Certainly, it is the last thing we can see within Windows that reminds us of what was MS-DOS. However, what we do have to disagree on is its usefulness. Indeed, the possibilities it offers are almost endless. In fact, it has an enormous scope, something that many people ignore. But not everything stays there. In fact, it can even be fun to use the Command Prompt, or at least a lot more fun than we might imagine. Let’s take a look at some unexpected, amusing, and even bizarre features hidden in the Command Prompt.

Customize the appearance

Although you may find it strange, the command prompt can be customized: You can change the background color, the tab name, search for text and more. To do so, the following must be done:

• We enter the Command Prompt by typing the same in the search area of the taskbar and clicking Open when the option comes up.
• Right-click on the Command Prompt icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
• We will see how we can select Color (to change the color of the Command Prompt), Rename Tab, Duplicate Tab, Split Table, Export Text and Search (to search for a particular text).

Window title

The title of the window can be changed with one command and, moreover, in an extremely simple way. To do it, we must put title. Then, we will write the word or phrase that we want to appear in the header of the Command Prompt window. It has a limited utility. However, it is true that it is a curious function. Besides that, few people know about the Windows Command Prompt.

Where your data goes

This is a fun and interesting trick. Indeed, it can be used for networking and problem-solving. The tracert command, followed by an IP address or a website, will show a list of where our connection bounces to on the way to that address. It is really curious to see all the stops our connection makes on its way to the destination we have marked.

The normal thing is that the configuration of Internet of our house send us to several addresses related to the ISP to later depend on where we are going to go. In fact, each website transfers data differently. This depends on where the website itself connects from and where we are finally going to get to.

Turning off the computer

We are also going to be able to turn off the computer thanks to the Command Prompt. This can be useful if there is an incident that does not let Windows do it. Also, if we do not want to force it by means of the physical button of the device.

To shut down the computer, we must put the following command: shutdown/s. If what we want is to restart the computer at that precise moment, what we will have to write is: shutdown/r This way of turning off the computer may not be practical. However, it may come in handy at some point. So it is not a bad thing to have this information.

Imagine that this curious Command Prompt trick is the one that allows you to shut down or restart your computer at a time when you have a problem. Then it won’t seem so trivial.

Star Wars

This is a really different trick that will generate a lot of curious looks when we show it to someone. To view Star Wars in the Command Prompt, we must enable a service called Telnet. If you have Windows 10 or 11, press Win + Q, type telnet. Then select Turn Windows features on or off.

After that, we go down to the Telnet Client entry, check the box, then click OK and close the window.

Re-enter the Command Prompt and execute the following commands, pressing Enter after each one:

• telnet telehack.com
• starwars

Then you just have to enjoy looking at the screen, since we will have the story of Star Wars Episode IV totally made by ASCII. Undoubtedly, something curious, fun and, for many users, even entertaining.

Command Prompt Aquarium

If we continue using Telnet we can not only have Star Wars on the screen, but more possibilities. As soon as we start with the telnet command telehack.com, we see that there are many more options, but the one we are going to see next is possibly the best achieved.

The most remarkable thing next to the Star Wars ASCII recreation is the aquarium command. If we put this command as we did in the previous case (instead of putting starwars) we will see an ASCII aquarium that could even be used as a screensaver.

With all these tricks, you will have witnessed that the Windows Command Prompt has many practical functions for the configuration and management of the operating system. In addition to others that are very curious.

That means that the Windows Command Prompt can surprise you much more than you might expect with these curious tricks. The truth is that fun can be found in the most unlikely places.

The post Command Line Magic: Secret Features and Hidden Functions of the Windows Command Prompt appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.

Terminal (emulator)

The terminal itself is a physical device that allows inputting and receiving information from a computer. The most important thing is that it is not necessary for the processing of instructions and data to be carried out on the terminal itself.

Certainly, in today’s world, it is common to interact with the operating system in text mode. Well, in most cases, we will not refer to this meaning of terminal. In fact, the correct term refers to the so-called terminal emulators. These allow us to use text mode within a graphical user interface. This other class of terminals are merely applications that run and give us access to a shell. In fact, they usually allow multiple shell types to be used. This is the case, for example, of Windows Terminal. By default, we will be able to manage the following: Windows PowerShell, PowerShell, Command Prompt, Azure Cloud Shell, the multiple distributions we have installed in the Linux Subsystem (WSL), etc.

On the other hand, Windows Terminal is not the only Windows terminal emulator. Indeed, there are MobaXterm, Cmder, ConEmu and others. However, in the case of Unix-based systems (Linux, *BSD, macOS), the catalog of available terminals is multiplied to infinity. In fact, each desktop environment usually offers its own (Gnome Terminal in GNOME, Konsole in KDE, iTerm in macOS…). But it is also possible to install third-party alternatives for all tastes (Terminator, Alacritty, Guake, st…).

Each terminal emulator differs by offering its own graphical interfaces, functionalities, and configuration options. For example, keyboard shortcuts, font and background customization, clipboard management, etc.

