Windows Command Line Utility

Manage your Windows OS with three command-line utilities:

.CPL
.MSC
.EXE


(1) Control Panel (.cpl) Applet commands:

These commands can be executed directly from Start ->Run (without prefix 'control'):

Control Panel Applet	Command	OS
Accessibility Options	control access.cpl	XP
Action Center	control /name Microsoft.ActionCenter	8, 7
	control wscui.cpl	8, 7
Add Features to Windows 8	control /name Microsoft.WindowsAnytimeUpgrade	8
Add Hardware	control /name Microsoft.AddHardware	Vista
	control hdwwiz.cpl	XP
Add or Remove Programs	control appwiz.cpl	XP
Administrative Tools	control /name Microsoft.AdministrativeTools	8, 7, Vista
	control admintools	8, 7, Vista, XP
Automatic Updates	control wuaucpl.cpl	XP
BitLocker Drive Encryption	control /name Microsoft.BitLockerDriveEncryption	8, 7, Vista
Bluetooth Devices	control bthprops.cpl	8, 7, Vista
	control /name Microsoft.BluetoothDevices	Vista
Color Management	control /name Microsoft.ColorManagement	8, 7, Vista
Credential Manager	control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager	8, 7
Client Service for NetWare	control nwc.cpl	XP
Date and Time	control /name Microsoft.DateAndTime	8, 7, Vista
	control timedate.cpl	8, 7, Vista
	control date/time	8, 7, Vista, XP
Device Manager	control /name Microsoft.DeviceManager	8, 7, Vista
	control hdwwiz.cpl	8, 7, Vista
Devices and Printers	control /name Microsoft.DevicesAndPrinters	8, 7
	control printers	8, 7
Display	control /name Microsoft.Display	8, 7
	control desk.cpl	XP
	control desktop	XP
Ease of Access Center	control /name Microsoft.EaseOfAccessCenter	8, 7, Vista
	control access.cpl	8, 7, Vista
Family Safety	control /name Microsoft.ParentalControls	8
File History	control /name Microsoft.FileHistory	8
Flash Player Settings Manager	control flashplayercplapp.cpl	8
Folder Options	control /name Microsoft.FolderOptions	8, 7, Vista
	control folders	8, 7, Vista, XP
Fonts	control /name Microsoft.Fonts	8, 7, Vista
	control fonts	8, 7, Vista, XP
Game Controllers	control /name Microsoft.GameControllers	8, 7, Vista
	control joy.cpl	8, 7, Vista, XP
Keyboard	control /name Microsoft.Keyboard	8, 7, Vista
	control keyboard	8, 7, Vista, XP
Language	control /name Microsoft.Language	8
Mail	control mlcfg32.cpl	8, 7, Vista, XP
Mouse	control /name Microsoft.Mouse	8, 7, Vista
	control main.cpl	8, 7, Vista
	control mouse	8, 7, Vista, XP
Network and Sharing Center	control /name Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter	8, 7, Vista
Network Connections	control ncpa.cpl	8, 7, Vista
	control netconnections	8, 7, Vista, XP
Network Setup Wizard	control netsetup.cpl	8, 7, Vista, XP
ODBC Data Source Administrator	control odbccp32.cpl	XP6
Parental Controls	control /name Microsoft.ParentalControls	7, Vista
Pen and Input Devices	control /name Microsoft.PenAndInputDevices	Vista
	control tabletpc.cpl	Vista
Pen and Touch	control /name Microsoft.PenAndTouch	8, 7
	control tabletpc.cpl	8, 7
People Near Me	control /name Microsoft.PeopleNearMe	7, Vista
	control collab.cpl	7, Vista
Personalization	control /name Microsoft.Personalization	8, 7, Vista
	control desktop	8, 7, Vista
Phone and Modem Options	control /name Microsoft.PhoneAndModemOptions	Vista
	control telephon.cpl	Vista, XP
Phone and Modem	control /name Microsoft.PhoneAndModem	8, 7
