Definition of Command Prompt in Network Encyclopedia.

What is Command Prompt?

Command Prompt, also known as MS-DOS Prompt (Windows 95 and Windows 98), is a Microsoft Windows application that allows Windows commands to be entered and executed. The command prompt provides a command-line interface for running certain operating system tasks, configuring networking services, and even accessing resources and applications over the network.

Much administration can be performed from the command prompt, although the command prompt provides a more complex and less intuitive interface than the usual desktop graphical user interface (GUI) of Windows operating systems. However, administrators who have spent significant time working in UNIX networking environments might find the command prompt a more familiar paradigm for administering a Windows-based network.

In Windows NT and Windows 2000, the command prompt application is cmd.exe, located in the %SystemRoot%\system32 folder. In Windows 95 and Windows 98, it is called the MS-DOS prompt, has the executable filename command.com, and is in the \Windows folder. The Windows NT version can be configured using the Console utility in Control Panel.