• Command Prompt is Windows Vista's external command line utility. External command lines require an application -- one existing outside of the command line utility -- to run. The external command line "defrag," for example, requires the "Defrag.exe" or "Disk Defragmenter" application to run. Without "Defrag.exe," the command line utility cannot perform the action in Windows Vista. Command Prompt is one of Windows Vista's system components and is contained within the operating system's main system directory.
  
  

System32

• "System32," located in the "Windows" directory, contains your operating system's essential system files. Driver files, language files, data files, registry files and other system files central to the operation of Windows Vista reside within this folder. Along with Command Prompt, "System32" also stores other built-in applications such as Notepad, Calculator, Control Panel and Disk Defragmenter.
  
  

Function

• Command Prompt can execute both internal and external commands. Internal commands don't require an external file to run. Only Command Prompt can perform internal commands, although users can perform similar tasks through Vista's GUI (Graphical User Interface). Command Prompt accesses many of its external commands from the "System32" folder. The application chkdsk.exe (used for the "chkdsk" command), for example, resides in "System32" along with Command Prompt.
  
  

Identification and Use

• Command Prompt shows up as "cmd.exe" in "System32." The icon is of a mini-Command Prompt, with the characters "C:\_" drawn on top. Double-clicking "cmd.exe," or right-clicking the file and selecting "Open" or "Run as administrator," will launch the utility.