Cheat Sheet: net Command
The net command is a command-line tool that enables the management and configuration of various services and network resources. This cheat sheet includes the net commands that I find particularly useful.
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net user
The net user command will allow us to perform user-related operations, such as listing users and managing users. You can use /domain flag in to perform these operations at a domain level.
net user
Shows the local system accounts.
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C:\Users\Juan>net user
User accounts for \\DESKTOP-IPQ48E2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrator DefaultAccount Guest
Juan Pablo WDAGUtilityAccount
The command completed successfully.
net user <user>
Shows detailed user information.
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C:\Windows\system32>net user administrator
User name Administrator
Full Name
Comment Built-in account for administering the computer/domain
User's comment
Country/region code 000 (System Default)
Account active No
Account expires Never
Password last set 9/17/2024 4:42:49 PM
Password expires Never
...
The command completed successfully.
net user <user> <password>
Changes the user’s password.
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C:\Windows\system32>net user Pablo "Password123"
The command completed successfully.
net user <user> <password> /add
Creates a new user with the specified password.
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C:\Windows\system32>net user "Pepe" "pepelotas_69" /add
The command completed successfully.
net user <user> /delete
Deletes the specified user.
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C:\Windows\system32>net user Pepe /delete
The command completed successfully.
net user <user> /active:<yes|no>
Enables or disables a user.
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C:\Windows\system32>net user Pepe /active:no
The command completed successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>net user Pepe /active:yes
The command completed successfully.
Summary
| Command | Description | |
net user | Shows local system accounts. | |
net user <user> | Displays detailed information about a specific user. | |
net user <user> <password> | Changes the specified user’s password. | |
net user <user> <password> /add | Creates a new user with the specified password. | |
net user <user> /delete | Deletes the specified user from the system. | |
net user <user> /active:<yes no> | Activates or deactivates a user |
net localgroup
The net localgroup command is used for local group management.
net localgroup
Shows existing local groups.
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C:\Windows\system32>net localgroup
Aliases for \\DESKTOP-IPQ48E2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Access Control Assistance Operators
*Administrators
*Backup Operators
*Cryptographic Operators
*Device Owners
*Distributed COM Users
*Event Log Readers
*Users
...
The command completed successfully.
net localgroup <group>
Shows group members
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C:\Windows\system32>net localgroup Users
Alias name Users
Comment Users are prevented from...
Members
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users
NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE
Pepe
The command completed successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>net localgroup Administrators
Alias name Administrators
Comment Administrators have complete and unrestricted access to the computer/domain
Members
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrator
Juan
The command completed successfully.
net localgroup <group> /add
Creates a new group
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C:\Windows\system32>net localgroup "IT Support" /ADD
The command completed successfully.
net localgroup <group> /delete
Deletes the specified group
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C:\Windows\system32>net localgroup "IT Support" /DELETE
The command completed successfully.
net localgroup <group> <user> /add
Add a user to a group
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C:\Windows\system32>net localgroup "IT Support" "Pepe" /add
The command completed successfully.
net localgroup <group> <user> /delete
Deletes a user from a group.
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C:\Windows\system32>net localgroup "IT Support" "Pepe" /delete
The command completed successfully.
Summary
| Command | Description | |
net localgroup | Shows the local groups on the system. | |
net localgroup <group> | Displays members of a specific group. | |
net localgroup <group> /add | Creates a new local group. | |
net localgroup <group> /delete | Deletes a local group. | |
net localgroup <group> <user> /add | Adds a user to a local group. | |
net localgroup <group> <user> /delete | Removes a user from a local group. |
net use
It allows to manage network resources, such as network drives, folders, and printers.
net use
When used without any parameters, it displays all currently connected network resources on the local system.
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PS C:\Windows\system32> net use
New connections will be remembered.
Status Local Remote Network
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disconnected E: \\192.168.3.69\test Microsoft Windows Network
S: \\VBoxSvr\Shared VirtualBox Shared Folders
Disconnected X: \\192.168.100.6\Logs Microsoft Windows Network
The command completed successfully.
net use <drive letter> \\<host>\<share> /user:
password Maps a network shared resource to the specified drive letter, allowing access with the provided credentials if required.
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PS C:\Windows\system32> net use X: \\192.168.100.6\Logs /user:Pepe pepe12345
The command completed successfully.
C:\Windows\system32> Get-ChildItem X:
Directory: X:\
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
-a---- 9/18/2024 10:24 AM 0 access.log
-a---- 9/18/2024 10:24 AM 0 error.log
net use <drive letter> /delete
Deletes the specified network drive, unmapping the share resource.
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PS C:\Windows\system32> net use X: /delete
X: was deleted successfully.
Summary
| Command | Description | |
net use | Displays all currently connected network resources on the local system. | |
net use \\<drive letter\> \<host\>\<share> | Maps a network shared resource to the specified drive letter | |
net use <drive letter> /delete | Deletes the specified network drive, unmapping the share resource. |
net share
The net share command is used to create, delete, or manage shared resources on a Windows system.
net share
When used without parameters, shows the local shared resources.
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C:\Users\Juan>net share
Share name Resource Remark
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C$ C:\ Default share
IPC$ Remote IPC
ADMIN$ C:\Windows Remote Admin
Shared Folder
C:\Users\Juan\Desktop\Shared Folder
test C:\Users\Juan\Test
Users C:\Users
The command completed successfully
net share <share>
Displays detailed information about the specified shared resource.
