case: Create a new folder.
  Example: mkdir Projects creates a "Projects" folder in the current directory.

• echo This is a text file. > file.txt - Create a File with Content
  Use Case: Generate a text file with specific content.
  Example: echo Hello, World! > test.txt creates "test.txt" containing "Hello, World!".

• copy file.txt D:\Backup\ - Copy a File
  Use Case: Duplicate a file to another folder or drive.
  Example: copy test.txt D:\Backup\ copies "test.txt" to the "Backup" folder on drive D.

• move file.txt D:\NewFolder\ - Move a File
  Use Case: Organize files by relocating them.
  Example: move test.txt D:\Documents\ moves "test.txt" to the "Documents" folder.

• ren oldname.txt newname.txt - Rename a File
  Use Case: Change the name of a file.
  Example: ren oldfile.txt newfile.txt renames "oldfile.txt" to "newfile.txt".

• del file.txt - Delete a File
  Use Case: Remove an unwanted file.
  Example: del test.txt deletes "test.txt" from the current directory.

• rmdir foldername /S /Q - Remove a Directory
  Use Case: Delete a folder and all its contents.
  Example: rmdir Projects /S /Q removes the "Projects" folder and everything inside it.
  Insight:

  • /S - Deletes all files and subdirectories inside the specified folder. Without this flag, rmdir only removes empty directories.
  • /Q - Runs the command in "quiet mode," meaning it does not prompt for confirmation before deletion.

• cls - Clear the Command Prompt Screen
  Use Case: Refresh the terminal screen for better readability.
  Example: cls clears all previous command outputs.

These essential commands allow users to efficiently navigate, manage files, and organize their system within the Windows Command Prompt.