Command Prompt Tricks

From the February 2001 Edition
of Windows IT Pro
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Windows IT Pro

If you're a frequent command prompt user, you'll appreciate the way this trick simplifies your life. This tip will work on all versions of Windows 2000 and Windows NT. By default, the prompt that the system presents you in a command prompt window shows the current drive letter and the full pathname. This prompt is configurable. For a list of configurable options, go to a command prompt and type

prompt /?

I spend much of my day dealing with remote file systems, so I often find myself wondering exactly where the J drive is mapped to. To refresh memory, I use the Net Use command. To modify the command prompt to reflect the remote path, I typed the following text at a command prompt

prompt $m$_$p$g

where $m echoes the Uniform Naming Convention (UNC) name of the drive letter that the command prompt currently displays; $_ inserts a carriage return and a line feed; and $p$g are the standard drive and pathname. This command caused the system to display the UNC name of my network drive.

To make this change stick on a Win2K system, you must modify an environment variable. You can do so from the Control Panel System applet's Advanced configuration option. All you have to do is click the Environment Variables button, create a system variable named prompt, and set its value to $m$_$p$g. This setting causes the system to display the remote network path every time you open a command prompt.

—Todd O. Klindt
todd@klindt.org

End of Article

How can you use command prompt to make a message box on another computer on a home network?

Paul Bloomer March 10, 2003

please tell me some cool nifty tricks to do in command prompt (i like impressing my friends)
thanx

timothy November 05, 2003

please tell me some cool nifty tricks to do in command prompt (i like impressing my friends) thanx

joel March 24, 2004

I have learned a lot w/ this but would like to know more please send me some of your tricks

Tyler April 12, 2004

To make a message box on someone elses computer you type:NET SEND (their screen name) (text here)
EXAMPLE: net send ryan hi ryan

ryan April 15, 2004

To make a message box on someone elses computer you type:NET SEND (their screen name) (text here) EXAMPLE: net send ryan hi ryan .... what screen name is this refering to? and how can you find this out?

gen April 18, 2004

(screen name) is actually the network name; if u type "net view" it gives a list of all computers on the network and their network names

jamie April 30, 2004

I'm pretty sure it only works with a server but its their logon name

joe May 04, 2004

Could you please tell me some nifty tricks like turning off my brothere computer through the network with command prompt? Please that would be really cool

Kai May 11, 2004

It's not a screen name, it's the computer name. You can find out the computers name by going to control panel then double-click System. Go to the Computer name tab and that should tell you your computer's name. If you don't know the name, you have to use their IP address. You can find this out by typing "ipconfig" in the command prompt. You can only find out your comp name and IP address, to find out a friends you have to ask them or use their computers.

NOTE: You can use both the computer name and IP address if you're on a LAN. If you're not connected to the other comp on a LAN, but both computers are on the Internet, you can use the IP address.

jason May 19, 2004

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