There may be times when you forget to perform a pre-installation task prior to starting the Windows Server 2008 installation. Rather than restarting the operating system, you can access a command prompt from Setup or use advanced drive options to perform the necessary administrative tasks.
When you access a command prompt from Setup, you access the MINWINPC (mini Windows PC) environment used by Setup to install the OS. During installation, on the 'Where Do You Want To Install Windows' page, you can access a command prompt by pressing 'Shift+F10'. The mini Windows PC environment provides access to many of the same command-line tools that are available in a standard installation of Windows Server 2008. Here is a list of what is available:
ARP Displays and modifies the IP-to-physical address translation tables
used by the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
ASSOC Displays and modifies file extension associations
ATTRIB Displays and changes file attributes
CALL Calls a script or script label as a procedure
CD/CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the current directory
CHKDSK Checks a disk for errors and displays a report
CHKNTFS Displays the status of volumes. Sets or excludes volumes from
automatic system checking when the computer is started
CHOICE Creates a list from which users can select one of several choices
in a batch script
CLS Clears the console window
CMD Starts a new instance of the Windows command shell
COLOR Sets the colors of the command-shell window
CONVERT Converts FAT volumes to NTFS
COPY Copies or combines files
DATE Displays or sets the system date
DEL Deletes one or more files
DIR Displays a list of files and subdirectories within a directory
DISKPART Invokes a text-mode command interpreter so that you can manage
disks, partitions, and volumes using a separate command prompt
and commands that are internal to DISKPART
DISM Services and manages Windows images
DOSKEY Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates macros
ECHO Displays messages or turns command echoing on or off
ENDLOCAL Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file
ERASE Deletes one or more files
EXIT Exits the command interpreter
EXPAND Uncompresses files
FIND Searches for a text string in files
FOR Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files
FORMAT Formats a floppy disk or hard drive
FTP Transfers files
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations
GOTO Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in a script
HOSTNAME Prints the computer's name
IF Performs conditional processing in batch programs
IPCONFIG Displays TCP/IP configuration
LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk
MD/MKDIR Creates a directory or subdirectory
MORE Displays output one screen at a time
MOUNTVOL Manages a volume mount point
MOVE Moves files from one directory to another directory on the same drive
NBTSTAT Displays the status of NetBIOS
NET ACCOUNTS Manages user account and password policies
NET COMPUTER Adds or removes computers from a domain
NET CONFIG SERVER Displays or modifies configuration of a server service
NET CONFIG WORKSTATION Displays or modifies configuration of a workstation
service
NET CONTINUE Resumes a paused service
NET FILE Displays or manages open files on a server
NET GROUP Displays or manages global groups
NET LOCALGROUP Displays or manages local group accounts
NET NAME Displays or modifies recipients for messenger service messages
NET PAUSE Suspends a service
NET PRINT Displays or manages print jobs and shared queues
NET SEND Sends a messenger service message
NET SESSION Lists or disconnects sessions
NET SHARE Displays or manages shared printers and directories
NET START Lists or starts network services
NET STATISTICS Displays workstation and server statistics
NET STOP Stops services
NET TIME Displays or synchronizes network time
NET USE Displays or manages remote connections
NET USER Displays or manages local user accounts
NET VIEW Displays network resources or computers
NETSH Invokes a separate command prompt that allows you to manage the
configuration of various network services on local and remote
computers
NETSTAT Displays the status of network connections.
PATH Displays or sets a search path for executable files in the current
command window
PATHPING Traces routes and provides packet loss information
PAUSE Suspends processing of a script and waits for keyboard input
PING Determines whether a network connection can be established
POPD Changes to the directory stored by PUSHD
PRINT Prints a text file
PROMPT Modifies the Windows command prompt
PUSHD Saves the current directory and then changes to a new directory
RD/RMDIR Removes a directory
RECOVER Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk
REG ADD Adds a new subkey or entry to the registry
REG COMPARE Compares registry subkeys or entries
REG COPY Copies a registry entry to a specified key path on a local or
remote system
REG DELETE Deletes a subkey or entries from the registry
REG QUERY Lists the entries under a key and the names of subkeys (if any)
REG RESTORE Writes saved subkeys and entries back to the registry
REG SAVE Saves a copy of specified subkeys, entries, and values to a file
REGSVR32 Registers and unregisters DLLs
REM Adds comments to scripts
REN Renames a file
ROUTE Manages network routing tables
SET Displays or modifies Windows environment variables. Also used to
evaluate numeric expressions at the command line
SETLOCAL Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file
SFC Scans and verifies protected system files.
SHIFT Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in scripts
START Starts a new command-shell window to run a specified program or
command
SUBST Maps a path to a drive letter
TIME Displays or sets the system time
TITLE Sets the title for the command-shell window
TRACERT Displays the path between computers
TYPE Displays the contents of a text file
VER Displays the Windows version
VERIFY Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written
correctly to a disk
VOL Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
