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The Windows Command Prompt, often referred to as cmd or cmd.exe, is an interactive command interpreter and a fundamental part of the Windows operating system. It provides a text-based interface for users to directly execute system commands, scripts, and batch files. Through the Command Prompt, users can perform a wide range of tasks including file management, system troubleshooting, network configuration, and executing administrative commands. Unlike graphical user interfaces, the Command Prompt requires users to input specific command lines, offering a more direct and powerful means of system control and automation. Over the years, while Windows PowerShell has emerged as a more powerful tool with advanced features and scripting capabilities, the Command Prompt remains an essential tool for system administration and automation tasks, especially for those who prefer or require a lightweight and straightforward command-line interface.

Snippet from Wikipedia: Cmd.exe

Command Prompt, also known as cmd.exe or cmd, is the default command-line interpreter for the OS/2, eComStation, ArcaOS, Microsoft Windows (Windows NT family and Windows CE family), and ReactOS operating systems. On Windows CE .NET 4.2, Windows CE 5.0 and Windows Embedded CE 6.0 it is referred to as the Command Processor Shell. Its implementations differ between operating systems, but the behavior and basic set of commands are consistent. cmd.exe is the counterpart of COMMAND.COM in DOS and Windows 9x systems, and analogous to the Unix shells used on Unix-like systems. The initial version of cmd.exe for Windows NT was developed by Therese Stowell. Windows CE 2.11 was the first embedded Windows release to support a console and a Windows CE version of cmd.exe. The ReactOS implementation of cmd.exe is derived from FreeCOM, the FreeDOS command line interpreter.

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