Consola [Virtual]

Console is a term that is often used inconsistently. In fact, even more so than the other terms in this list. Additionally, multiple definitions are available on the Internet. In fact, the discrepancies start even in the origin of the word. For some, the old physical console is exactly the same as a physical terminal. On the other hand, others introduce certain nuances, considering the former as a subset of the latter.

What happens when we talk about virtual console? What happens when we talk about virtual console? Many sources consider it, also, synonymous with (terminal emulator.) However, it would be more correct to refer to it as a shell session. Let’s see, let’s suppose we open a terminal emulator and start typing commands directly. In that case, we are, effectively, using a terminal and a console.

On the other hand, suppose we open two tabs in the terminal emulator, whether they are from the same shell. In that case, we are already using two consoles. It can also happen that we subdivide a tab using tools such as a multiplexer (for example, Tmux), or functions such as split table of Windows Terminal. In such a case, the number of consoles will continue to multiply, even if we are only using a single terminal.

In addition, when using a Linux system, we always have several consoles open (although not visible). We are talking about the so-called ‘TTY’, which we can access with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + function key (one per key). Part of them will be graphic consoles. However, the others will be text consoles, each running in parallel with the others. Additionally, all of them working outside our graphical environment, so we would not be using them from terminal emulators.

Shell

We have already mentioned, when talking about terminals, several examples of different shells that can be found in Windows. As with terminals, the number of shells in Unix systems multiplies. Certainly, Bash is usually installed as the default shell. However, it is possible to change it for different ones, such as the very popular Zsh. Remember that macOS ended up adopting it as a default shell. Other options include the emerging Fish, the old Ksh and Tcsh, or minority options such as Xonsh.

The function of the shell is to interpret the commands we enter. You might think that there can’t be much difference in how some commands are interpreted. However, there are many variables to watch out for. For example, the different syntax of the scripts, or aspects such as the possibility of creating aliases and defining variables. Also, the existence of syntax highlighting or auto-completion functions. Likewise, the way in which the system output is displayed on the screen. Well, all these elements can make the user experience vary significantly depending on which shell we use.

Command interpreter (or command line)

Every shell is a command interpreter. However, not every shell is a shell. A command interpreter (also called CLI), is any software that interacts with us through the input of text commands. Some CLIs run on top of a shell and are not intended to be a way to control the operating system. Instead, they aim to be just a very specific software or online service. Examples of this can be NPM, IPython, GitHub CLI, AWS CLI or our favorite SSH client. Very well, in this way we have made clear the differences between terminal, console, shell and command line. Bye!

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What is MSConfig

Certainly, Windows has tools that are not very well known to the public. Among them, we find MSconfig. Indeed, not everyone knows how it works. However, this does not mean that it is not necessary. It will surely help us on more than one occasion if we know how to run this tool. Foremost, we must consider that this MSConfig tool is not something new that has been added in Windows 10 or 11. Specifically, it made its appearance in the version of the Microsoft Windows 98 system. However, from version 10 onwards, it lost some of its steam. However, it can still help us at different times, especially for those who want to have more control over their PC system.

The name of this software is System Configuration. Although you may have heard of MSConfig. In any case, this will be the name of the file that we can find in different parts of the system. In addition, it will be the command that we will have to use to open its menu. The main idea behind the development of the system configuration, or MSConfig, was to help users have a system tool to troubleshoot different problems in the system startup process. In fact, this functionality of the operating system can manage to disable or re-enable software, device drivers or computer services that run at startup. It can even let us change the boot parameters.

Is it difficult to use MSConfig?

Best of all, this software tool is easy to use. Therefore, it will not be at all complicated to get to use. Something that helps those who do not have a lot of experience when it comes to solving many issues. For this very reason, we are going to see all the methods that exist to open MSConfig in Windows. In addition to all the utilities that we will be able to carry out with this software of the Microsoft operating system.

Methods to open it

There are different options that will allow us to access the system configuration menu. Something quite useful because we will be able to open this software in different ways. Especially depending on the needs of each user. For this reason, we bring you up to six different ways to open MSConfig on the computer. And they are as follows:

In the Run window

One of the fastest ways to open MSConfig in Windows is to access the Run window of the operating system. With this in mind, the steps to follow will be very simple, since in a matter of two seconds, we will open the menu of this configuration on the computer. Therefore, this is what we will have to do:

• Press the Windows and R keys on your keyboard at the same time.
• Now, type the msconfig command in the Run window.
• Click on OK.
• Finally, you will be in the System Configuration menu.

Use the task manager

Another way to access the system configuration on Windows is through the task manager. It is quite likely that you already know how to access this feature of your PC software. However, we will tell you each of the steps you will have to follow in case you have never used this tool before:

• First, we will have to open the Task Manager by pressing ctrl + alt + delete on the keyboard.
• Then, tap on the Task Manager tab.
• Next, click on File.
• Tap on Run New Task.
• Type the command msconfig > OK.

