Essential IT Support Commands Every Beginner
Essential IT Support Commands Every Beginner Should Know:
– Starting out in IT Support can feel like you’re suddenly responsible for saving the entire planet… one slow PC and one angry “why is the WiFi down?” employee at a time.
But here’s the good news: most of the daily chaos and problems can be handled with literally a few simple commands. Think of these like your toolbox, your cheat codes, your “I actually know what I’m doing” buttons.
When the PC is running slow– When a computer starts acting like it needs coffee, these commands help you find the problem and smooth things out.
• temp – System temporary files, highlight all and delete it because it’ll only take up space and slow your pc
• %temp% – User temporary files (the ones people forget exist) same as temp, you don’t need it.
• prefetch – Cached program files
• cleanmgr – Disk Cleanup
• taskmgr – Check who’s eating the CPU like a buffet
• msconfig – Control startup programs
• services.msc – Stop heavy or stuck services
• control update – Check for updates the system has been nagging about
• sfc /scannow – Scan and repair system files
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth – Deep repair magic
• chkdsk /f – Fix disk issues
• powercfg.cpl – Power settings (yes, power-saving mode can slow things down)
Use when: the PC freezes, lags, takes 3 years to boot, or sounds like it’s preparing for takeoff.
When you’re facing network issues– Internet not working? Users panicking? Perfect time to shine.
• ping <IP or site> – See if the connection is alive
• ipconfig – IP details
• ipconfig /release + ipconfig /renew – Reset your IP like a fresh start
• ipconfig /flushdns – Clear bad DNS cache
• nslookup <domain> – Check if DNS knows the domain
• tracert <domain> – Find where the connection is dying
• netsh winsock reset – Network stack reset (the “please work” command)
Use when: websites don’t load, internet keeps dropping, DNS acts confused, or users start blaming you personally.
General system troubleshooting– The behind-the-scenes tools that help you figure out what Windows is hiding.
• eventvwr – Views system and application logs
• tasklist – View processes running
• wmic diskdrive get status – Quick disk health check
• control firewall.cpl – Firewall settings
• devmgmt.msc – Device Manager (drivers, drivers, drivers)