📘 Windows File System Navigation & System Information

(Beginner-Friendly Notes for Ethical Hacking / Windows Basics)

1️⃣ Windows Command Line Basics (CMD)

🔹 Command Prompt (cmd.exe)

• Windows command-line interface


• Used to navigate files, run commands, and gather system info


• Commands are NOT case-sensitive
  

  cd desktop

  cd Desktop

  cd DESKTOP

✔️ All work the same, even though actual folder name is Desktop

2️⃣ Changing Directories (cd Command)

🔹 Move to Another Folder

cd Desktop

➡️ Moves into the Desktop directory

🔹 Go Back One Level (Parent Directory)

cd ..

🔹 Go to Root Directory

cd /

or

cd \

📌 Example:

C:\Users\F C\Desktop> cd /

C:\>

✔️ You are now in the root directory

3️⃣ Understanding Root Directory (C:\)

• Root directory = starting point of the Windows file system


• Example:
  

C:\

Common Root Folders

4️⃣ Listing Files & Folders (dir Command)

🔹 Basic Listing

dir

📌 Shows:

• Files


• Folders (<DIR>)


• File size


• Date & time

✔️ dir is a built-in command in cmd.exe

🔹 Directory Symbols

5️⃣ Showing Hidden Files (dir /a)

🔹 Command

dir /a

📌 /a = show ALL files, including:

• Hidden


• System


• Junctions


• Symbolic links

Example Output Explained

<SYMLINKD>  All Users -> C:\ProgramData

<JUNCTION> Default User -> C:\Users\Default

✔️ These are links, not real folders

6️⃣ Windows Users Directory (C:\Users)

Structure

C:\Users

 ├── Public

 ├── F C

 ├── Default

🔹 Public Folder

• Shared by all users
  


• Any user can access files inside

🔹 User Folder (F C)

• Created at first login


• 
  

  Contains:

  
  
  
  
  
  • Desktop
  
  
  • Documents
  
  
  • Downloads
  
  
  • AppData
  
  
  
  
  
  

🔹 Multiple Users in Windows

• Windows supports multiple users
  


• 
  

  Each user has:

  
  
  
  
  
  • Separate files
  
  
  • Separate settings
  
  
  • Separate Temp files
    
  
  
  
  
  

  C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

📌 New users can be created from:

• Control Panel


• Settings → Accounts


• Or via admin commands

7️⃣ AppData Folder (Important for Hackers)

📍 Path:

C:\Users\F C\AppData

📌 Hidden by default

8️⃣ System Information (systeminfo)

🔹 Basic Command

systeminfo

What It Shows

• OS version


• Build number


• Installed hotfixes


• Hardware info


• Network info


• Boot time

✔️ Very useful for enumeration

🔹 Invalid Syntax Example (Corrected)

❌ Wrong:

systeminfo -S

✔️ Correct:

systeminfo /S system_name

🔹 Help Menu

systeminfo /?

Shows all valid options:

• 
  /S → Remote system


• 
  /U → Username


• 
  /P → Password


• 
  /FO → Output format (TABLE / LIST / CSV)

9️⃣ Environment Variables

🔹 Linux vs Windows Syntax

❌ Wrong:

echo $username

✔️ Correct:

echo %username%

Output

F C

🔹 View All Variables

set

🔹 Custom Variable Example

set samina="sajjad"

echo %samina%

📌 Variables set like this:

• Are temporary
  


• Reset after closing CMD

🔟 External System Tools (Sysinternals)

🔹 Why Needed?

Some commands like psinfo:

• ❌ Not built-in


• ✔️ Must be downloaded

🔹 Sysinternals Suite

• Official Microsoft tools


• 
  

  Used for:

  
  
  
  
  
  • System enumeration
  
  
  • Process analysis
  
  
  • Memory inspection
  
  
  
  
  
  

📥 Download:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads

🔹 Example: psinfo

Shows:

• Uptime


• Kernel version


• CPU info


• RAM


• Video driver

✔️ Useful for post-exploitation enumeration

1️⃣1️⃣ Key Takeaways (Quick Revision)

• 
  cd → change directory


• 
  cd / → root directory


• 
  dir → list files


• 
  dir /a → show hidden files


• 
  %USERNAME% → Windows variable syntax


• 
  systeminfo → OS & hardware info


• Sysinternals → advanced enumeration tools


• 
  

  Each Windows user has:

  
  
  
  
  
  • Separate profile
  
  
  • Separate temp files
  
  
  • Separate AppData