Advanced guide
MS-DOS may be dead
but the command prompt lives on. This document shows you how to make full use of its features
While technology progresses and
Windows continues to be developed, the need to use a command-line environment to
carry out tasks has diminished, or so you would think. With each new release of
Windows, we grow more used to carrying out day to day tasks using a graphical
interface - performing essential maintenance and running programs is now all
done via a GUI. The familiarity of using a dialog window instils in us a sense
of control combined with a feeling of security that nothing can go wrong.
However, it would be churlish to underestimate what can be achieved using the
command line.
Windows XP continues to ship
with a number of utilities that can only be run from a prompt. Furthermore,
don't forget that if you run into problems with your system, you'll need to make
use of the Recovery Console, which of course is a command-line environment. To
access this you'll need to boot from your original installation CD first. Once
logged in to the Recovery Console there's a wide range of tools available
including those that enable you to fix the Master Boot Record, Delete files and
reconfigure the boot.ini file. Alternatively, you can access the command prompt
from within a normal Windows session by clicking on Start > Run, typing cmd
and pressing [Return].
You'll find that it's sometimes
necessary to work from the prompt when repairing Windows and this is one of the
reasons why it's worth learning how to make the most of it. In addition, working
with command-line tools often gives a user access to information not normally
available by any other means.
By making use of syntax switches
your command-line parameters can be used to perform specific tasks and also
retrieve exact and precise information. The tools at your disposal are diverse
and range from those that are used for basic information gathering right up to
ones that enable you to run complicated routines and make changes to files and
directories. For an idea of what can be achieved, at the prompt type ipconfig
and press [Return]. In an instant this reveals the IP address that you're
currently using.
Another Internet-related tool is
Trace Route. When used with a Web address it will detail all the servers and
routers along the way that make up. For example, at the prompt type in tracert
www.bbc.co.uk and then press [Return].
Different tools
There's a slight variance in the command-line tools available depending on
whether or not you're using the Home or Professional Edition of Windows XP. You
can see at a glance which tools are at your disposal by opening a command-prompt
window and typing help then pressing [Return]. Here each one will be listed
together with a brief description of its functionality.
In most cases, further
information about a tool can be gleaned by using the /? Switch. For example, if
you'd like to know more about the Check Disk tool type chkdsk /? and press
[Return]. This lists all the available syntax switches that can be used to
attain the required level of functionality. This is a good example of where a
command-line tool offers a vaster array of functions than one of its
counterparts with a graphical interface.
More
command-line tools are available in the form of the Windows XP Service Pack 2
Support Tools, which can be downloaded for free from
www.microsoft.com/downloads. They work with both editions of the Operating
System and while some of them have a graphical interface, most need to be run
from a command prompt.