The Command Prompt (cmd.exe) is a text-based interface used in Windows to run commands for: > File & folder management > System administration > Network diagnostics > Cybersecurity investigations > Troubleshooting

1. Windows & DOS
Prompt Commands
Unit 1: Computers & Cyber Security
Abhishek Sonker

2. What is Windows Command Prompt (DOS
Prompt)?
The Command Prompt (cmd.exe) is a text-based interface used in
Windows to run commands for:
● File & folder management
● System administration
● Network diagnostics
● Cybersecurity investigations
● Troubleshooting

3. Why are Dos Commands used?
● File Management: Users to navigate through directories and
create, delete, or copy files, enabling efficient file management.
● System Configuration: Users can configure system settings,
manage drives, and analyze hardware issues using Dos
commands, providing a robust toolkit for system customization.
● Program Execution: Facilitate the execution of programs and
scripts, offering a streamlined approach to launching applications
without the need for graphical interfaces.

4. ● dir for listing files,
● cd for changing directories,
● md or mkdir for creating
directories,
● del for deleting files,
● copy for copying files.
● ipconfig for network
information,
● ping for testing connectivity,
● tasklist to see running
programs,
● shutdown to turn off the
computer.
Common DOS prompt (Command Prompt in modern Windows)
commands include:

5. BASIC DOS COMMANDS

6. dir – List Files and Folders
Shows everything in the current
directory.
Output Shows:
● Files
● Folders
● Sizes
● Dates
Example:
C:Users> dir

7. cd – Change Directory
Used to move between folders.
Example:
To go back:
To go to root:
C:> cd WindowsSystem32
cd ..
cd

8. mkdir – Create Folder
Creates a new folder.
Example: C:> mkdir cyberlab

9. rmdir – Remove Folder
Deletes an empty directory.
Example: C:> rmdir emptyfolder
To delete entire folder with files: rmdir /s /q cyberlab

10. copy – Copy Files
Copies a file from source to destination.
Example: C:> copy report.txt backupreport.txt

11. move – Move or Rename File
Move or rename the file name.
Example: C:> move a.txt documentsa-old.txt

12. del – Delete a File
Delete the file from the folder or the source destination
Example: C:> del secret.txt

13. type – Display Contents of a File
Display Contents of a File
Example: C:> type notes.txt

14. SEARCHING & FILTERING
COMMANDS

15. findstr – Search Text in Files
Useful for log analysis.
Example: C:> findstr /i "error" server.log
Searches for the word error (case-insensitive) inside server.log.

16. Pipes (|) – Connect Commands
Example: C:> ipconfig | findstr IPv4
Output is filtered to only show IPv4 addresses.

17. Redirection (>, >>)
Save output to file.
Example: C:> dir > filelist.txt
Searches for the word error (case-insensitive) inside server.log.
Append instead of overwrite: >> filename

18. SYSTEM & NETWORK
COMMANDS
(Cyber Security Essentials)

19. ipconfig – Network Configuration
Displays IP address, gateway, DNS, MAC address.
Example: C:> ipconfig /all

20. netstat – Active Connections & Ports
Shows open ports and connections.
Example: C:> netstat -ano
Useful to detect malware opening unknown ports.

21. ping – Test Connectivity
Network utility that checks connectivity between two devices by
sending a packet and measuring the round-trip time for a response, also
known as latency
Example: C:> ping google.com

22. tracert – Trace Network Route
Traces the path of data packets across a network to a destination,
showing each "hop" (router) along the way and the time it takes to reach
each one.
Example: C:> tracert google.com

23. nslookup – DNS Lookup
(Name Server Lookup) command-line tool is used to query the Domain
Name System (DNS) to retrieve domain names, IP addresses, and other
DNS records for troubleshooting or network administration purposes.
Example: C:> nslookup example.com

24. tasklist – List Running Programs
Used to display a list of all currently running processes on your
computer.
Example: C:> tasklist

25. taskkill – Terminate Program
Used to terminate running processes from the command line. This is
particularly useful when a program becomes unresponsive and cannot
be closed through the graphical user interface.
Example: C:> taskkill /PID 1234 /F
Program can be be terminate by:
● Process ID (/PID)
● ImageName (/IM)
● Force Termination (/F)

26. ADVANCED/ADMIN COMMANDS
(Used in Cyber Investigations)

27. systeminfo – System Details
Shows OS type, version, hotfixes, BIOS, etc.
Example: C:> systeminfo

28. net user – User Accounts
You can view a list of all user accounts and used to create, delete, and
modify local user accounts
Example: C:> net user
Check account details: C:> net user Administrator

29. View details for a specific user:
Disable a user:
Enable a user:
net user <username>
net user <username> /active:no
net user <username> /active:yes
View all user accounts:
Create a new user:
Delete a user:
net user
net user <username> <password> /add
net user <username> /delete

30. net share – Shared Folders
To manage shared folders, allowing you to create, view, and delete
network shares from the command line.
Example: C:> net share

31. ipconfig /displaydns – DNS Cache
Shows the contents of the local DNS cache, which is a temporary
storage of domain names and their corresponding IP addresses.
Example: C:> ipconfig

32. SIMPLE PRACTICAL LAB
(STEP-BY-STEP)

33. Lab: Create, Copy, View, Search Files
1. mkdir lab
2. cd lab
3. echo Hello Cyber Security > note.txt
4. type note.txt
5. copy note.txt backup.txt
6. dir
7. findstr /i "cyber" note.txt

34. Expected outcomes:
● Creates folder
● Creates text file
● Displays contents
● Copies the file
● Searches content

35. Windows Command
Workflow

36. Command Prompt
Output
User enters command
Windows interprets it

37. SUMMARY

38. ● Windows DOS prompt allows direct interaction with the system.
● Commands like dir, cd, copy, del handle file tasks.
● Commands like ipconfig, netstat, tracert, nslookup are used in
cybersecurity.
● Filtering tools (findstr, pipes) help in log and network analysis.
● CMD is essential for digital forensics, troubleshooting, and
penetration testing.