With the file explorer

In this case, we will use the PC file explorer to enter this tool. So, this will be the process that we will have to follow:

• Press at the same time the keys Windows + E of the keyboard to open the explorer.
• From here, we will have to find the path to the folder of this tool.
• Go to the This PC window.
• Tap on C>Windows>search for System32.
• Inside, use the quick finder and type msconfig.
• Then, the tool will appear, so you can run it.

From the PC terminal

From the PowerShell tool or command line, we can also run MSConfig in a fairly simple way. And the truth is that it is quite similar to the first two alternatives that we explained above. This is what you should do:

• Go to your PC desktop.
• Right-click with the mouse on an space.
• Click on Terminal or similar.
• Inside, type again the command msconfig and click on Enter.

With the start menu

Certainly, from the Start browser itself, we will be able to quickly access this software of Microsoft’s operating system. Specifically, following this series of steps.

• Go to the Start menu.
• Type MSConfig.
• The System Configuration option will appear.
• Click on it to open this menu.

From the control panel

Finally, let’s go to the last way to access the system configuration software. For this, we will have to make use of the well-known Windows Control Panel. So, the first thing we will have to do will be to access to this function. Once we are inside, this will be the process that we will have to follow:

• To make it easier, we put the option Small Icons.
• Inside, we will have to click on the Windows Tools tab.
• Then, we will find the System Configuration option.

Features in Windows 10 and 11

We have already seen the different ways to open MSConfig. Now it is time to see what exactly this system tool is used for. For this very reason, we will explain each of the functions of the system configuration. So that you can make use of this tool at different times. Whether it is to disable applications during PC startup or even to diagnose startup problems.

Diagnosis of start-up problems

This type of failure occurs when the PC’s operating system has various issues loading correctly. That is, when it takes longer than usual to boot the PC. Furthermore, when different errors appear on the screen as the computer starts up. They may even appear all at the same time. For this reason, it is important to know how to identify the concern. Precisely, MSConfig of the computer will help us with this.

Therefore, the first thing to do is to access the system configuration with one of the methods we have given above. Once inside, we will have to follow each one of the steps that we will see next. In this way, we will be able to solve the boot problems of Windows:

• Go to the General tab of MSConfig.
• Here we will have three options: Normal startup, Diagnostic Startup and Selective startup.
• In case you have a problem, ideally choose the Diagnostic Startup option. Only load basic devices and services.
• However, we can also select Selective startup and uncheck the Load startup items box.

Troubleshoot a configuration failure

If we have any type of error with the configuration, the truth is that this tool will help us to solve this problem. These occur when new commands have been established or, also, when the old ones have been modified. So, it has given error in the system. Consequently, to solve it, we will have to find the command or setting that is wrong or modified, to change it or revert it to its original state.

However, you should not touch anything in this menu if you are inexperienced. In fact, if we make a wrong step, we will make that Windows does not start. Inside the Startup box, we will find different modes to error-proof, and they are the following ones:

• Minimal: at startup, it will run the computer’s Explorer with the GUI in safe mode with only critical system services. And networks will be disabled.
• Alternate shell: in this case, it will open the command prompt in safe mode only with critical system services. In addition, networking and GUI will be disabled.
• Active Directory Repair: during startup, it will open the Windows GUI in safe mode with the critical system services and Active Directory.
• Network: we will access the system GUI in safe mode with critical system services and networks will be enabled.

However, there will be more options that we will be able to find within the boot options. All of them can also be used in case we need to solve any kind of problem with the startup of our PC. Therefore, these will be the other alternatives that we will find in this MSConfig menu:

• No GUI Boot.
• Boot log.
• Base video.
• OS boot information.

Fixing a conflict problem

Thirdly, we will encounter different conflicts that may arise from drivers, services, or updates. Especially those that have been loaded on the system and have changed another file. Or even tried to use the same resources as a file or device that was already there. In these cases, we will have to resort to the Services section of MSConfig.

So, from this option of the system configuration, we will be able to disable any service just by unchecking its checkbox. That is to say, the service will be disabled the next time you restart the PC. Therefore, it will remain active until you shut down the computer. However, there are some Microsoft operating system services that cannot be disabled.

Then, we also find the Windows Startup tab. This function was one of the most important to see the tasks and system services. Although it is no longer useful because now we find it in the Task Manager itself. However, the tab is still there so that we can quickly access the time functionality.

The Tools tab

Inside this window, we will find the different system diagnostic tools. In addition to other more advanced options of the system. Before using each one of them, it will be essential to read the description offered by this operating system. In the case that we want to access it, we will have to select the name of the tool in the list and click on the Start button.

However, most of these system functionalities can be found in a much more accessible way from the Windows start menu. Although, here we will be able to find the specific command so that we can open them quickly without having to look for it in the PC. Concretely, these will be the tools that we will find in MSConfig:

• About Windows.
• Change UAC settings.
• Security and maintenance.
• Windows Troubleshooting.
• Computer management.
• System information.
• Event Viewer.
• Programs.
• System properties.
• Internet options.
• Internet protocol settings.
• Performance monitor.
• Resource Monitor.
• Task Manager.
• Command Prompt.
• Registry Editor.
• Remote Assistance.
• System Restore.

