TASKLIST: This command will give you a quick list of the processes currently running on your system. It can be configured to show a lot more information than the Task Manager Window, so it's worth mentioning.

There are a lot of options and switches you can use to order this information; two notable ones we use are: 'tasklist /svc' which will show the services that are running under each process and 'tasklist /v' which gives a more detailed (verbose) listing for each process.

SYSTEMINFO: This command can be used to display essential information about your computer and its operating system, including all installed patches, Service Packs and Hotfixes. SYSTEMINFO can also be used on remote systems, and you can output the results to a CSV or table for use in Excel or other spreadsheet programs by using the '/FO CSV' or '/FO TABLE' switches in conjunction with the '>' filter which passes the results to a file.

An example would be: systeminfo /fo csv > c:\systeminfofile.txt

Which would output your system information to the c:\systeminfo.txt file in CSV (Comma Separated Variable) format, which Excel can turn into a spreadsheet.

PATHPING: This command essentially combines the PING and TRACERT commands into a single, potent network-tracing tool. In its default usage, pathping will first list the number of hops (steps through different routers or network servers) required to reach your destination IP address or URL, then it will ping each step along the way 100 times, giving you a clear idea of the speed of the connection between your system and your target as well as any weak links in the network.

We hope you've enjoyed this quick guide to some of the many useful functions the Windows command prompt can perform. If you have any comments or suggestions, let us know .

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