Scratch the surface of Windows (and macOS) and you'll find a command-line console underneath, a lingering remnant of how these operating systems began: as easy-to-use graphical wrappers built on top of monochrome, text-based interfaces.
If you're my age, you might remember that launching apps and games on a computer required typing text commands, rather than pointing and clicking. Today's methods are much easier, of course, but the old methods are still available and, in fact, still useful for multitasking, as the list below shows.
For starters, Windows kept the Command Prompt utility as a reminder of its MS-DOS roots. This was later joined by PowerShell (Command Prompt with extras), and in the latest Windows 11 builds, both Command Prompt and PowerShell are now wrapped into one tool. called Windows Terminal.
Windows Terminal supports all the original Command Prompt commands and can be launched from the Start menu. It's very simple:
- Look for Terminal.
- Right click on the program icon and select Run as administrator to ensure that all functions are available to you.
Now that you have the Windows Terminal open, here are some commands that you might find useful. To use them, type the text shown and then press Get into.
1. Turn off your computer after a certain time
Shutting down your computer via the Start menu isn’t difficult, of course, but Terminal offers a few more options, such as scheduled shutdowns. The command above orders a shutdown (“/s”) instead of a reboot, after a time (“/t”) of 600 seconds. Just adjust the time as needed.
Another useful option is “shutdown -r -o” (without the quotes), which reboots (“-r”) your computer and opens the Advanced Startup Options menu, which is very useful for troubleshooting. Just type “shutdown” to see other options you can use.
2. See a visualization of your folders
Type “tree” and press Get into to see a visual representation of your system's folders and subfolders, which is very useful for seeing how your Windows drive is organized. You can include a drive and folder path (such as “C:\Programs\”) to focus the listing on a specific area of the drive, and use the “/f” flag to see the files and folders listed.
3. Troubleshoot network issues
The “ipconfig” command is often used to troubleshoot network issues. Use it on its own and you will see your router’s current IP address, but add the “/flushdns” flag and connections between your computer and the websites you visit will be reestablished (via the command DNS Server), which can help if websites are not loading as they should.
You can also use “ipconfig /release” and then “ipconfig /renew” to get a new IP address for your computer, which might resolve connection issues between your Windows device and your router or between your device and the Internet.
4. Learn more about your system
The classic “systeminfo” command will tell you almost everything you could possibly want to know about your system and more: it returns your Windows 11 version and CPU model, the amount of RAM and storage installed, all currently detected active network connections, and even how long it took your PC to boot up last time.
5. Check your Windows 11 drive for errors
The “chkdsk” command has long been a favorite of IT technicians, and you’ll see it pop up in many troubleshooting guides. It basically checks your system disk for errors, and can fix some of the more fundamental ones. For example, if you’re having trouble accessing files and folders, or booting up your PC, chkdsk might be able to help.
There are also a lot of options you can use with it. The command itself checks for errors, but add a space and “/r” to the end, and the utility will attempt to fix those errors while recovering as much data as it can. Use “chkdsk /?” for other options.
The “tasklist” command gives you more or less the same information as Task Manager, showing you which applications are putting the most strain on your system. Using the process ID numbers (or PIDS) it displays, you can then force-quit applications using “taskkill /pid /f” — which can be useful for problematic software.
7. Analyze the energy states of your computer
This is another classic command line flag that, with the “/a” flag, will return all the sleep states your computer supports (such as hibernation and fast startup). You can also get a detailed battery report via “powercfg /batteryreport”, which is saved in the default folder of the current user account.
If you dig deeper, you’ll find more: “powercfg /devicequery s1_supported” lists all the devices connected to your system that can wake it from standby, for example. Change that “s1” if you need to scan for a different standby state — the codes will be listed when you run the original “powercfg /a” command.
8. Check the integrity of the Windows 11 system
Like many other command line prompts, this one is really useful for troubleshooting. It checks the integrity of key operating system files and applies fixes when necessary. If you notice errors and crashes in Windows 11, this is one of the first steps that many troubleshooting guides will recommend.
9. Get advanced network insights
Another simple word that hides a number of useful diagnostic utilities: use “netstat” on its own and it will tell you about all the devices your computer is connected to, from printers to smart speakers (use Ctrl+C when you want it to stop).
Like many other commands, you can modify the command in a number of ways (use “netstat /?” for a complete list). For example, you can use “netstat -b” to see what applications are currently communicating with the web, which can help detect programs that are more active online than they should be.
