Windows command line tools for CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)

Where do command-line tools sit on A+ Core 2?

On the current A+ Core 2 exam, 220-1202, command-line tools are objective 1.4, inside Domain 1.0 Operating Systems. Domain 1.0 carries 28 percent of the exam, tied for the largest share, so these commands are worth real study time.

Core 2 runs a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, scored 700 on a 100 to 900 scale, and it includes performance-based questions where you may be asked to type a real command or pick the right one for a scenario. CompTIA sorts objective 1.4 into six groups: navigation, network, disk management, file management, informational, and OS management. We will follow those groups, because they line up with the jobs you do at a desk. One scope note: this objective is Windows only. For the bigger picture of how Windows stacks up against macOS and Linux, see our operating system comparison.

If you learn a handful first, make it these:

• ipconfig /all: the fast read on almost any network problem.
• ping and tracert: prove whether traffic leaves the machine and where it stops.
• sfc /scannow: repair corrupted Windows system files.
• chkdsk /f /r: fix file system errors and check the disk surface.
• gpupdate /force and gpresult /r: apply Group Policy, then verify it landed.

How do you move around the file system? (cd, dir, md, rmdir)

Four commands cover getting around and managing folders. cd changes your current directory, dir lists what is in it, md makes a new folder, and rmdir removes one. These are the commands you type without thinking once you have some reps in.

Learn the small switches that save time and, in the case of rmdir, prevent a mistake you cannot undo.

• cd: change directory. Use cd .. to move up one level and cd /d to change drive and folder in one step.
• dir: list the contents of a folder. Add /a to reveal hidden items, /s to search subfolders, and /p to pause a long list one page at a time.
• md (also mkdir): create a new folder in the current location.
• rmdir (also rd): delete a folder. It refuses a folder that is not empty unless you add /s, and /q skips the confirmation prompt, so use those together with care.

Which commands diagnose a network problem?

Start with ipconfig to see the local configuration, then use ping and tracert to test reachability, and nslookup to check name resolution. netstat, net use, and hostname round out the set.

These are the workhorses of any connectivity ticket, and several overlap with what Network+ tests, so the reps pay off twice. For the deeper Network+ view of the same tools, see our network troubleshooting command guide.

• ipconfig: show the adapter's IP configuration. ipconfig /all adds DNS, DHCP, and MAC details, ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew cycle a DHCP lease, and ipconfig /flushdns clears the DNS resolver cache.
• ping: send test packets to a host or IP. If a ping to the gateway works but a website fails, the problem is likely DNS or something upstream, not the local link.
• tracert: trace the route to a destination hop by hop, so you can see where traffic stalls.
• pathping: a mix of ping and tracert that measures packet loss at each hop over time, useful for intermittent slowness.
• nslookup: query DNS to confirm a name resolves to the address you expect.
• netstat: list active connections and listening ports. Add -a for everything, -n for numeric output, and -o to show the owning process ID.
• net use: map, list, or disconnect network drives and shared folders. It is how you attach a server share to a drive letter from the prompt.
• hostname: print the computer's name, handy when you are not sure which machine you are on.

How do you check and repair disks and files?

For disk and file health, chkdsk inspects the file system, format prepares a volume, diskpart manages partitions, and robocopy moves large sets of files reliably. Two of these can erase data, so slow down and confirm the target before you commit.

• chkdsk: check a disk for errors. chkdsk /f fixes file system errors, and chkdsk /r also scans for bad sectors and recovers readable data. On the system drive it schedules the scan for the next reboot.
• format: prepare a volume with a file system, which erases what is on it. format /fs:NTFS sets the file system and /q does a quick format. Confirm the drive letter before you press Enter.
• diskpart: an interactive tool for partitions and volumes. You select a disk first, then act on it, so read each line back before running clean or delete.
• robocopy: robust file copy built for big jobs. /E copies subfolders including empty ones, /Z resumes an interrupted transfer, and /MIR mirrors a folder, which also deletes files at the destination that are gone from the source.

How do you manage the system, policy, and accounts?

This group keeps Windows itself healthy. sfc repairs system files, gpupdate and gpresult handle Group Policy, and net user, whoami, and winver report on accounts and the build you are running.

• sfc /scannow: scan protected system files and repair any that are corrupted, using a cached copy. A common first step when Windows behaves strangely.
• gpupdate /force: reapply all Group Policy settings immediately instead of waiting for the next refresh.
• gpresult /r: show which policies actually applied to the user and computer, so you can prove whether a setting reached the machine.
• net user: view or manage local accounts. Run it with a name to see details, and admins can reset a password from here.
• whoami: print the current user context, including the domain. Add /groups or /priv to see group membership and privileges.
• winver: open the About Windows box that shows the edition, version, and build number.
• command /? : the built-in cheat sheet. Type any command followed by /? to see its syntax and switches without leaving the prompt.

Which commands are not on objective 1.4 but still worth knowing?

A few commands techs use every week are not in the 220-1202 objective 1.4 list, yet they show up constantly in real support work. Knowing them will not hurt your exam and will help you at a desk.

Some, like shutdown and xcopy, were listed in older A+ versions. Others were never on the command-line objective at all. Learn the exam list first, then add these as you grow into the job.

The only way any of this sticks is repetition. Open a prompt on your own machine and run the safe ones, or drill them inside our hands-on simulator where the desktop responds like the real thing.

• DISM: repair the underlying Windows image when sfc alone cannot. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth fixes the component store, and running it before sfc /scannow is a well-worn recovery pattern. See Microsoft's guide to repairing a Windows image.
• tasklist: list running processes with their process IDs, the command-line version of the Processes tab.
• taskkill: end a process by ID with /PID or by name with /IM, adding /F to force a stubborn one to close.
• shutdown: shut down or restart from the prompt. /s shuts down, /r restarts, /t sets a delay in seconds, and /a aborts a pending shutdown.
• xcopy: an older file-copy tool that robocopy has largely replaced, still seen in scripts and on shared drives.

Learn the tool, then learn the flag

The command line is a small slice of A+ Core 2, but it is a high-value one, because it turns up in performance-based questions and in nearly every support job you will hold. You do not need to memorize every switch on day one. Learn what each command is for, group them by the job the way CompTIA does in objective 1.4, and let the flags settle in through practice. Type them on a real machine, break something small in a safe place, and read what the output is telling you. Do that for a couple of weeks and the black window stops being intimidating and starts being the fastest tool you own.