Hidden Windows Commands Cheat Sheet

A curated list of useful hidden commands for Windows power users, IT professionals, and enthusiasts.

1. Drive & Volume Management

Command	Purpose	Notes / Example
`mountvol /r`	Reset stale volume mount points	Removes old USB history and orphaned volume GUIDs; useful for eliminating false “Scan and Fix” prompts.
`diskpart`	Disk partition management	Use `list disk`, `select disk`, `clean` to manage partitions.
`fsutil dirty query X:`	Check if volume X: has the dirty bit set	Requires admin rights.
`chkdsk`	Check and repair filesystem	`/f` fixes errors, `/r` locates bad sectors.
`robocopy`	Robust file copy and mirroring	Preserves timestamps and retries automatically.
`vssadmin`	Manage Volume Shadow Copies	Useful for creating or listing snapshots.
`defrag`	Optimize disks	`/C` defrags all volumes, `/X` consolidates free space.

2. Network & Connectivity

Command	Purpose	Notes / Example
`ipconfig /all`	View detailed IP configuration	Use `/release` and `/renew` for DHCP changes.
`netstat /ano`	View active network connections	Shows process IDs of each connection.
`arp -a`	Show ARP table	Good for local network troubleshooting.
`nslookup`	DNS query tool	Test name resolution.
`tracert`	Trace route to a host	Shows hop-by-hop latency.

3. System & Process Management

Command	Purpose	Notes / Example
`tasklist`	List running processes	`/svc` shows associated services.
`taskkill /PID <pid> /F`	Terminate a process	Requires admin for some processes.
`whoami /priv`	View user privileges	Useful for permission troubleshooting.
`systeminfo`	Show detailed system info	OS version, uptime, memory, etc.
`sfc /scannow`	Repair protected system files	Runs System File Checker.

4. Registry & Configuration

Command	Purpose	Notes / Example
`reg query`	Read registry keys	Example: `reg query HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager`
`reg add`	Add registry keys	Can script configuration changes.
`reg delete`	Delete registry keys	Always back up first!
`bcdedit`	Manage boot configuration	Change default OS, safe mode options, etc.

5. Hidden “Under-the-Hood” Tools

Command	Purpose	Notes / Example
`fsutil reparsepoint query <path>`	Inspect junctions/symlinks	Advanced filesystem analysis.
`cipher /w:X:`	Wipe free space securely	Does not touch existing files.
`takeown /f <file>`	Take ownership of a file/folder	Useful for locked files.
`icacls`	Manage permissions	Grant, remove, save ACLs.
`powercfg /energy`	Generate power efficiency report	Checks system for energy waste.
`wevtutil`	Manage Event Logs	Export, clear, or query logs.

6. USB & Removable Media

Command	Purpose	Notes / Example
`wmic logicaldisk get name, volumename, description`	List drives with info	Works well in batch scripts for USB detection.
`mountvol`	Manage volume mount points	Use `/r` to remove stale mounts; `/p` to dismount.
`diskpart`	List disks and volumes	Can clean partitions or assign letters.
`devcon`	Device Console	Enable/disable devices from command line.

7. Miscellaneous

Command	Purpose	Notes / Example
`schtasks`	Schedule tasks from CLI	Automate scripts and maintenance.
`gpupdate /force`	Force Group Policy refresh	Useful after policy changes.
`wmic`	Query system info via WMI	Hardware, BIOS, network, processes.
`powershell -Command "<script>"`	Run PowerShell commands from CMD	Integrates scripts into batch automation.

💡 Tip: Most of these commands require Administrator privileges to be fully effective.