# Windows Finding File Commands Commands that find files on the filesystem and are usually executed from the context of the `cmd.exe` or `command.exe` prompt. ## dir ### Attributes Showing * **Command with arguments**: `dir /a` * **Description**: Displays files with specified attributes. Examples: D=Directories, R=Read-only files, H=Hidden files, A=Files ready for archiving, S=System files * **Output**: *

**Windows 2008:** Show/Hide

C:\Users\johndoe>dir /a c:\
 Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1A09-5F16

 Directory of c:\

01/19/2008  03:45 AM

          $Recycle.Bin
09/18/2006  04:43 PM                24 autoexec.bat
10/08/2013  10:27 PM

          Boot
04/11/2009  08:00 AM           333,257 bootmgr
10/08/2013  10:27 PM             8,192 BOOTSECT.BAK
09/18/2006  04:43 PM                10 config.sys
01/19/2008  06:47 AM         Documents and Settings [C:\Users]
10/23/2013  07:39 PM     2,460,454,912 pagefile.sys
01/19/2008  04:40 AM

          PerfLogs
10/08/2013  06:36 PM

          Program Files
10/08/2013  06:36 PM

 
10/10/2013  07:59 PM

          Users
10/23/2013  07:38 PM

          Windows
               5 File(s)  2,460,796,395 bytes
              10 Dir(s)  33,311,416,320 bytes free

### Recursive * **Command with arguments**: `dir /b /s [directory or filename]` * **Description**: Displays files recursively (all subdirectories). Good for post processing with find (example: `find /I “searchstring”`) or sending to another tool. * **Output**: *

**Windows 2008:** Show/Hide

C:\Users\johndoe>dir /b /s c:\temp
c:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Temp
c:\Users\johndoe\AppData\Local\Temp
c:\Windows\Temp
c:\Windows\assembly\temp
c:\Windows\assembly\NativeImages_v2.0.50727_32\Temp
c:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\Temp
c:\Windows\winsxs\Temp

---- ## find * **Command with arguments**: `[somecommand] \| find /c /v ”[searchstring]”` * **Description**: Counts the number of times the [searchstring] is found in the output of [somecommand]. * **Output**: *

**Windows 2008:** Show/Hide

C:\Users\johndoe>dir /a /s c:\  |find /c /v "svchost"
99184

---- ## tree * **Command with arguments**: `tree C:\ /f /a > C:\output_of_tree.txt` * **Description**: Prints a directory listing in tree format. The `/a` makes the tree printed with ASCII characters instead of special ones and the `/f` displays file names as well as folders. * **Output**: *

**Windows 2008:** Show/Hide

C:\Users\johndoe>tree C:\ /f /a
Folder PATH listing
Volume serial number is 1A09-5F16
C:\
|   autoexec.bat
|   config.sys
|
+---PerfLogs
+---Program Files
|   +---Common Files
|   |   +---microsoft shared
|   |   |   +---DAO
|   |   |   |       dao360.dll
|   |   |   |
|   |   |   +---ink
|   |   |   |   |   penchs.dll
|   |   |   |   |   pencht.dll
|   |   |   |   |   penjpn.dll
|   |   |   |   |   penkor.dll
|   |   |   |   |   penusa.dll
|   |   |   |   |   pipanel.dll
|   |   |   |   |   pipanel.exe
|   |   |   |   |   pipres.dll
|   |   |   |   |   skchobj.dll
|   |   |   |   |   skchui.dll
|   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   +---ar-SA
|   |   |   |   |       tipresx.dll.mui
|   |   |   |   |
[...SNIP...]