Exploring Windows Commands: Introduction to the CD Command – Why Can’t You Switch to the D Drive?

What happend

Have you ever copied the path of the D drive from File Explorer and tried to switch to it using the ‘cd‘ command in CMD, only to find it not working?

In this edition, let’s talk about the CD command!

In the world of computers, commands are how we communicate with the system. The Command Prompt, a commonly used tool in Windows, allows users to control the operating system and file system by typing in various commands.

This article will focus on introducing the CD command and explaining how to switch between different disk drives in the Windows environment.

CD command

CD, short for Change Directory, is a command used to switch between different directories or folders. This essentially means changing your current working location.

When you open the Command Prompt, the default location is usually the User folder under the C drive. For instance, if the user’s name is “John,” the default path would be ➡ C:\Users\John.

This default location will also impact subsequent actions you take in the Command Prompt.

Let’s now explore some commonly used ways to utilize the CD command.

Change directory

cd Desktop
cd C:\Users\John\Desktop

For instance, let’s say John wants to switch to his Desktop:

By typing “cd Desktop,” he can reach his destination, as the default starting point is usually the parent directory of the Desktop.

Of course, you can also use the full path, like this: cd C:\Users\John\Desktop. This way, you don’t need to consider the current location.

But what if the path includes spaces? In that case, you need to enclose the path in double quotes, like so:

cd "C:\Users\John\Desktop\Zyra story"

Returning to the Parent Directory

Regretful John wants to leave the Desktop and go back to the previous directory. He can achieve this by using cd .., which means going up to the parent directory.

cd ..    - C:\Users\John\Desktop -> C:\Users\John
cd ../.. - Returning to the Parent's Parent Directory

Switch back to the root directory

cd\

Switching to Another Drive

Finally, let’s discuss the main topic of this time: switching to another drive.

The usage is quite straightforward – you just need to type the drive letter followed by a colon. For example, if you want to switch to the D drive, you can simply use D:.

It’s as simple as that, and it has nothing to do with the cd command itself!

D: // Switch to drive D
E: // Switch to drive E

(You will be taken to the root directory of the respective drive)

Certainly, that’s not all we’ve got! The CD command can tackle this situation.

The CD command can be accompanied by the parameter “/d,” which allows you to change both the directory and the current drive simultaneously.

For instance, if you’re aiming to access a specific folder on drive D, let’s say “Tools,” you can achieve it as follows:

cd /d D:\Tools  - By appending /d after cd and using a space as separation~

By using this approach, you can seamlessly navigate between directories on different drives.

Conclusion

This time, we covered some common CD command syntax, so you won’t have to blindly copy and paste entire paths anymore.

Here’s a little secret I’d like to share with you: In the past, when I wasn’t familiar with changing directories, I used to open a folder and then right-click to access the CMD prompt…

🧡 Hopefully, this post has helped you to some extent.

🧡You can support me by clicking some ad, Thanks a lot

✅If you got any problem about the explanation, please feel free to let me know

Some Random notes