How to Change Directories in Command Prompt
Open Start., Type in command prompt., Right-click Command Prompt., Click Run as administrator., Type in cd ., Determine your directory's path., Type in your directory's path., Press ↵ Enter.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 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. -
Step 2: Type in command prompt.
This will bring up the Command Prompt icon at the top of the Start window. , It resembles a black box.
This invokes a drop-down menu. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , Doing so will change the Command Prompt directory to your selected one. -
Step 3: Right-click Command Prompt.
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Step 4: Click Run as administrator.
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Step 5: Type in cd .
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Step 6: Determine your directory's path.
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Step 7: Type in your directory's path.
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Step 8: Press ↵ Enter.
Detailed Guide
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.
This will bring up the Command Prompt icon at the top of the Start window. , It resembles a black box.
This invokes a drop-down menu. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , Doing so will change the Command Prompt directory to your selected one.
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Nicholas Hart
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