workstation
User Interface
Command Line Interface

  1. Turn on File Name Completion

      With this option on, you can type the beginning of a directory or filename, and tab your way through all files starting with those characters.

      Ex: typing cd pro {TAB} will get you to C:\Program Files (if that's the first directory starting with a "P" on your drive). typing cd pro {TAB}{TAB} would get you to C:\Providers (or the next "P" directory in alphabetical order).

      Turn File Name Completion on using the Registry:

        HKEY_Current_User\..\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar=0x9

      More Directory Navigation Tips
      Available With File Name Completion On

      • to move to the parent directory of the current folder, type
        cd.. {ENTER}

      • to cycle through the sub-directories of the current folder, type
        cd {TAB}
        (and continue hitting {TAB} to cycle through all the sub-directories)

      • using {SHIFT}-{TAB} will cycle you through directory (or file) names backwards

  2. Use the Command Buffer

      NT keeps your previous commands in a buffer, the size of which is determined in the Console Properties dialog (which is accessable via the Control Panel):

        The up and down arrow keys will cycle through all previous commands in the buffer, or use F5 to paste the previous command at the current command prompt.

        Furthermore, the first five function keys all deal with the previous command (template)

        To see the command buffer, hit F7. Note that you use the arrow keys to select a command, and Enter to copy it to the current prompt.

        Using F9, you can enter a command number corresponding to the command's place in the buffer.

  3. Copy and Paste

      if you opt to use Quick Edit Mode (selectable from the Console Properties dialog), you can:

        select text with the mouse, CTRL-C to copy the selection

        right-click will paste clipboard contents to the command line
Changing the PROMPT

From the Properties dialog of My Computer, select the Environment tab, then add a Variable named "PROMPT". Type in the Value you desire for a prompt string, click "Set", then "OK".

Example: &P&G is the typical prompt
(C:\)

Other PROMPT Values

$A    & Ampersand
$B    | Pipe
$Q    = Equal sign
$S    Space
$      Carriage return and linefeed
$C    ( Open parenthesis
$F    ) Close parenthesis
$G    > greater-than sign
$L    < Less-than sign
$D    Current date
$T    Current time
$N    Current drive
$P    Current drive with path
$V    Windows NT version number

Further Resources: