TABLE OF CONTENTS Most system administrators think that the primary way to manage Windows-based networks is through Windows graphical user interfaces (GUIs). This is true to some extent. If you are working in a small or medium-sized organization, you can complete most of your everyday administration tasks via Windows GUIs. But you may not realize that an even more powerful interface exists within the Windows operating system: the command line. Most administrators think the command line has something to do with programming. This is not true. The Windows command line is actually another type of administration utility that is much more powerful than wizards and other interfaces.
Each time Microsoft has shipped a new version of Windows, it has tried to simplify the task of managing the operating system by introducing new GUIs in the form of wizards. As a result, veteran administrators have already started to forget the command prompt, which at one time used to be the only means of managing operating systems and applications. Furthermore, many novice administrators have never even opened the command prompt window. When an easier method exists to perform a task, why muddle with commands and their switches and syntaxes?
The Windows command shell is becoming increasingly versatile with every new version of Windows Microsoft introduces. When the first version of Windows...
