Whether you want to troubleshoot some computer problems or deal with more complex administrative functions, Command Prompt is the best program for the job. The tool can be found on any Windows PC. It’s designed as a command-line interpreter so it’s a little difficult to work with it unless you know exactly how to type the correct commands.
Among the tricky aspects of Command Prompt, we can count changing directories. Don’t worry if you haven’t figured that one out yet. This article will guide you through the process and help you familiarize yourself with the way the program operates.
1. Open Command Prompt
The first step is to open the program. There are different methods but the fastest is to just search for “cmd” in the built-in search bar of your Windows system. Make sure you click “Run as Administrator” to avoid any issues with insufficient access rights.
2. Change directories by dragging and dropping
Let’s say you have a specific folder that you want to browse into with Command Prompt. Changing to it is as easy as dragging and dropping that folder into the program. You just need to type cd followed by a space before the actual drag-and-drop. Press Enter and the directory is changed to the one you wanted.
3. Change directories within the program
If you want to switch to a different directory but without going back to File Explorer, Command Prompt allows you to do so if you type the correct command. You can use the same cd command for this task followed by the name of the folder. Keep in mind that it will only work assuming an immediate file structure. You can’t directly jump from your large User folder to one that’s buried underneath multiple other folders. It’s required to navigate by a single level either up or down when you’re changing to a different directory.
Tip – Use the dir command to display what’s in your current directory. You will figure out more easily how to navigate from there using the cd command.