Using the command prompt

Using the command prompt is quite simple. Simply type in the command you wish to perform and then press Enter on your keyboard. If you have entered the command properly then it will be executed and the output from the command will be displayed directly within the command prompt. A powerful feature of the System Recovery Console Command Prompt is that not only can you run run console programs, but you can also run certain Windows programs such as Notepad or an antivirus program. Unfortunately, not all Windows programs will be able to run in this environment, so you will need to test them to determine which ones will operate correctly.

To help get you started with using the Command Prompt I have listed a series of console commands that work in this environment. To get help information for each of these programs you can type the program name followed by /h and press the enter key. For example, to see the help information for the copy command you would type copy /h and then press the enter key. As more programs and commands are found they will be added to the lists below. Each of the console commands must be typed into the console in order to execute them.

Console Command	Description
attrib	Change permissions on files.
Bootrec	You can use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) to troubleshoot and repair the master boot record (MBR), boot sector,and Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store
bcdedit	Displays and allows you to change how Windows boots up. This command is useful for people who are having trouble with the Windows Boot Manager
cd	Changes the current directory
chkdsk	Checks a hard disk for errors and attempts to repair them.
copy	Copy a file from one location to another.
del	Deletes a file
dir	Lists the files and folders in the current directory
diskpart	Load the Windows disk management program. From this program you can create, delete, shrink, and expand your existing partitions as well as get information about partitions and hard drives
icacls	Change file and folder permissions and display or modify access control lists (ACLs)
mkdir	Creates a new folder
more	Displays the content of a file one page at a time
move	Moves a file or a folder
reg	Perform Windows Registry operations.
ren	Rename a file or folder
rd	Remove an empty folder
type	Display the contents of a file
xcopy	Copy a folder or files to another location

Windows Program Name	Description/Notes
Notepad.exe	Opens up the Windows Notepad so you can view and edit text files. You can also use the file browser when click the File -> Open menus to copy, move, rename, and delete files.
Regedit.exe	The Windows Registry Editor.
rstrui.exe	The System Restore console where you can restore your computer back to earlier restore points.

When you are finished using the Command Prompt you can exit it by typing exit and then pressing the Enter key on your keyboard. The command prompt will close