Read on to discover exactly how you can navigate around your computer using the Command Prompt.
How to Change Directory Using Command Prompt (CMD)
The first thing you need to do is open an elevated Command Prompt window. Click Start and type CMD into the search bar. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
This will open an elevated Command Prompt window, allowing you to perform administrator actions using CMD.
There are two commands critical to using CMD effectively: change directory, and list directory.
Change directory:
List Directory
The list directory command will give you a list of available directories you can enter, while the change director command will take you to the directory you want.
When you list the directories, you’ll notice that two special directories exist no matter what folder you’re in, one labeled ‘..’ and another labeled ‘.’. The first refers to the parent directory, above the one you’re currently in, and is used to back out of the current directory.
Read more: Controlling Your Wireless Network with CMD
An Example of Directory Changing in CMD
The following example should make it easier to navigate using CMD. It shows you how to navigate from the starting point in System32 to your Downloads folder.
That’s How To Change Directories in CMD
You now know everything you need to change directories in the Windows 10 command prompt. It should be no trouble to navigate around your system, and the next time you’re called on to perform some strange, archaic action in CMD you’ll find it much easier.
You might want to consider learning some other commands to really master the command line interface.