Okay, so we have seen everything about MSConfig. We learned how to open it and use it to solve problems in Windows.

The post MSconfig. What it is and how to use it in Windows. appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.

The default Windows 11 console: Windows Terminal

The arrival of Windows 11 has brought with it a renewal that has taken quite a few users surprised. Nothing more and nothing less than the establishment of Windows Terminal as command line and console by default of Windows 11. Let us remember that this comes after its incorporation to Windows 10. We are talking about the system command line application.

Windows Terminal was introduced a few years ago. Specifically, at the Build 2019 event. In addition, from the beginning it has had a clear function: to serve as a command line tool, but renewed. Not in vain, its development was outside the Windows work team. In addition, its code was released, and free. All wrapped in a very recognizable air of Linux, a system that Windows is getting closer and closer to.

Increased benefits

This tool is more powerful than the command line of previous versions. In fact, it can manage the basic command console present on the computer since Windows NT. But it also runs the more advanced PowerShell console, available since Windows Vista. With the latter, in addition to using the command prompt, it is possible to create commands and combine them through sequences. However, to do so, you need to have some programming skills. Specifically, in C#.

In addition, you can have additional tabs for other tools open at the same time. This is the case of WSL 2, the second version of a Linux subsystem for Microsoft Windows. Its mission is to run Linux distributions. In addition to applications created for this system, within Windows itself. In short, Windows Terminal already works as a unifying tool for the different Windows command lines and consoles. However, this does not mean that it has eliminated the other two Windows command line applications installed on the system: CMD (or command line) and PowerShell.

Access to the command console in Windows 11

There are several ways to access the console through the command prompt. To use one of the fastest ones, the first thing you have to do is to open the Windows Finder, and type in it CMD. Before it opens, note that you can choose whether you want it to run in user mode or administrator mode. In the first case, you will be able to use it with various limitations. However, in exchange, there will be fewer unforeseen events if the user is not very experienced or is not interested in having access to various resources and options. You can also access through the Run tool, through the Finder in the Start menu.

PowerShell can also be accessed through the Windows Finder. But in this case, what you have to type in it is PowerShell. As for the Windows Terminal, until this version 11 it was not installed by default. Therefore, it was necessary to download that tool from its Microsoft Store page, and install it afterwards.

If you have this tool installed, or if you are using Windows 11, you only need to access it. Remember that you will be able to access, in different tabs, to PowerShell or to the command line. And it’s opening in Windows 11 is as simple as selecting the corresponding option in the contextual menu that appears when clicking with the right button of the mouse.

The main Windows terminal commands

It doesn’t matter which application or tool you use to access the command line. In text mode, in any of them you will have to use the same commands as in previous versions. Just as if you were using the old MS-DOS, but with slight differences. For example, you have :customization possibilities (although small), some colors and even tabs in the case of Windows Terminal.

To use any command, you only have to type it, followed by its modifiers in case it supports them, and you need them, and press the Enter key. The results of applying the command will be practically immediate. Below you have a list of the most useful commands for the Windows command line are the following:

Another Windows terminal commands

• Chkdsk: Checks what state a given disk drive is in. Either a disk partition or a volume. It also generates, and displays on screen, a report of how the examined drive or partition is. In addition to this, it can correct some errors that the disk may present. In the case of locating damaged sectors on it, it can even recover the information they contain.
• Systeminfo: This command is also responsible for displaying information, but in this case, about the entire operating system. It displays information about the computer’s processor, the RAM used and available, the BIOS, the virtual memory used and available, and who manufactured the motherboard. Furthermore, what version of the system is installed, as well as what updates it has.
• Dir: Returns a list of the files and subdirectories in a directory. To move from one directory to another, use the CD command, with the appropriate modifier.
• Del: Deletes one or more files from the folder, even if the file does not allow deletion when using the Windows GUI to try to delete it.
• Diskpart: Disk drive management, internal or external. It has disk management functions, both whole disks and partitions. Even works for virtual disks.
• Format: Formats a disk drive and prepares it to install Windows.
• Help: Displays a list of all the commands that can be used in the console. It can also be used to learn details about the operation of a command, if used with Help + command name.

Continuation of the list

• IPconfig: Its mission is to provide information about the TCO/IP network configuration values at the time the query is made. It also updates the DNS and DHCP settings.
• Ping: Checks that there is communication between the local computer and a remote computer on an IP network (or with several). It is also used to check the status and quality of a network, as well as its transmission speed.
• Netstat – Provides information about the network, as well as the opportunity to perform analysis and diagnostics of its status. It is also used to find out which IP address is behind a domain name.
• Nslookup: This command is used to know, in case of a connection problem, if a DNS is resolving properly both IPs and names. It also returns the list of incoming and outgoing connections to a computer.
• Tracert: With this command you can find out which packets are coming from a point in a network, as well as their latency, among other information.