	control telephon.cpl	8, 7
Power Options	control /name Microsoft.PowerOptions	8, 7, Vista
	control powercfg.cpl	8, 7, Vista, XP
Printers and Faxes	control printers	XP
Printers	control /name Microsoft.Printers	Vista
	control printers	Vista
Problem Reports and Solutions	control /name Microsoft.ProblemReportsAndSolutions	Vista
Programs and Features	control /name Microsoft.ProgramsAndFeatures	8, 7, Vista
	control appwiz.cpl	8, 7, Vista
Recovery	control /name Microsoft.Recovery	8, 7
Region	control /name Microsoft.RegionAndLanguage	8
	control intl.cpl	8
	control international	8
Region and Language	control /name Microsoft.RegionAndLanguage	7
	control intl.cpl	7
	control international	7
Regional and Language Options	control /name Microsoft.RegionalAndLanguageOptions	Vista
	control intl.cpl	Vista
	control international	Vista, XP
RemoteApp and Desktop Connections	control /name Microsoft.RemoteAppAndDesktopConnections	8, 7
Scanners and Cameras	control /name Microsoft.ScannersAndCameras	8, 7, Vista
	control sticpl.cpl	XP
Scheduled Tasks	control schedtasks	XP7
Screen Resolution	control desk.cpl	8, 7
Security Center	control /name Microsoft.SecurityCenter	Vista
	control wscui.cpl	XP
Sound	control /name Microsoft.Sound	8, 7
	control /name Microsoft.AudioDevicesAndSoundThemes	Vista
	control mmsys.cpl	8, 7, Vista
Sounds and Audio Devices	control mmsys.cpl	XP
Speech Recognition Options	control /name Microsoft.SpeechRecognitionOptions	Vista
Speech Recognition	control /name Microsoft.SpeechRecognition	8, 7
Speech	control sapi.cpl	XP
Storage Spaces	control /name Microsoft.StorageSpaces	8
Sync Center	control /name Microsoft.SyncCenter	8, 7, Vista
System	control /name Microsoft.System	8, 7, Vista
	control sysdm.cpl	XP
System Properties	control sysdm.cpl	8, 7, Vista
Tablet PC Settings	control /name Microsoft.TabletPCSettings	8, 7, Vista
Task Scheduler	control schedtask	8, 7, Vista
Taskbar	control /name Microsoft.Taskbar	8
	rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Options_RunDLL 1	8
Taskbar and Start Menu	control /name Microsoft.TaskbarAndStartMenu	7, Vista
	rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Options_RunDLL 1	7, Vista, XP
Text to Speech	control /name Microsoft.TextToSpeech	8, 7, Vista
Troubleshooting	control /name Microsoft.Troubleshooting	8, 7
User Accounts	control /name Microsoft.UserAccounts	8, 7, Vista
	control userpasswords	8, 7, Vista, XP
Welcome Center	control /name Microsoft.WelcomeCenter	Vista
Windows 7 File Recovery	control /name Microsoft.BackupAndRestore	8
Windows Anytime Upgrade	control /name Microsoft.WindowsAnytimeUpgrade	7, Vista
Windows CardSpace	control /name Microsoft.CardSpace	7, Vista
	control infocardcpl.cpl	7, Vista
Windows Defender	control /name Microsoft.WindowsDefender	8, 7, Vista
Windows Firewall	control /name Microsoft.WindowsFirewall	8, 7, Vista
	control firewall.cpl	8, 7, Vista, XP
Windows Marketplace	control /name Microsoft.GetProgramsOnline	Vista
Windows Mobility Center	control /name Microsoft.MobilityCenter	8, 7, Vista
Windows Sidebar Properties	control /name Microsoft.WindowsSidebarProperties	Vista
Windows SideShow	control /name Microsoft.WindowsSideShow	8,7, Vista
Windows Update	control /name Microsoft.WindowsUpdate	8, 7, Vista
Wireless Link	control irprops.cpl	XP

