The Command Line terminal is one of the most useful Windows tools available to the average user (or to advanced users, for that matter.) It allows you to bypass programs and issue commands straight to the core of your machine and is particularly useful for troubleshooting everything from your computer's hardware to issues on your network. Getting started with the Command Line terminal can be a little intimidating, but it doesn't have to. Behind the abbreviations and shortened entries are simple-to-understand commands.

There are dozens of command line codes, but we're going to cover the top few you need to perform the most basic, most common tasks on your machine. Think of this as a guide for a complete beginner who has never ventured into the terminal before.

5 help

The intro to end all intros

When it comes down to it, using the Command Line terminal can be intimidating. It doesn't have to be. You don't have to search for an endless number of sources to figure out what to do; all you have to do is type in help, and it will provide you with a huge list of potential commands and what they all do.

You can take it a step further, too. Just type in help [command name] and it will give you a more detailed breakdown of how to use the feature.

4 ipconfig

One of the most useful catch-all networking commands

Entering ipconfig in the terminal is one of the easiest ways to get a birds-eye view of what's happening on your network, and there are loads of ways you can expand this simple command to identify other problem areas. By entering ipconfig, you can see all IP addresses currently interacting with your system and other information.

Pairing this with /all shows information about MAC addresses, DNS servers, and more. You can also type /renew to get a new IP address (great for troubleshooting network issues.) And if websites aren't working as they should, adding /flushdns to the end can clear a multitude of problems.

3 taskkill

Application won't stop? Now it will

As much as we all have faith in CTRL + Alt + Delete to shut down misbehaving programs, it doesn't always work. In cases like that, taskkill is your best friend. Type taskkill /IM "process.exe" to shut down a frozen process.

Still no luck? Type taskkill /f to force a program to shut down. Just be warned: this takes no prisoners, so make sure you're targeting the correct application.

2 ping

Hello, are you there?

Websites like DownDetector can help identify why something isn't loading as it should, but what about if there are no other reports? What if the problem lies with your network instead of a systemic issue? The ping command can help you troubleshoot those pesky, sneakier problems.

Ping sends a small amount of data to a given location and waits for a response, thus confirming whether a website is reachable and responding. An easy test is to type in ping google.com or ping [IP address] to measure whether you get a response or not.

1 Chkdsk

Identify problems with your drive

This is arguably one of the most advanced commands on the list, but it's also one of the most useful. If your computer is running a little slower than it should and you can't quite figure out why, chkdsk allows you to identify potential problems with your disk sectors.

Admittedly, this feature was more powerful in the days of hard drives, but it still has use in the modern world of SSDs. When you type chkdsk, it scans the drive for problems. You can also enter chkdsk /r to repair sectors. If you want a single, hit-it-and-forget-it command, type chkdsk /f /r /x to scan your file system.

The terminal is a tool everyone should know

Applications like malware and antivirus scanners are more powerful than ever, but computers are also more complicated than ever. In a world that's constantly on the move, you don't have time to look for help with every little issue that pops up. By learning the basics of the terminal and how to use it, you can repair many of the smallest bugs and glitches that threaten your productivity.