10 Useful and Exciting Windows Command Prompt Tricks

With a beautiful interface such as that of Windows 10, it’s quite easy to forget the marvels that come with the Windows command prompt (CMD) nifty tool.

While the command prompt may appear mysterious and intimidating for some people, it’s easy to make the most of the tool.

In this tutorial, you will learn some exciting Window 10 tricks that you can use to improve your overall performance.

1. Copy output of CMD to the clipboard

Occasionally, you may want to copy and share the information or output of the command prompt after running commands. Instead of taking a screenshot, you can copy the output and paste it on a text editor.

Here is the syntax:

command | clip

For example, to copy the output of ipconfig command, run:

Ipconfig | clip

You can then launch Notepad or any other text editor and paste the contents:

2. Change the title of the command prompt tool

By default, the title of the command prompt bears the title names Command Prompt or Administrator: Command Prompt, as shown below:

When it’s run as an Administrator, the title appears as shown below:

If you wish to customize it to your own preference, run this command:

title preferred-name

For instance, to change the title to a username ‘james’, run:

title james

3. Watch Star Wars in ASCII format on command prompt

One of the coolest features of the command prompt is the ability to stream an ASCII version of Star Wars. The method is quite simple and utilizes the telnet protocol.

To view Star Wars in ASCII format, execute the command below and hit ‘Enter’:

telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

Shortly after, Star Wars in ASCII version will be launched:

NOTE:

Before you begin launching Star Wars, ensure that Telnet feature is enabled in Windows Features. You can go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.

On the left pane, click on ‘Turn Windows Features on or off’. Then, scroll and check the telnet option to activate the telnet protocol.

4. Change the text or background color of the command prompt

If you are adventurous, you can follow the steps below to play around with the text color or modify the background of the CMD:

Right-click on the title bar
Select the ‘Properties’ option
In the Window that appears, click on the colors tab
You can now choose the preferred color for screen text and background as well. Additionally, you can change transparency of your CMD window.
If satisfied with your options, click ‘OK’

5. Create a Wi-Fi hotspot

This may come as a surprise to many, but it’s possible. You can easily create a Wi-Fi hotspot right from your Windows PC on the command prompt and share your Internet connection with other devices.

To accomplish this, follow the steps below:

Launch the command prompt
Run the command netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=HotspotName key=Password“. Replace “HotspotName” with your preferred Wi-Fi hotspot name and “Password” with the SSID password or password of the Wi-Fi hotspot.
Next, type “netsh wlan start hostednetwork” and hit ‘Enter’. Thereafter, your Wi-Fi hotspot will be broadcasted, and other devices will be able to connect to it.
To stop broadcasting your Wi-Fi hotspot, simply type and run netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

6. Generate battery health report

You can generate your battery’s health report by following the steps below:

Launch the command prompt as an Administrator; such that the prompt changes to: C:\Windows\System32
Run the command powercfg/energy
Windows will take 60 seconds to analyze and then generate a report in HTML format that is located in C:\Windows\System32\energy-report.html

7. Display a list of your computer’s drivers

To list your PC’s drivers, simply run the command driverquery:

8. Scan and repair files

If your Windows 10 PC is a bit sluggish and behaves in a weird manner, you might consider scanning and repairing files to rectify the situation.

To accomplish this, simply run the command below:

sfc /scannow

This will take some time, depending on your computer’s speed.

9. Get information on a command’s usage

If you are unsure about a certain command or you want to learn more about a command you have been using and the options available, use the syntax below:

Command /?

For example, to find out more about the ipconfig command, run:

ipconfig /?

10. Execute one command after another

To execute one command after the other, use the && operator between the two commands, as shown below:

command1 && command2

For example:

ipconfig && ping google.com

Then, sit back, relax, and wait for the commands to finish running!

Conclusion

With the above tricks, getting some extra tasks accomplished becomes easier using the command prompt tool.

Is there another CMD trick we might have left out?

Please share in the comment section below.

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