How do I open command prompt?

Click the Start button and type "cmd." Right-click "Command Prompt" from the results and choose "Run as administrator" — this gives you full access to run all commands in this guide. A window with a dark background and white or yellow text appears. The cursor blinks, waiting for you to type.

How do I check your internet connection with ping?

Type this command and press Enter: ping google.com — Your computer will send four test signals to Google's servers and report how long each one took to get a response. If you see "Reply from" messages, your internet connection is working. If you see "Request timed out," your PC cannot reach the internet. This is a quick way to confirm whether a connection problem is on your end or Google's.

How do I view your network details with ipconfig?

Type ipconfig and press Enter. This displays information about your network connections, including your IP address (your computer's unique address on the network), your subnet mask, and your default gateway (usually your router's address). This information is useful when calling your internet provider for support — they may ask for your IP address.

How do I reset your internet connection?

If your internet stopped working after a Windows update or a program change, these two commands often fix it. Type each one and press Enter, waiting for each to finish before typing the next: netsh int ip reset — then: ipconfig /flushdns — then restart your computer. These commands reset your network settings and clear the record of website addresses your computer has stored, which can resolve many common connectivity problems.

How do I check the system file health with sfc /scannow?

If Windows is behaving strangely — programs crashing, errors appearing unexpectedly — the System File Checker can repair corrupted Windows files. Open Command Prompt as administrator and type: sfc /scannow — and press Enter. This scans all protected Windows files and replaces any corrupted ones from a cached backup. It takes 10–20 minutes and reports what it found when complete.

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The Command Prompt — often shortened to CMD — is a text-based tool that has been part of Windows since the early days of personal computers. It lets you control your computer by typing commands instead of clicking icons and menus. While it looks old-fashioned, it remains one of the most useful troubleshooting tools built into Windows.

You do not need to know dozens of commands to find the Command Prompt useful. A handful of simple commands solve the most common everyday PC problems, especially internet and network issues.

The most frequently useful commands for everyday users are: ping (checks whether your computer can reach a website or server), ipconfig (shows your computer's network connection details), tracert (shows the path your internet connection takes to reach a website), and the netsh and ipconfig reset commands (which can fix internet connectivity problems by resetting your network settings).

These commands are safe to run and do not make permanent changes to your system. They are diagnostic tools — they gather information or perform small, reversible network resets that have been standard troubleshooting steps for decades.

The Command Prompt and PowerShell are both text-based tools in Windows. For the commands in this guide, either one works. Command Prompt is slightly simpler in appearance, while PowerShell is the more modern tool and handles a wider range of tasks.

As with PowerShell, always be cautious about where you get commands to run. Only use commands from trusted sources.

Command Prompt Basics: Simple Commands That Can Solve Everyday PC Problems

Open Command Prompt

Check your internet connection with ping

View your network details with ipconfig

Reset your internet connection

Check the system file health with sfc /scannow

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