Commonly used commands for troubleshooting issues in Windows OS

 

1. System Information and Diagnostics

• msinfo32
  Displays a comprehensive view of your system's hardware and software configuration.

• dxdiag
  Opens the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, useful for troubleshooting issues with video, sound, and DirectX components.

• systeminfo
  Shows detailed information about your system, including OS version, hardware, and installed updates.

2. Networking Troubleshooting

• ipconfig /all
  Displays detailed information about your network interfaces, including IP addresses, MAC addresses, and DNS servers.

• ping <hostname or IP>
  Tests connectivity to a specific network device or server.

• tracert <hostname or IP>
  Traces the path packets take to reach a network destination, helpful for identifying network bottlenecks.

• nslookup <hostname>
  Checks DNS resolution for a given hostname, useful for diagnosing DNS issues.

• netstat -an
  Displays all active connections and listening ports on your machine.

• ipconfig /flushdns
  Clears the DNS resolver cache, useful for resolving DNS issues.

3. Disk and File System

• chkdsk /f /r
  Checks the disk for file system errors and bad sectors, and attempts to fix them.
  Note: May require a reboot.

• sfc /scannow
  Scans and repairs corrupted system files.

• diskpart
  A powerful tool for managing disk partitions. Use with caution.

• defrag <drive letter>
  Defragments the specified drive, improving performance by optimizing file storage.

4. Process and Service Management

• tasklist
  Lists all running processes along with their process IDs (PIDs).

• taskkill /F /PID <process ID>
  Forces termination of a specific process using its PID.

• services.msc
  Opens the Services management console, allowing you to start, stop, or configure services.

5. System Restore and Recovery

• rstrui
  Launches the System Restore tool, allowing you to restore your system to an earlier state.

• bcdedit
  Configures boot options, including editing the boot configuration data (BCD).

• bootrec /fixmbr
  Repairs the Master Boot Record (MBR), useful if your system fails to boot.

6. Performance Monitoring

• perfmon
  Opens the Performance Monitor tool, useful for tracking system performance and resource usage.

• resmon
  Opens the Resource Monitor, providing detailed real-time information on CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.

7. User and Security Management

• net user <username> /add
  Adds a new user to the system.

• net user <username> /delete
  Deletes a user account.

• gpupdate /force
  Forces an update of Group Policy settings.

• gpresult /R
  Displays Group Policy settings applied to the user and computer.

8. Event Logs and Error Checking

• eventvwr
  Opens the Event Viewer, allowing you to review logs for troubleshooting.

• wevtutil qe System /c:10 /rd:true /f:text
  Quickly checks the last 10 entries in the System event log.

9. Power and Battery Troubleshooting

• powercfg /energy
  Generates a detailed report on power usage and efficiency.

• powercfg /batteryreport
  Creates a report on the battery health and usage statistics (for laptops).

10. Miscellaneous

• winver
  Displays the Windows version and build number.

• control
  Opens the Control Panel.

• cmd
  Opens a command prompt.

• shutdown /r /t 0
  Immediately restarts the computer.

These commands are powerful tools for diagnosing and resolving issues on a Windows system. Use them with caution, especially those that involve system files, disk management, or user accounts.