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C:\Windows\system32>net share C$
Share name C$
Path C:\
Remark Default share
Maximum users No limit
Users
Caching Manual caching of documents
Permission Everyone, FULL
The command completed successfully.
net share <share name>=<drive>:<path> /grant:<user>,<[read,change,full]>
Creates a new shared resource mapped to the provided path.
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C:\Windows\system32>net share SharedMusic=C:\Users\Juan\Music
SharedMusic was shared successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>net share
Share name Resource Remark
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C$ C:\ Default share
IPC$ Remote IPC
ADMIN$ C:\Windows Remote Admin
SharedMusic C:\Users\Juan\Music <=
test C:\Users\Juan\Test
Users C:\Users
The command completed successfully.
net share <share> /delete
Removes the specified shared resource.
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C:\Windows\system32>net share SharedMusic /delete
SharedMusic was deleted successfully.
Summary
| Command | Description | |
net share | Shows the local shared resources | |
net share <share> | Displays detailed information about the specified shared resource | |
net share <share name>=<drive>:<path> | Creates a new shared resource mapped to the provided path | |
net share <share> /delete | Removes the specified shared resource |
net view
The net view command displays a list of computers or shared resources in a specified network. It can show shared folders and printers on a remote computer or provide information about all computers on the network.
net view
When used without parameters, displays a list of computers in the current domain
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PS C:\Users\julio> net view
Server Description
---
\\DC01
\\WS01
The command completed successfully.
net view \\<ComputerName>
Displays a list of shared resources in the specified computer. /all parameter will also show $ shares.
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PS C:\Users\julio> net view \\WS01 /ALL
Shared resources on \\WS01
Shared Resource Name Type Used as Comment
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADMIN$ Disk Remote Admin
C$ Disk Default share
IPC$ IPC Remote IPC
SharedMovies Disk
The command completed successfully.
Summary
| Command | Description | |
| net view | When used without parameters, displays a list of computers in the current domain | |
| net view \\<ComputerName> | Displays a list of shared resources in the specified computer. |
net file
The net file command is used to manage open files on a shared resource. It allows users to view and close files that are currently open by users on a network share.
net file
Displays a list of open files on a server and the users who have them open.
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PS C:\Users\julio> net file
Open File User Name # Locks
---------------------------------------------------------------------
\\DC01\SharedDocs\Report.docx user1 1
\\DC01\SharedDocs\Image.png user2 2
The command completed successfully.
net file \\<ID>
Closes an open file by specifying its ID number.
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PS C:\Users\julio> net file 123 /close
The file was closed successfully.
Summary
| Command | Description | |
| net file | Displays a list of open files on a server and the users who have them open. | |
| net file \\<ID> | Closes an open file by specifying its ID number. |
Basic Service Management
net start
When used without parameter, it displays all initialized services in the local system.
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C:\Users\Juan>net start
These Windows services are started:
Application Information
AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC)
AVCTP service
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Background Tasks Infrastructure Service
Base Filtering Engine
Capability Access Manager Service
Client License Service (ClipSVC)
Clipboard User Service_31ef7
CNG Key Isolation
COM+ Event System
...
net start <ServiceName>
Starts the specified service.
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C:\Windows\system32>net start "Themes"
The Themes service is starting.
The Themes service was started successfully.
net stop <ServiceName>
Stops the specified service
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C:\Windows\system32>net stop "Themes"
The Themes service is stopping.
The Themes service was stopped successfully.
net pause <ServiceName>
Pauses the specified service
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C:\Windows\system32>net pause "Print Spooler"
The Print Spooler service is pausing.
The Print Spooler service was paused successfully.
net continue <ServiceName>
Resumes a paused service
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C:\Windows\system32>net continue "Print Spooler"
The Print Spooler service is resuming.
The Print Spooler service was continued successfully.
Summary
| Command | Description | |
net start | Displays all initialized services in the local system. | |
net start \<ServiceName\> | Starts the specified service | |
net stop \<ServiceName\> | Stops the specified service | |
net pause \<ServiceName\> | Pauses the specified service | |
net continue \<ServiceName\> | Resumes a paused service |
Summary of Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
net user | Shows local system accounts. |
net user <user> | Displays detailed information about a specific user. |
net user <user> <password> | Changes the specified user’s password. |
net user <user> <password> /add | Creates a new user with the specified password. |
net user <user> /delete | Deletes the specified user from the system. |
net user <user> /active:<yes | no> | Activates or deactivates a user. |
net localgroup | Shows existing local groups. |
net localgroup <group> | Displays members of a specific group. |
net localgroup <group> /add | Creates a new local group. |
net localgroup <group> /delete | Deletes a local group. |
net localgroup <group> <user> /add | Adds a user to a local group. |
net localgroup <group> <user> /delete | Removes a user from a local group. |
net use | Displays all currently connected network resources. |
net use <drive letter> \\<host>\<share> | Maps a network shared resource to the specified drive letter. |
net use <drive letter> /delete | Deletes the specified network drive, unmapping the share resource. |
net share | Shows the local shared resources. |
net share <share> | Displays detailed information about the specified shared resource. |
net share <share name>=<drive>:\<path> | Creates a new shared resource mapped to the provided path. |
net share <share> /delete | Removes the specified shared resource. |
net view | Displays a list of computers in the current domain. |
net view \\<ComputerName> | Displays a list of shared resources in the specified computer. |
net file | Displays a list of open files on a server and the users who have them open. |
net file <ID> | Closes an open file by specifying its ID number. |
net start | Displays all initialized services in the local system. |
net start <ServiceName> | Starts the specified service. |
net stop <ServiceName> | Stops the specified service. |
net pause <ServiceName> | Pauses the specified service. |
net continue <ServiceName> | Resumes a paused service. |
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