How to Go Back Using the Command Prompt

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 30, 2024 Fact Checked

Do you need to go back a directory when browsing files through the Command Prompt? File navigation in Command Prompt might seem challenging at first, but once you learn some simple commands, it'll be easy to go back to a previous folder or move up a directory. This wikiHow article will teach you how to use the "cd.." command, which takes you back to the previous directory at the Windows Command Prompt.^{[1]
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Steps

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Open the Command prompt. You can usually find it by typing “command” into the search bar and selecting it in the search results.^{[2]
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While in the command prompt menu, you can view any files on your computer in a text-only format by typing in the location (usually a disk) and the file name (including any extensions).^{[3]
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Type. cd.. into the prompt. After you press Enter, this command tells the program to navigate back to the previous folder.^{[4]
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- It’s important you type the two dots, since you won’t navigate anywhere if you simply type “cd” into the prompt.
$Step 4 Type cd \ into the prompt to go back to the directory.$

If you need to navigate from a location back to the main command prompt, this command takes you back immediately.^{[5]
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