How to Create a Global Alias for a Command with DOSKEY

If you frequently use the command prompt, you've likely typed the same long, complex command over and over again. Creating a short, memorable alias for such a command can save a huge amount of time and effort. In the Windows command-line environment, the standard, built-in tool for creating these macros or aliases is doskey.exe.

This guide will teach you how to use the doskey command to create temporary aliases for the current cmd.exe session. More importantly, it will show you the standard method for making these aliases "permanent" and "global" by automatically loading them every time you open a new command prompt.

The Core Command: doskey

The doskey.exe utility is a command-line tool that recalls command history, edits command lines, and creates macros. A "macro" in this context is what other shells would call an "alias", i.e. a short name that expands to a longer, more complex command.

Syntax for Creating an Alias: doskey AliasName=Command

• AliasName: The short, custom name you want to type.
• Command: The full command string you want the alias to execute.

Basic Example: Creating a Temporary Alias

Let's create a simple alias named clslog that clears the screen and then prints a timestamped log message.

First, open a command prompt (cmd.exe). Now, type the following command:

doskey clslog=cls & echo --- Log Point [%date% %time%] ---

Now, in that same command prompt window, simply type clslog and press Enter.

C:\> clslog

The screen will clear, and you will see the following output (with the current date/time):

--- Log Point [Fri 10/27/2023 15:30:12.45] ---

note

The Limitation: This alias is temporary. If you close this command prompt and open a new one, the clslog alias will be gone.

The Challenge: Making Aliases Permanent

doskey itself has no "save" or "permanent" switch. To make your aliases available in every new command prompt session, you must create a system where they are automatically loaded every time cmd.exe starts. This is a classic "startup script" problem.

The Solution: Using the Registry to Auto-Run a Macro File

The standard and most effective way to make your aliases permanent is a two-step process:

Step 1: Create a Macro File

First, create a simple text file (e.g., C:\MyMacros\macros.doskey) that contains all of your doskey definitions, one per line.

@echo off
REM My personal command-line aliases.
doskey c=cls
doskey h=doskey /history
doskey np=notepad++.exe
doskey ..=cd ..
doskey ...=cd ..\..
doskey e.=explorer .
doskey ls=dir /B
doskey grep=findstr /I

Step 2: Edit the Registry to Auto-Run this File

You need to add a specific value to the Windows Registry that tells cmd.exe to run a command every time it starts. This requires administrator rights.

Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor Value Name: AutoRun Value Type: REG_SZ (String Value) Value Data: doskey /macrofile="C:\MyMacros\macros.doskey"

You can set this with a REG ADD command from an administrative command prompt.

REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor" /v AutoRun /t REG_SZ /d "doskey /macrofile=\"C:\MyMacros\macros.doskey\"" /f

Now, every time you open a new cmd.exe window, this registry key will automatically execute the doskey command, loading all the aliases from your file and making them available for you to use.

Key doskey Parameters and Special Codes

When creating aliases, you can use special codes to represent arguments.

Code	Description
$*	Represents all arguments passed to the alias.
$1 - $9	Represents the first through ninth argument.
$T or $t	The command separator. Allows you to chain multiple commands in a single alias. (Similar to &).

Example using Arguments

This creates a findtext alias that runs findstr with specific, user-friendly options.

doskey findtext=findstr /S /I /N /P "$1" *.*

Usage: findtext "my search string" Here, $1 is replaced by "my search string".

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them

• Admin Rights for Registry: The registry change is a one-time setup, but it requires you to be an administrator to run the REG ADD command successfully.
• Paths with Spaces in the Macro File: When setting the AutoRun value in the registry, it is critical that the path to your macro file is properly quoted, especially if it contains spaces. The REG ADD example above demonstrates the correct quoting.
• Aliases in Batch Scripts: doskey aliases do not work inside batch scripts by default. A batch file is parsed differently from an interactive session. doskey is a tool for the interactive command line.

Practical Example: A Set of Useful, Everyday Aliases

This is a sample macros.doskey file that demonstrates a variety of useful shortcuts for a developer or system administrator.

@echo off
REM =============================================
REM =      My Custom DOSKEY Command Aliases     =
REM =============================================

REM --- Navigation ---
doskey ..=cd ..
doskey ...=cd ..\..
doskey ....=cd ..\..\..
doskey desk=cd %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
doskey docs=cd %USERPROFILE%\Documents

REM --- Directory Listing ---
doskey ls=dir /B
doskey l=dir /B
doskey la=dir /A /B

REM --- File Operations ---
doskey e.=explorer .
doskey md.=mkdir "%1" & cd "%1"

REM --- Network ---
doskey myip=ipconfig | findstr IPv4
doskey flush=ipconfig /flushdns

REM --- General Tools ---
doskey h=doskey /history
doskey c=cls
doskey edit=notepad.exe

Conclusion

The doskey command is an essential tool for any power user of the Windows command prompt, allowing you to create time-saving aliases for your most frequently used commands.

Key takeaways for creating permanent aliases:

1. Define all your aliases in a central macro file (e.g., macros.doskey).
2. Use the REG ADD command (as an Administrator) to add an AutoRun value to the Command Processor registry key, pointing to your macro file.
3. Use special codes like $* and $1 to pass command-line arguments to your aliases.

Once set up, this system provides a powerful and personalized command-line experience every time you open a new prompt.