Windows Command Prompt and Batch Scripting Cheat Sheet

Updated 2026-05-20

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Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) is the built-in command-line interpreter in every version of Windows, providing direct access to the OS through text commands and automatable batch scripts (.bat/.cmd). It remains indispensable for system administration, file management, network diagnostics, and scripting even in a PowerShell era — because it ships on every Windows installation without configuration, runs with minimal overhead, and its batch language integrates tightly with built-in tools like robocopy, icacls, reg, and the entire net command family. The single most important mindset shift: CMD parses each line at read time, not execution time — which is why SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion and !var! syntax exist, and why loop variables appear to "not update" without them.

What This Cheat Sheet Covers

This topic spans 15 focused tables and 168 indexed concepts, 134 flashcards. Below is a complete table-by-table outline of this topic, spanning foundational concepts through advanced details.

Table 1: File and Directory NavigationTable 2: File Operations — Create, Copy, Move, DeleteTable 3: Robocopy — Robust File CopyTable 4: ICACLS and File PermissionsTable 5: NET Commands — Network Shares and User ManagementTable 6: Network Diagnostics CommandsTable 7: REG Command — Registry OperationsTable 8: Batch Script FundamentalsTable 9: Variables and ArithmeticTable 10: Conditional Logic — IF CommandTable 11: Loops — FOR CommandTable 12: Subroutines, GOTO, and Script FlowTable 13: Redirection and PipingTable 14: Text Processing — FINDSTR, SORT, MORETable 15: Process and Service Management

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The three navigation commands — cd, dir, and pushd/popd — cover nearly every exploration need at the prompt. Understanding dir's filter and sort switches turns a bare listing into a precise query.

Command	Example	Description
cd (change directory)	`cd C:\Users\Admin` `cd ..`	• Changes the current directory • `cd ..` moves up one level, `cd \` goes to the drive root. \| \|
cd /d (cross-drive cd)	`cd /d D:\Projects`	`/d` is required to change both drive letter and directory in a single step.
dir	`dir C:\Logs`	• Lists files and folders with size, date, and time • shows disk free space summary
dir /S /B	`dir C:\Logs\*.log /S /B`	• `/S` recurses subdirectories • `/B` outputs bare paths only — ideal for piping into scripts
dir /A	`dir /A:H` `dir /A:-D`	• `/A:H` shows only hidden files • `/A:-D` excludes directories • flags: `D H S R A I L`.
dir /O	`dir /O:-D` `dir /O:GS`	• `/O` sorts output: `N`=name, `E`=ext, `G`=dirs first, `S`=size, `D`=date • prefix `-` reverses
dir /W	`dir /W`	• Wide format — up to five names per line • useful for quick visual browse of large directories
dir /P	`dir /P`	• Pauses output after each screenful • press any key to continue
dir /Q	`dir /Q`	Shows the owner of each file alongside the standard listing.
dir /R	`dir /R secret.txt`	Reveals alternate data streams (ADS) attached to files.
pushd / popd	`pushd C:\Temp` `popd`	• `pushd` saves current directory on a stack and changes to new path • `popd` restores it

Table 2: File Operations — Create, Copy, Move, Delete

These commands cover the daily file-manipulation workflow: creating files and directories, copying with various degrees of fidelity, moving, renaming, and deleting. Switching from copy to xcopy or robocopy adds subdirectory and attribute preservation; switching from del to del /F /Q suppresses confirmation prompts in scripts.

Command	Example	Description
mkdir (md)	`mkdir C:\Logs\2026` `md Reports\Q1\Data`	• Creates one or more nested directories • both `mkdir` and `md` are equivalent

The rest of this section is part of the full cheat sheet

Table 3: Robocopy — Robust File Copy

robocopy (Robust File Copy) is the standard tool for production-grade file transfers and directory synchronization on Windows. Its default retry count is 1,000,000; always override with /R:n /W:n in scripts to avoid hanging indefinitely on locked files.

Command	Example	Description
robocopy /MIR	`robocopy C:\Src D:\Dst /MIR /R:2 /W:5`	• Mirrors source → destination (equivalent to `/E` + `/PURGE`) • deletes destination files not in source

The rest of this section is part of the full cheat sheet

Table 4: ICACLS and File Permissions

icacls manages NTFS Access Control Lists (ACLs) from the command line. It supersedes the older cacls command. The typical workflow is: use takeown to gain ownership of locked files first, then icacls to grant or modify permissions.

Command	Example	Description
icacls (display)	`icacls C:\Data`	Displays the DACL for a file or directory, showing each user/group and their permission flags.

The rest of this section is part of the full cheat sheet

Table 1: File and Directory Navigation

Command	Example	Description
cd (change directory)	`cd C:\Users\Admin` `cd ..`	• Changes the current directory • `cd ..` moves up one level, `cd \` goes to the drive root. \| \|
cd /d (cross-drive cd)	`cd /d D:\Projects`	`/d` is required to change both drive letter and directory in a single step.
dir	`dir C:\Logs`	• Lists files and folders with size, date, and time • shows disk free space summary
dir /S /B	`dir C:\Logs\*.log /S /B`	• `/S` recurses subdirectories • `/B` outputs bare paths only — ideal for piping into scripts
dir /A	`dir /A:H` `dir /A:-D`	• `/A:H` shows only hidden files • `/A:-D` excludes directories • flags: `D H S R A I L`.
dir /O	`dir /O:-D` `dir /O:GS`	• `/O` sorts output: `N`=name, `E`=ext, `G`=dirs first, `S`=size, `D`=date • prefix `-` reverses
dir /W	`dir /W`	• Wide format — up to five names per line • useful for quick visual browse of large directories
dir /P	`dir /P`	• Pauses output after each screenful • press any key to continue
dir /Q	`dir /Q`	Shows the owner of each file alongside the standard listing.
dir /R	`dir /R secret.txt`	Reveals alternate data streams (ADS) attached to files.
pushd / popd	`pushd C:\Temp` `popd`	• `pushd` saves current directory on a stack and changes to new path • `popd` restores it

Table 2: File Operations — Create, Copy, Move, Delete

Command	Example	Description
mkdir (md)	`mkdir C:\Logs\2026` `md Reports\Q1\Data`	• Creates one or more nested directories • both `mkdir` and `md` are equivalent

Table 3: Robocopy — Robust File Copy

Command	Example	Description
robocopy /MIR	`robocopy C:\Src D:\Dst /MIR /R:2 /W:5`	• Mirrors source → destination (equivalent to `/E` + `/PURGE`) • deletes destination files not in source

Table 4: ICACLS and File Permissions

Command	Example	Description
icacls (display)	`icacls C:\Data`	Displays the DACL for a file or directory, showing each user/group and their permission flags.