These are certainly not the only commands you can use. However, perhaps the most used and the most useful for users of a Windows system with some experience using the Windows console. However, if you want to know the rest, as we have mentioned, you only have to resort to the Help command for further information. In this way, we have seen the main Windows Terminal commands. See you later!

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How to use Windows 10 terminal help.

In particular, the help allows you to obtain the complete list of available commands. Don’t worry, there are actually not many. This is something we can do from the command prompt. Additionally, there is no distinction between a normal user and an administrator. Please note that the terminal is not case-sensitive, so it makes no difference whether we use lower case or upper case. With this in mind, we will use the following command:

HELP

Consequently, we will be able to develop the help of each particular command. Specifically, help shows the function of the command as such. However, it does not display the complete help for a command. I mean, all the commands we saw in the previous list have their help section. This applies even to the command prompt itself. In effect, the help opens another instance of the terminal. l. To use the help in a command, type the command followed by /? Using this syntax:

BREAK /?

CD /?

The information may be more extensive than what is shown in the window. Consequently, it is offered to press some keys to move to the next information screen. Another way to do this is to use the command:

HELP DIR

How to clean the terminal screen.

After executing and executing commands, the screen will logically fill up with characters. Consequently, it is likely that at some point we will want to clean them up. With this in mind, we will use the following command:

CLS

How to force the termination of a command.

Occasionally, we run a command, and it is taking a long time to finish. Or we simply run it accidentally. Consequently, if you want to finish it in a forced way, then you must press the combination Ctrl + C, and it will finish:

How to view the command history and use them again.

The Windows terminal has a buffer where it stores the last executed commands, whether correct or erroneous. This serves to speed up the tasks we do. Consequently, we will be able to reuse them if we press the Up or Down arrow keys on the Prompt. Additionally, we can write the last command by pressing the Right directional key. We can also display the complete list of commands. To accomplish this, just press F7.

Using directory navigation.

One of the most used functions of the CMD is to be able to navigate through the file directories. To display the directory where you are currently located, please use the following command:

DIR

Note that you can expand the information by using the help command shown above.

On the other hand, we can show the content of any directory even if we are not inside it. To achieve this, just type DIR and then the full or relative path:

DIR <directory path>

Directories in the operating system have a tree-like composition. Consequently, we will go up as we go deeper into folders and subfolders. On the contrary, we will go down if we go out of them.

CD <directory path>

CD..

How to create directories with the Windows terminal.

Next we will see another command related to directory navigation. Specifically, we will see how to create folders, with or without additional properties. The command will be as follows:

MKDIR <path where the new directory will be created>

Let’s learn to erase as well

We have seen how to create directories and files. Well, we can also delete them via commands. Specifically, we will use the DEL command to delete files and the RD command to delete directories.

DEL <file path>

RD <directory path>

It is also possible to copy and paste.

This Windows classic could not be missed. Yes, the Windows terminal also allows copy and paste. Let’s see the syntax:

XCOPY <path of file or directory to copy> <path of the location where to paste>

You only have to select the origin and after a space to add the destination. In addition, there are arguments to recursively copy the entire contents of a directory, to overwrite the contents already existing in the destination and others. It even works with shared drives over the network, as if we do it graphically.

Complete files and view files on the go.

This option is intended to speed up navigation. All commands that take paths or filenames as arguments allow auto-completion of the filename. For this purpose, just start typing the name of the folder or file. Then press TAB and the name will be completed. Note that the path is enclosed in quotes to allow for spaces, accents and other characters.

Running simultaneous or conditional commands in Windows terminal

In some cases, the Windows terminal behaves like the GNU/Linux terminal. Indeed, it can execute multiple commands succeeding or under certain conditions. This option becomes relevant for scripts that are executed line by line and small programs created by the user. Check the characters to be added:

[…] & […] 

Let’s see how they are used. With the symbol & we will be indicating to the terminal to run the second command when it finishes running the first one. Independently of the result of the first command. To clarify, it is an AND function. For example:

ipconfig /release & ipconfig /renew

In this case, the status of the network connections will be checked first. Then the IP address and the configuration of all of them will be renewed.

Let’s look at another use:

[…] && […]

We are talking about a classic if conditional. In effect, the second command will only be executed if the first one has shown a successful result or has concluded correctly. If the first command fails, the second command will not be executed either. Let’s see:

cd Documents\folder && mkdir Documents\folder\docs

We will only create the docs directory if we have been able to access Documents first. Let’s look at another use:

[…] || […]

In this case, the second command will only be executed if the first one has not been executed successfully. In fact, it is just the opposite of the previous command. Specifically, it is an if-but-no command:

cd Documents\folder || mkdir Documents\folder

For this condition, we will only create the folder directory if we have not been able to access it because it did not previously exist. These are certainly simple examples, but they can be very useful when executing more complex tasks.

Conclusion

Very well, in last instance we have seen how to use the terminal of Windows 10. I hope to have clarified your doubts, if you want some topic in particular, let us know in the comments. Bye!

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What is a command terminal

On Microsoft desktop systems, it is known as the command prompt. It actually functions as a command interpreter. In addition, it is available on the vast majority of operating systems. It behaves as a control element for the same, but at a low level.

