Command Line Basics & Batch Files

Old File Names and Relative Paths

Dos paths use old 8.3 file names, so if any path contains a space, you will have to find out the 8.3 version or enclose the whole path in double quotes. 8.3 file names and paths can be found by using dir /x in command prompt, e.g.:

cmd.exe
cd \
dir /x
Volume in drive C is Home
Volume Serial Number is BC55-A8B4
Directory of C:\
27/12/2005 01:19 0         AUTOEXEC.BAT
27/12/2005 01:19 0         CONFIG.SYS
24/07/2007 19:21
DOWNLO~1 Downloads
2 File(s) 0 bytes
1 Dir(s) 12,983,218,176 bytes free

DOWNLO~1 is the 8.3 path name of the folder Downloads. Full paths that include spaces need to be enclosed by double quotes (""), e.g.

cmd.exe
cd "Downloads\My Received Files"
C:\Downloads\My Received Files>

The CD Command

The CD command changes the current active directory. It allows you to move into one directory to another. For example, if you wanted to move the Windows directory, you would type:

cd Windows

If you are currently in the Windows directory and wanted to go inside a subdirectory, you would type:

cd System

Because Windows was the active directory, no other commands are needed. But if you knew you wanted to move to a subdirectory of a directory immediately you use a back slash (\). So the command would be: cd Parent Directory\Subdirectory e.g.

cd Windows\System
C:\Windows\System>

This is called moving into a “deep” directory. If however, you were already in a deep directory and wanted to move directly to a folder that is nearer to the root, you can include an initial back slash (\). This tells the CD command to move to the root of the drive first.

C:\Downloads\My Received Files>
cd \Windows\System
C:\Windows\System>

Relative Paths & Parent Folders

So far, we’ve looked at moving forward in the folder (directory) tree. You can also move backwards, or “Up”, in exactly the same way as “Up One Level” we’re familiar with in the Windows GUI environment. Typing two dots (..) move’s up one level. This is used in the same way as Relative URLs in HTML. Typing one dot (.) refers to the current directory You can return to the root of the drive by typing a back slash (\) Relative paths can be used with the CD command as before and can be strung together like usual, e.g.

cmd.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Tom>
cd ..\..
C:\>

Relative paths are a useful way of saving time when navigating between folders, but are good to implement in folders that can have changing paths. For example, if a person installs a game, they can install the game to a different directory than default. If a configuration file is nested within the games folders and the games folder tree remains intact, relative paths can be used in the config’s to point, for example, to an exe that is in the games root folder, i.e.

D:\Quake 3\Servers\2vs2.bat
cd ..
START Quake3.exe

Running A Batch File That Closes The CMD Window

Normally, whenever you run a batch file, if a program is called to launch in the batch, the command prompt will stay running and doesn’t close until the program has closed. Adding an EXIT command to the end of the batch file is suppose to end it, but “it is important to realize that if a batch file or program is still running a program, the MS-DOS windows will not close until it has completed. Therefore a MS-DOS window may remain open either because the program stopped responding or because it’s still performing tasks.” One way of closing the command window before the program has closed is to call the program with the START command, e.g.

@ ECHO OFF
D:
cd "D:\Games\Quake 3
START Quake3.exe

If the exe file contains a space, it’s corresponding 8.1 filename will have to be used, e.g.

@ ECHO OFF
D:
cd "D:\Games\Quake 3"
START Quake3~1.exe

Or it is possible to “trick” the START command by typing empty double quotes before the exe and then enclosing the exe in it’s own double quotes:

@ ECHO OFF
D:
cd "D:\Games\Quake 3"
START "" "Quake 3.exe"

(Usually, the empty double quotes would be used to give the command prompt’s window a title)

Copying The Contents Of CMD To Clipboard

In Windows XP, right click the command prompt window and press “Mark”. Now click and highlight the text you want copied and press enter.

Some useful Commands