How to Change Directories in Command Prompt (CMD)

September 11, 2025 / Tutorial

This article explains how to change directories in CMD easily.

When working in the Windows Command Prompt, moving between folders (directories) is one of the most common tasks. Knowing how to switch directories helps you access files faster and execute commands more efficiently.

Steps to Change Directories in Command Prompt (CMD)

  1. Press ‘Windows + R’, type ‘cmd’, and hit ‘Enter’. It will open in your user folder by default.
  2. To check your current directory, type: 
    cd

    This will display the full path of the directory you’re currently in.

  3. To go into a different folder within the same path, use the ‘cd‘ command followed by the folder name:
    cd foldername
    Example: If you are in ‘C:\Users\Jack’ and want to open the ‘Documents folder‘, run:

    cd Documents
  4. You can also jump directly to a folder by typing its full path:
    cd C:\Program Files
  5. To go up to the parent directory, type: 
    cd ..

    Example: From C:\Users\Jack\Documents, running cd .. will return you to C:\Users\Jack.

  6. If you want to change from one drive to another (for example, from C: to D:), just type the drive letter with a colon: 
    D:

    After switching, you can again use the ‘cd‘ command to move through folders on that drive.

 

That’s it!

Learn more about the tutorial How to Copy Files from One Directory to Another Using CMD.