TechTip: Control Panel Items from Command Line
By: Mike Shinn
You can run a lot of windows tools from command line or start-run. Here’s a good sized list. Some you use daily and others you probably knew there was something there for it but never knew what it was. At the top are my favorites:
CONTROL or CONTROL PANEL: opens the control panel window
SERVICES.MSC: opens Service manager
CONTROL FOLDERS: opens folder options
CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 or NETPLWIZ: User account access restrictions
APPWIZ.CPL: opens Add or Remove programs utility tool
EVENTVWR or EVENTVWR.MSC: opens Event Viewer
DEVMGMT.MSC: opens Device Manager
GPEDIT.MSC: opens Group Policy utility tool
MSCONFIG: opens System Configuration Utility
WRITE: opens WordPad
NOTEPAD: opens Notepad
CALC: opens Calculator
Most all others:
CONTROL ADMINTOOLS: opens the administrative tools
CONTROL KEYBOARD: opens keyboard properties
CONTROL COLOR: opens display properties.Appearance tab
CONTROL FONTS: opens font policy management
CONTROL INTERNATIONAL or INTL.CPL: opens Regional and Language option
CONTROL MOUSE or MAIN.CPL: opens mouse properties
CONTROL USERPASSWORDS: opens User Accounts editor
CONTROL PRINTERS: opens faxes and printers available
OPTIONALFEATURES: opens Add or Remove Windows component utility
DESK.CPL: opens display properties. Themes tab
IRPROPS.CPL: infrared utility tool
JOY.CP: opens game controllers settings
MMSYS.CPL: opens Sound and Audio device Properties. Volume tab
SYSDM.CPL: opens System properties
TELEPHON.CPL: Opens phone and Modem options
TIMEDATE.CPL: Date and Time properties
WSCUI.CPL: opens Windows Security Center
ACCESS.CPL: opens Accessibility Options
HDWWIZ.CPL: opens add hardware wizard
WUAUCPL.CPL: opens Automatic Updates
POWERCFG.CPL: opens Power Options Properties
AZMAN.MSC: opens authorisation management utility tool
CERTMGR.MSC: opens certificate management tool
COMPMGMT.MSC: opens the Computer management tool
COMEXP.MSC or DCOMCNFG: opens the Computer Services management tool
FSMGMT.MSC: opens Shared Folders
NAPCLCFG.MSC: NAP Client configuration utility tool
SERVICES.MSC: opens Service manager
TASKSCHD.MSC or CONTROL SCHEDTASKS: opens Schedule Tasks manager
LUSRMGR.MSC: opens Local Users and Groups
SECPOL.MSC: opens local security settings
CIADV.MSC: opens indexing service
NTMSMGR.MSC: removable storage manager
NTMSOPRQ.MSC: removable storage operator requests
WMIMGMT.MSC: opens (WMI) Window Management Instrumentation
PERFMON or PERFMON.MSC: opens the Performance monitor
MMC: opens empty Console
MDSCHED: opens memory diagnostics tools
DXDIAG: opens DirectX diagnostics tools
ODBCAD32: opens ODBC Data source Administrator
REGEDIT or REGEDT32: opens Registry Editor
DRWTSN32: opens Dr. Watson
VERIFIER: opens Driver Verifier Manager
CLICONFG: opens SQL Server Client Network Utility
UTILMAN: opens Utility Manager
COLORCPL: opens color management
CREDWIZ: back up and recovery tool for user passwords
MOBSYNC: opens Synchronization center
SYSEDIT: opens System Configuration Editor (careful while using this command)
SYSKEY: Windows Account Database Security management (careful while using this command)
EPLORER: Opens windows Explorer
IEXPLORER: Opens Internet explorer
WAB: opens Contacts
CHARMAP: opens Character Map
CLIPBRD: opens Clipbook Viewer
WINCHAT: opens Microsoft Chat Interface
SOUNDRECORDER: opens sound recording tool
DVDPLAY: run CD or DVD
WMPLAYER: opens Windows Media Player
MOVIEMK: Opens untitled Windows Movie Maker
OSK: opens on-screen Keyboard
MAGNIFY: opens Magnifier
WINCAL: opens Calendar
DIALER: opens phone Dialer
EUDCEDIT: opens Private Character Editor
NDVOL: opens the mixer volume
RSTRUI : opens Tool System Restore (For Vista only)
%WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\RESTORE\rstrui.exe: opens Tool System Restore (for XP only).
MSINFO32: Opens the System Information
MRT : launches the utility removal of malware.
Taskmgr : Opens the Windows Task Manager
CMD: opens a command prompt
MIGWIZ: Opens the tool for transferring files and settings from Windows (Vista only)
Migwiz.exe: Opens the tool for transferring files and settings from Windows (for XP only)
SIDEBAR: Open the Windows (Vista only)
Sigverif : Opens the tool for verification of signatures of files
Winver : Opens the window for your Windows version
FSQUIRT: Bluetooth Transfer Wizard
IExpress opens the wizard for creating self-extracting archives. Tutorial HERE
MBLCTR: opens the mobility center (Windows Vista only)
MSRA : Opens the Windows Remote Assistance
Mstsc : opens the tool connection Remote Desktop
MSDT: opens the diagnostic tools and support Microsoft
WERCON: opens the reporting tool and solutions to problems (for Vista only)
WINDOWSANYTIMEUPGRADE: Enables the upgrade of Windows Vista
WINWORD : opens Word (if installed)
PRINTBRMUI : Opens migration wizard printer (Vista only)
DISKMGMT.MSC: opens disk management utility
CLEANMGR: opens disk drive clean up utility
DFRG.MSC: opens disk defragmenter
CHKDSK: complete analysis of disk partition
DISKPART: disk partitioning tool
Connection management
IPCONFIG: list the configuration of IP addresses on your PC (for more information type IPCONFIG/? in the CMD menu)
INETCPL.CPL: opens internet properties
FIREWALL.CPL: opens windows firewall
NETSETUP.CPL: opens network setup wizard
Miscellaneous commands
JAVAWS: View the cover of JAVA software (if installed)
AC3FILTER.CPL: Opens the properties AC3 Filter (if installed)
FIREFOX: Mozilla launches Firefox (if installed)
NETPROJ: allow or not connecting to a network projector (For Vista only)
LOGOFF: closes the current session
SHUTDOWN: shut down Windows
SHUTDOWN-A: to interrupt Windows shutdown
%WINDIR% or %SYSTEMROOT%: opens the Windows installation
%PROGRAMFILES%: Opens the folder where you installed other programs (Program Files)
%USERPROFILE%: opens the profile of the user currently logged
%HOMEDRIVE%: opens the browser on the partition or the operating system is installed
%HOMEPATH%: opens the currently logged user C: \ Documents and Settings \ [username]
%TEMP%: opens the temporary folder
VSP1CLN: deletes the cache for installation of the service pack 1 for Vista
System File Checker (Requires Windows CD if the cache is not available):
SFC / scannow: immediately scans all system files and repairs damaged files
SFC / VERIFYONLY: scans only those files system
SFC / Scanfil = “name and file path”: scans the specified file, and repaired if damaged
SFC / VERIFYFILE = “name and file path”: Scans only the file specified
SFC / scanonce: scans the system files on the next restart
SFC / REVERT: return the initial configuration (For more information, type SFC /? In the command prompt CMD.