How to Change Directories in Command Prompt

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: September 2, 2021 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to change the folder (also known as the "directory") in which your Windows computer's Command Prompt program operates. To make changes in Command Prompt, you must be using an administrator account.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:
Opening Command Prompt

1
Open Start. Either click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen, or press the ⊞ Win key.
- For Windows 8, place your mouse cursor in the top-right corner of the screen, then click the magnifying glass icon when it appears.
2
Type in cmd. This will bring up the Command Prompt icon at the top of the Start window.
3
Right-click Command Prompt. It resembles a black box. This invokes a drop-down menu.
4
Click Run as administrator. It's near the top of the drop-down menu. Doing so will open Command Prompt with administrator privileges.
- Confirm this choice by clicking Yes when prompted.
- You won't be able to run Command Prompt in administrator mode if you're on a restricted, public, or networked computer (e.g., a library or school computer), or an otherwise non-administrator account.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:
Changing the Directory

1
Type in cd . Make sure you include the space after "cd". This command, which stands for "change directory", is the root of any directory change.
- Don't press the ↵ Enter key.
2
Determine your directory's path. A directory path is like a map to a specific folder. For example, if the directory to which you want to change is the "System32" folder that's in the "WINDOWS" folder on the hard drive, the path would be "C:\WINDOWS\System32\".
- You can find a folder's path by opening My Computer, double-clicking the hard drive icon, navigating to your destination, and then looking at the address at the top of the folder.
3
Type in your directory's path. Your command or address goes after the "cd" command; make sure there is a space between "cd" and your command.
- For example, your whole command might look like cd Windows\System32 or cd D:.
- Since your computer's default directory location will be the hard drive (e.g., "C:"), you don't need to type in the hard drive's name.
4
Press ↵ Enter. Doing so will change the Command Prompt directory to your selected one.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I go to C:\ from C:\users\username?

Community Answer

You can either type "cd .." to take you up a directory level (to C:\users) and once again to take you to the root level, or you can always type "cd \" from any directory to take you to the root level.
Question

How do I change the name of a drive, like from Drive H: to drive A:?

Community Answer

In start, type Computer Management. Open Computer Management and click the arrow next to Storage, then Disk Management. Right-click the drive you want to rename and click Change Drive Letter.
Question

What is the difference between cd\ and cd?

Community Answer

In order to use cd you have to put a file path after it; cd\ just goes straight to C:\.
Question

How do I make a new directory?

Community Answer

To make a new directory in the current directory simply type "mkdir dirname" (without the quotation marks).
Question

How do I open a desktop folder if the given cmd is not working?

Community Answer

I had this problem before, try "dir" and then write the exact folder name that appeared.
Question

How do I create a folder on the desktop?

Community Answer

Left click on any open space on the desktop, then click "New folder." The folder will be created and you will be prompted to name it.
Question

What would you type at a command prompt to change to the root directory of the c: drive if the prompt says c:\winnt\system32?

Community Answer

The command you are looking for is: cd/.
Question

Can you change the directory without having administrator privileges? If so, how?

Sasa Bozilovic

Community Answer

Follow the steps in this article, but log on using a non admin account. Make sure you can't use admin actions, such as "del system path\system file".
Question

How do I list directories in the folder I'm in?

Sasa Bozilovic

Community Answer

To list directories in the folder you're in, simply type "dir". It will display everything in this folder, including files. To list directories in the specific folder, type "dir path to folder\folder". For example, to list directories in a folder called "lol" in a user folder called "tik", type "dir C:\Users\tik\lol".
Question

How can I get my date in CMD?

Sasa Bozilovic

Community Answer

Type "echo %date%". It will display date info. To change your date, simply type "date", type mm/dd/yyyy (m resembles month, d resembles date, y resembles year) and hit enter.

Show more answers

Warnings

Attempting to run a command that is contingent on a specific file or folder while in a different directory will result in errors.

Thanks!
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