How To Change Folders In Command Prompt

The Command prompt, sometimes likewise referred to equally cmd.exe in short, is a control line interpreter in Windows operating organization, and has been in use since the earliest days of Microsoft operating systems, dating dorsum to the DOS days.

Offered equally an alternative to Windows GUI, the command prompt offers far more control and functionalities to the average Windows user, than the normal GUI ever tin can.

But, earlier you tin can perform any wizardry with the Command prompt, y'all'll first accept to acquire how to change directories in it. In this commodity, we've covered some of the easiest methods to modify your Control prompt directory in Windows 10/xi.

Let'southward spring right in.

3 means to modify the Command prompt directory

In that location are a plethora of ways to change the Command prompt directory on Windows 10/11. First, we'll begin with what is about probably the most straightforward of them all: the cd command. Allow's get.

Alter your Control prompt directory with cd command

The cd command, short for Alter Directory, lets y'all bound from one directory (folder) to another without any hassles.

Simply type in 'cd' in the Control prompt and hit Enter. From in that location, you'll be taken to the top of your Control prompt directory instantly. As you will see on your Control prompt screen, y'all'll be taken to the root directory in Windows "C:" drive.

To motility in to a detail directory, just enter cd followed by the directory proper name . For instance, we moved in to the Downloads directory located within the root directory of our Windows 10 here.

For multiple word directories, you may have to enclose the name in quotes, for example cd "onenote notebooks"- 1 tip hither, you can first typing a directory name, and then hit the tab central, and Windows volition make full in the name for you lot. If yous have multiple directories with like names (say files 1, files 2, files 3, etc) keep hitting the tabkey and Windows will wheel through the possible matches.

changing directories in the cmd

Alternatively, instead of going direct to the root directory, you tin can also go back to the previous folder past calculation .. afterward cd command. So, get into your Command prompt, blazon in cd .., and hitting Enter,as we've done in our Windows 11.

running the cd command in cmd

Changing the drive in Command prompt

If, in contrast, you lot desire to change your directory altogether, so you'll have to type the drive name, followed by :. So, if you're in the "C:" drive right now, and you'd like to movement in to your "D:" bulldoze, just blazon in "D:" in the Control prompt and hit the Enter.

Some other matter to go along in mind is that the Control prompt is case-insensitive, meaning that information technology treats capital letter and small example letters as the same. So, information technology doesn't thing if you type "D:" or "d:"—the Command prompt will interpret both of them as the aforementioned.

Another control that deserves a special mention is the dir command. Blazon in the dir in the Command prompt and you'll meet a list of files and folders inside the parent directory.

running dir command in cmd in windows 11

At present, if y'all desire to go inside a specific directory from here, just use the cd command from above, forth with the name of the directory, as we did above.

Change directories in CMD past dragging the folder

Yous can besides use the GUI along with the Command prompt here. Type in cd in the Command prompt, drag the folder that yous want to move in into the Final, and hit Enter.

The Control prompt will straight switch to the desired folder.

Changing directories in CMD (Command prompt)

If becoming a Concluding pro is what y'all're after, then being able to change your terminal directories is simply one of many hacks you'll be mastering along the style. Make no mistake, as this is only the beginning, and y'all'll be learning a lot more when yous dive into the Command prompt more deeply.