In addition, it is a system-integrated tool. Therefore, it can perform most of the tasks that we do in the traditional way in Windows 10. If the graphical interface and windows are not available, then the command terminal will be the only option to manage an operating system. As we mentioned, this element is present in GNU/Linux, where it has a great weight in the management of the system. But it is also a functional tool in Windows, macOS and the vast majority of operating systems.

How a terminal and a command interpreter works

A command interpreter is nothing more than a program with the ability to translate commands typed by the user. To accomplish this, it uses a set of instructions that allow direct control of aspects of the system, as well as the set of tools that are part of it. Let’s suppose you want to access the contents of a folder in Windows 10. In that case, just double-click on the folder to see its contents. The same applies if you want to run any tool. For example, notepad. You just double-click on it and that’s it. Well, with the command prompt, we can do the same using commands:

PROMPT>ls C:\folder path

PROMPT>notepad

These commands must be entered following a specific syntax within the terminal emulator. Through a PROMPT waiting to be entered. These commands are related to system functions. In addition, they can function in different ways using arguments. These are additional options placed after the command that qualify the operation. In addition, it is often necessary to place the path to the folder or file involved.

A little history of the Windows terminal.

The advent of the command terminal dates back to the appearance of the first operating systems. Moreover, it was the only possible way to manage instructions in them. In this respect, IBM’s UNIX was a trend-setter in the 1970s. It was certainly not the first, but it had the functions most similar to those of today’s systems.

However, this system required a rather complex code for its control. Therefore, we must go back to 1981 with the appearance of MS-DOS to see a command terminal behaving as such. In addition, the implementation of systems with a layer between machine and user that could be controlled more easily from commands and scripts was encouraged through medium and high-level programming languages such as C or C++.

COMMAND.COM marked the beginning

COMMAND.COM was the tool in charge of performing the system control as an integral part of the system itself. Even part of the commands used in Windows today come from it. Remember that there was no graphical interface, so everything was done on a black or blue screen and plain text. This tool was also in charge of loading the system configuration during startup. The architecture evolved and the capacity to process graphics appeared. Thus, Windows NT, Microsoft’s first window-based system, was born. This was a huge qualitative leap. In effect, the command interface was replaced by the use of the mouse in a graphical environment with windows and icons. In fact, it set the trend for the system as we know it today.

Things have certainly changed. Unlike COMMAND.COM, the current Windows command terminal is just another application in the system, acting as a command emulator. Consequently, it is not an integral part of the system, and as such does not load its configuration or DLL that control its operation. However, there are still functions emanating from the graphical interface to the CMD to be executed. In addition, some scripts are opened in the terminal.

How to use the Windows 10 terminal

We have already determined that it is a terminal. Now it is time to determine how to use it. As already mentioned, the terminal is a command interpreter. Therefore, it needs an understandable string. When you open it, the only visible element will be the PROMPT. This is a line that informs the user of the path to the user’s home directory. Therefore, it will be the default location where the commands will be executed. However, this can be changed.

When the command is entered, it will not be executed until the Enter key is pressed. The sequence is immediately parsed by cmd or directly by the program it represents. In fact, within the command prompt we can run other programs, such as DISKPART. The response of the terminal is according to the command given. It may be to display information in text form within the terminal itself. It can also be the execution of an application in the foreground or background, or an error message when it does not understand the command.

User permissions for the Windows terminal

One thing you should consider is the permissions granted by the user to use the terminal. Certainly, the systems are multi-user and are based on sessions opened by each one of them. Furthermore, not all have the same privileges and permissions to run apps. More than all, there are administrators and guest or limited users.

In GNU/Linux is where the user permission system is more prioritized. However, Windows also has its method. However, every time we create a new user, this one will have Administrator privileges. On the other hand, the figure of root or superuser that Linux has more clearly does not appear. This can be seen when installing any app. In effect, a window will appear asking for administrator permissions to continue. In addition, the type of users will be shown in the terminal window. A command prompt as administrator will show the path to the System32 directory.

How to access the command prompt.

The easiest way to access the Windows terminal is through the start menu. You can follow the path: Windows Start>Windows System>System symbol. A more expeditious way is to type CMD in the search button and launch the app.

Another way is through the Run tool. Just press Win+R and type CMD. Finally, press Enter.

Now we will see how to open the tool with administrator privileges. Just select the corresponding option from the search menu.

As an additional tip, if you decide to launch the terminal from the run box, then just press the Shift+Ctrl combination when pressing Enter. This way, the tool will run in Administrator mode.

Accessing from the Windows installation and recovery menu.

One of the most crucial uses of the Windows terminal is when we do not have access to the graphical interface of the system. This could happen due to failures that do not allow us to log in correctly. It is also possible after continuous system reboots. In such cases, CDM is a way to try to repair Windows before having to reinstall it. Fortunately, the Windows installation system has access to the command prompt. It is also possible to access it from the system repair menu. This is displayed after three failed boot attempts.

