Common Drive
Commands
You will often find that you use the Command Prompt to
perform disk drive, directory, and file related maintenance. There are several
commands you should be familiar with for the exam:
Convert
The Convert command
converts a drive from FAT to NTFS (though it cannot convert the other
direction). You will use this command commonly if setup installs the drive in
FAT format. This command is one of the frequently asked questions on the exam.
The format for this command is:
Convert C: /FS:NTFS
This will convert the C: drive to the NTFS file system. If
you wanted to convert the E: drive, simply change the drive letter like this:
convert E: /FS:NTFS.
Format
The Format command formats
a disk – from a floppy disk through an entire hard disk. Since the format
command destroys data, ensure you use it correctly. The command format can be
as simple as:
Format a:
Format /? shows you all of options
available for the format command. You could perform a command like this:
Format e: /FS:NTFS /Q /C
This command formats the E: drive with the NTFS file
system, quick, with compression enabled by default.
Dir
The dir command shows a
listing of the current directory. You should become familiar with the
different options available with the dir command.
With the dir command, you can also show files meeting a
certain filename pattern, such as this command:
Dir *.doc /S
This will show you all .doc (Microsoft Word) files in all
of the subdirectories on the current drive.
Command commands you should know for the exam include
dir /w which shows a directory the width of screen
and dir /p which pauses each screen length of data
for you to view and press any key to continue.
MD
The MD command creates a
directory. For example:
md MyFolder
This command creates a folder named MyFolder in the current
directory.
RD
The RD command removes a
directory.
CD
The CD command changes the
current directory. Common uses include cd .. which
changes the directory up one directory and cd/ which
will change the root of the current drive. In addition to changing to a
directory on the current drive, you can use a command such as
cd e: to change to the e: drive.