  

 (2) Microsoft Saved Console (.msc) commands: 

Here is the list of msc commands that are applicable for Windows Servers. (Few commands may also run on Windows client OS)

Applet	Command
AD Domains and Trusts	domain.msc
Active Directory Management	admgmt.msc
AD Sites and Services	dssite.msc
AD Users and Computers	dsa.msc
ADSI Edit	adsiedit.msc
Authorization manager	azman.msc
Certification Authority Management	certsrv.msc
Certificate Templates	certtmpl.msc
Cluster Administrator	cluadmin.exe
Computer Management	compmgmt.msc
Component Services	comexp.msc
Configure Your Server	cys.exe
Device Manager	devmgmt.msc
DHCP Management	dhcpmgmt.msc
Disk Defragmenter	dfrg.msc
Disk Manager	diskmgmt.msc
Distributed File System	dfsgui.msc
DNS Management	dnsmgmt.msc
Event Viewer	eventvwr.msc
Indexing Service Management	ciadv.msc
IP Address Manage	ipaddrmgmt.msc
Licensing Manager	llsmgr.exe
Local Certificates Management	certmgr.msc
Local Group Policy Editor	gpedit.msc
Local Security Settings Manager	secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups Manager	lusrmgr.msc
Network Load balancing	nlbmgr.exe
Performance Monitor	perfmon.msc
PKI Viewer	pkiview.msc
Public Key Management	pkmgmt.msc
Quality of Service Control Management	acssnap.msc
Remote Desktop	tsmmc.msc
Remote Storage Administration	rsadmin.msc
Removable Storage	ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage Operator Requests	ntmsoprq.msc
Routing and Remote Access Manager	rrasmgmt.msc
Resultant Set of Policy	rsop.msc
Schema management	schmmgmt.msc
Services Management	services.msc
Shared Folders	fsmgmt.msc
SID Security Migration	sidwalk.msc
Telephony Management	tapimgmt.msc
Terminal Server Configuration	tscc.msc
Terminal Server Licensing	licmgr.exe
Terminal Server Manager	tsadmin.exe
Teminal Services RDP	MSTSC
Teminal Services RDP to Console	mstsc /v:[server] /console
UDDI Services Managment	uddi.msc
Windows Mangement Instumentation	wmimgmt.msc
WINS Server manager	winsmgmt.msc

 (3) Run (.exe) commands: 