Consequently, you just have to boot from the installation drive as shown in this tutorial. The difference is that you have to click on Repair your computer. You will then be redirected to the recovery menu. Please click on troubleshoot. Depending on your system version, you may need to click on Advanced options. Either way, just click on the Command Prompt.

For the system recovery menu, the path is as follows: Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Command Prompt. This menu is activated after 3 unsuccessful system startup attempts. Alternatively, you can press shift by choosing Restart from the Windows startup menu.

Customizing the look and feel of the Windows terminal

Maybe you didn’t know it, but it is possible to customize the appearance of the Windows terminal. It is not an indispensable element, but it can serve to increase the user experience. With this in mind, please right-click on the status bar. Then select Properties.

In the Options tab, there are some parameters related to the operation of the terminal. Some of them are:

• Cursor size: simply affects the cursor we see as we type. We recommend using the small size to avoid confusion when the Insert mode is activated.
• Command history: this is a buffer where the last commands executed in the session are stored.
• Editing options: impact how commands are typed and how information is copied to the terminal.

In the Font tab, we can configure the appearance and size of the font inside the terminal.

In the Layout section, you can change the window size and screen buffer size when starting the tool.

Moreover, In the Colors tab, there is a lot to customize. You can customize the color of the terminal window content, its text and even pop-up windows. In addition, we can individualize the changes to observe the preview. It is even possible to set the opacity of the terminal window.

Finally, in the terminal section, we set the color and shape of the cursor. We can also set the color of the terminal font. In addition to other elements related to the appearance of the terminal.

Very well, ultimately we have seen that it is the Windows terminal. We have shown you the general concepts to start using this powerful tool. In later posts, we will show you the elements of use of the Windows terminal. See you soon!

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Some useful commands for the command prompt.

Certainly, many users have never used the command prompt. On the contrary, in the past this tool had a lot of relevance. Indeed, most of the tasks were done by text. However, there are several commands for CMD that are very fascinating. Moreover, they work for Windows 10 and Windows 11 as well. As we said, these commands are intended for the command prompt. To access them, just type CMD in the search bar and then launch it.

Assoc

The vast majority of Windows files are associated with a program which is in charge of opening them. Well, with Assoc we will be able to see all these associations to remember them. The command displays a list of file extensions. In addition to the program associated with each of them. We will even have the opportunity to change some association. Let’s suppose we want to change the association of .txt files. Therefore, we type assoc .txt=. After the = sign you must type the program to open it.

Driverquery

This command displays all the controllers that are on the computer. We can extend it with driverquery -v to get additional information. This includes the directory in which the driver is installed. As you can see, this is a great way to get information about the drivers. Consequently, we will be able to find out about those outdated ones that do not work.

Ipconfig

ipconfig displays the IP address currently associated with the computer. It also has several interesting extensions. For example, we can generate a new IP address different from the one we are using. With this in mind, we will use ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew. Furthermore, with ipcofig /flushdns you can update your DNS address.

Ping

With ping, we can determine whether data packets are reaching our device. Just type ping followed by the IP address or web domain. As a result, a series of test packets will be sent to the specified address, which will determine whether it works or not. Indeed, if it returns information everything will be fine, but if not, something is causing the failure.

PathPing

We can say that PathPing is an advanced version of the ping command we have seen before. It is used in the same way as the previous command. That is, you just have to type PathPing followed by the IP address or web domain. The difference is that this command transmits information about the path of the test packets.

Tracert

Tracert is also a command related to package reception. Therefore, it works similar to pathping. Even the syntax is the same. Just type Tracert followed by the IP address or web domain. The difference is that tracert also tracks how long (in milliseconds) each hop between servers or devices takes.

Shutdown

Shutdown is possibly one of the most used CMD commands by many users. In fact, this command allows you to schedule the shutdown of the computer. To schedule the shutdown of the computer, just type shutdown -s -t followed by the seconds that have to elapse until the desired time is reached. Another interesting option is to be able to restart the computer by displaying the advanced options menu. With this in mind, just use: shutdown /r /o. You can learn more about this command in this tutorial.

System File Checker

System File Checker is a tool used for automatic scanning and repairing of Windows files. Commonly called SFC, it needs to be run in CMD with administrator privileges. One of its variants is sfc/scannow. In this way, it will search for corrupted files and replace them with copies from the Windows cache. To learn more about this command, please have a look at this tutorial.

Taskkill

Taskkill is used to force a program to stop. For example, we can use taskkill -im followed by the executable name or taskkill -pid followed by the process ID. This is a good way to get rid of hidden or unresponsive programs. It works as a last resort, when the graphical interface is not functional for the task.

Chkdsk

Chkdsk is also one of the most frequently used commands by users. Especially in earlier times, when DOS was more present. However, with Windows, its use is still prevalent. Some of its variables are:

• chkdsk c : will immediately scan the C drive, without the need to restart the computer.
• chkdsk / f, / r, / x, / BC: this command corrects errors, recovers data, unmounts the drive or clears the list of bad sectors.

However, you can learn more about this command by reading this tutorial.

Schtasks

With Schtasks we will be able to access the Task Scheduler, but from the command prompt. Consequently, we will be able to configure multiple similar tasks without having to click on several options. An example is to be able to schedule the computer to restart every day at a certain time.

File Compare

This command is used to identify text differences between two files. It is certainly quite useful, especially for programmers. For example, if they want to identify a difference between files that are extremely similar. The command is fc, and you can extend it by typing /b to compare binary output, /c to ignore the text case and /l only compares ASCII text.

Ultimately, we have seen 12 useful commands for the command prompt. As you can see, they can get us out of trouble more than once. Moreover, you just have to dig deeper into each one to get the best out of it. See you soon!

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Which is a service in the Windows system.

Many functions run in the background. In other words, without user intervention. But they are essential to system performance. Well, the service is activated and the user does not interact with it. Since it runs, without us being aware of it.

On the other hand, these services are usually activated when the computer starts up. Therefore, they may continue to run until the system is shut down. However, this is not general behavior. In addition, they can be started automatically, by user action, or by other behavior.

Reasons to prevent unnecessary services from running in Windows 10

We have established that they are very necessary for the operating system. However, not all of them are indispensable. What is true is that they consume resources when activated. Consequently, they can cause problems.

Sometimes, when closing all programs, the system continues to consume resources. Occasionally, this happens because of the services. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the service in question. It may happen that we uninstall a program. But it has left an associated service running. This represents an unnecessary waste of resources.

How to delete a service in Windows 10

We will show you two methods to eliminate services. First, we will use the Windows registry editor. However, before modifying it, it is highly recommended to make a backup.

How to delete a Windows registry from the registry editor.

The first thing you need to do is to identify the name of the record. Which we can do from the registration window. To access the services, press the Win+Q combination. Consequently, the search bar opens. You just have to enter services.

Now you just have to search for the service by its name. Once identified, just right-click on the mouse to go to Properties. Then, in the General tab, you will see the full name of the service.

Please note the name of the service. Then you can delete the property window. Please note the name of the service. Then you can close the property window. Next, open the registry editor. With this in mind, press the Win+R combination to invoke the run box. Now, run the regedit command.

Then, you just have to manually search for the record. Or simply paste the name from the previous window. Once located, just right-click to remove it.

Delete services from CMD

If you do not want to use the registry editor, there is still the CMD option. Again, it is necessary to know the name of the registry. In addition, it is necessary to launch the command prompt as an administrator.

Then, just use the following syntax:

sc delete <name_of_service>

Finally, press Enter and restart the computer. In this way, we have seen how to prevent unnecessary services from running in Windows 10. Bye!

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How to delete temporary files in Windows 10 using CMD.

Cleaning Windows is a very necessary task. Therefore, we have already shown you how to do it graphically. However, if you are fond of the command line, or have problems with the desktop, then you can try this solution. The first thing you have to do is to open a command prompt with administrator privileges. With this intention, press the Win+Q combination to open the search button. Please type CMD and select the option with administrator privileges.

The first thing you have to do is to go to the specific folder where you will delete the files. With this in mind, run the following commands:

cd..
cd..

Now we are going to delete the temporary files using the command:

del *.tmp /s /f /q

Let us explain briefly what each command does:

• /s: it deletes specific files from the current directory and all subdirectories. Additionally, it displays the names of the files as they are deleted.
• /f: this is a parameter that forces the deletion of read-only files.
• /q: this is the silent mode, i.e. it does not ask for confirmation of the deletion.

Some additional parameters to be used:

• /p: Requests confirmation before deleting the file specified in the console.
• /?: displays the command prompt help for the command

Now, let’s see the command in action.

After a while, CMD will have finished the work.

Finally, complete the cleaning with the steps described in this tutorial. Okay, in the end, we have seen how to clean up the temporary files with CMD. This is a good way to keep the system running. Bye!

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How to restart Windows Server 2022

The first thing you have to do is to open a CMD as administrator. Then use the following syntax:

shutdown /r /t time

Please replace Time with the time you want to wait for the server to restart.

This means that after 200 seconds, the server will be restarted. On the other hand, it is possible to add a message at restart time. For this purpose, just add the -c parameter:

shutdown /r /t time -c  message

The server will restart after the timeout period has elapsed. On the other hand, sometimes there are open programs that prevent a restart. In such a case it is possible to force a shutdown using the following command:

shutdown /r /f

It is even possible to schedule this task for a remote computer. With this in mind, use the following syntax:

shutdown /r /f /m \\Computer

How to shutdown Windows Server 2022 with commands

The commands for shutting down the server are very similar to that for restarting it. In fact, only the first element changes. So use the following syntax:

shutdown /s /t time

To add a message we use the -c parameter as follows:

shutdown /s /t time -c message

To force applications to close we run:

shutdown /s /f

It is also possible to use it with remote computers:

shutdown /s /f /m \\COMPUTER

Ultimately, we have seen how to shutdown and reboot Windows Server 2022 with commands. Consequently, we have an expeditious way to manage these tasks on the server. Bye!

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