Display a full command prompt history for Windows XP

by Greg Shultz | Jan 24, 2007 8:00:00 AM

Tags: Greg Shultz, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows, Windows XP Tips Newsletter

Takeaway: Looking for a frequently used command prompt in your Windows XP list? You don't need to scroll—simply enter a command to find it for you.

If you often work from Windows XP's command prompt, chances are you know that you can cycle through a list of all the commands that you've typed in a particular session using the up and down arrows on your keyboard. You can also change the size of this history list by clicking the command button in the upper left corner, selecting the Properties command and and then changing the buffer size number on the Options tab under Command History.

By default, the buffer size is set to 50, which means that the command history can potentially contain a lot of commands, making it difficult to cycle through all the commands that you've typed by using the up and down arrows on your keyboard. Fortunately, there's an easier way.

At the command prompt, enter the following command:

DOSKEY /history

When you do so, you'll see a full listing of all the commands that you've entered in a current session.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

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Print/View all Posts Comments on this article

Doskey history keith.eves@... | 01/25/07

Is my doskey different? Marty the Borg | 01/25/07

Doskey commands rick.fitch@... | 01/25/07

IMHO.. F7 is a much better reference topherdoug@... | 01/25/07

Good stuff dlandry@... | 01/25/07

DOSKEY pweegar@... | 01/25/07

New Tricks Old Dog rhmassenberg@... | 01/25/07

Thanks mkurhan | 01/25/07

The full rundown of DOSKEY function keys Forgen | 01/25/07

Thanx genesane@... | 01/25/07

My old friend DOS thunderboy@... | 01/25/07

My old friend DOS thunderboy@... | 01/25/07

History .. Gildawie | 01/27/07

Gildawie, who are you? jgildawie@... | 05/29/07

DOSKEY /history is so lame... louis_b@... | 01/25/07

10k Gildawie | 01/27/07

F7 mc68h08@... | 02/20/07

Definitely Thanx! Marty-7 | 01/25/07

Nice reminder Beoweolf | 01/25/07

Goot tips, but what's really needed, as found in other OSs .. JustAnotherGuy | 01/27/07