Some of the commands may not run on Windows XP systems

Program Name	Run Command
About Windows	winver
Add a Device	devicepairingwizard
Add Hardware Wizard	hdwwiz
Advanced User Accounts	netplwiz
Authorization Manager	azman
Backup and Restore	sdclt
Bluetooth File Transfer	fsquirt
Calculator	calc
Certificates	certmgr
Change Computer Performance Settings	systempropertiesperformance
Change Data Execution Prevention Settings	systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention
Change Printer Settings	printui
Character Map	charmap
ClearType Tuner	cttune
Color Management	colorcpl
Command Prompt	cmd
Component Services	comexp
Component Services	dcomcnfg
Computer Management	compmgmt
Computer Management	compmgmtlauncher
Connect to a Network Projector	netproj
Connect to a Projector	displayswitch
Control Panel	control
Create A Shared Folder Wizard	shrpubw
Create a System Repair Disc	recdisc
Credential Backup and Restore Wizard	credwiz
Data Execution Prevention	systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention
Default Location	locationnotifications
Device Manager	devmgmt
Device Pairing Wizard	devicepairingwizard
Diagnostics Troubleshooting Wizard	msdt
Digitizer Calibration Tool	tabcal
DirectX Diagnostic Tool	dxdiag
Disk Cleanup	cleanmgr
Disk Defragmenter	dfrgui
Disk Management	diskmgmt
Display	dpiscaling
Display Color Calibration	dccw
Display Switch	displayswitch
DPAPI Key Migration Wizard	dpapimig
Driver Verifier Manager	verifier
Ease of Access Center	utilman
EFS REKEY Wizard	rekeywiz
Encrypting File System Wizard	rekeywiz
Event Viewer	eventvwr
Fax Cover Page Editor	fxscover
File Signature Verification	sigverif
Font Viewer	fontview
Getting Started	gettingstarted
IExpress Wizard	iexpress
Import to Windows Contacts	wabmig
Install or Uninstall Display Languages	lusrmgr
Internet Explorer	iexplore
iSCSI Initiator Configuration Tool	iscsicpl
iSCSI Initiator Properties	iscsicpl
Language Pack Installer	lpksetup
Local Group Policy Editor	gpedit
Local Security Policy	secpol
Local Users and Groups	lusrmgr
Location Activity	locationnotifications
Magnifier	magnify
Malicious Software Removal Tool	mrt
Manage Your File Encryption Certificates	rekeywiz
Math Input Panel	mip
Microsoft Management Console	mmc
Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool	msdt
NAP Client Configuration	napclcfg
Narrator	narrator
New Scan Wizard	wiaacmgr
Notepad	notepad
ODBC Data Source Administrator	odbcad32
ODBC Driver Configuration	odbcconf
On-Screen Keyboard	osk
Paint	mspaint
Performance Monitor	perfmon
Performance Options	systempropertiesperformance
Phone Dialer	dialer
Presentation Settings	presentationsettings
Print Management	printmanagement
Printer Migration	printbrmui
Printer User Interface	printui
Private Character Editor	eudcedit
Problem Steps Recorder	psr
Protected Content Migration	dpapimig
Registry Editor	regedit
	regedt32
Remote Access Phonebook	rasphone
Remote Desktop Connection	mstsc
Resource Monitor	resmon
	perfmon /res
Resultant Set of Policy	rsop
Securing the Windows Account Database	syskey
Services	services
Set Program Access and Computer Defaults	computerdefaults
Share Creation Wizard	shrpubw
Shared Folders	fsmgmt
Snipping Tool	snippingtool
Sound Recorder	soundrecorder
SQL Server Client Network Utility	cliconfg
Sticky Notes	stikynot
Stored User Names and Passwords	credwiz
Sync Center	mobsync
System Configuration	msconfig
System Configuration Editor	sysedit
System Information	msinfo32
System Properties (Advanced Tab)	systempropertiesadvanced
System Properties (Computer Name Tab)	systempropertiescomputername
System Properties (Hardware Tab)	systempropertieshardware
System Properties (Remote Tab)	systempropertiesremote
System Properties (System Protection Tab)	systempropertiesprotection
System Restore	rstrui
Tablet PC Input Panel	tabtip
Task Manager	taskmgr
Task Scheduler	taskschd
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Management	tpm
User Account Control Settings	useraccountcontrolsettings
Utility Manager	utilman
Version Reporter Applet	winver
Volume Mixer	sndvol
Windows Activation Client	slui
Windows Anytime Upgrade Results	windowsanytimeupgraderesults
Windows Contacts	wab
Windows Disc Image Burning Tool	isoburn
Windows DVD Maker	dvdmaker
Windows Easy Transfer	migwiz
Windows Explorer	explorer
Windows Fax and Scan	wfs
Windows Features	optionalfeatures
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security	wf
Windows Help and Support	winhlp32
Windows Journal	journal
Windows Media Player	dvdplay
	wmplayer
Windows Memory Diagnostic Scheduler	mdsched
Windows Mobility Center	mblctr
Windows Picture Acquisition Wizard	wiaacmgr
Windows PowerShell	powershell
Windows PowerShell ISE	powershell_ise
Windows Remote Assistance	msra
Windows Repair Disc	recdisc
Windows Script Host	wscript
Windows Update	wuapp
Windows Update Standalone Installer	wusa
WMI Management	wmimgmt
WMI Tester	wbemtest
WordPad	write
XPS Viewer	xpsrchvw