Six Windows Command Line Tools to Boost Productivity

The Windows command line still hides a surprising number of productivity shortcuts and power tools behind a humble prompt — and the six utilities highlighted in the XDA piece form a practical starter pack for anyone ready to move beyond the mouse. The original roundup calls out winget, SDelete, ViVeTool, PnPUtil, Yazi, and Starship as high‑value additions to a Windows power user's toolbox, and each one delivers clear, distinct benefits for installation, security, customization, driver management, terminal navigation, and prompt customization.

Background / Overview​

Command‑line tools remain essential for repeatable workflows, rapid troubleshooting, automation, and accessing features that GUI paths either hide or simply don’t expose. The six utilities discussed here are a mix of Microsoft‑first (or Microsoft‑maintained) tools and modern open‑source projects that integrate neatly into a Windows Terminal / PowerShell workflow. This article summarizes the capabilities the XDA piece emphasizes, verifies and expands key technical claims against official documentation and independent sources, and offers practical guidance and safety notes for using each tool in real environments.

---

winget — Windows Package Manager: streamline app install, updates, and backups​

Winget (the Windows Package Manager client) has become the canonical command‑line approach to install, update, remove, and batch‑deploy applications in Windows. It exposes the same conveniences package managers bring to macOS and Linux — search, scripted installs, upgrades, and export/import of application lists.

• Why it matters: Winget removes the repetitive web‑download/install cycle and enables single‑command app provisioning for new machines.
• How it works: typical commands include winget install <package>, winget upgrade --all, winget export -o apps.json and winget import -i apps.json, which let you export a machine’s installed apps and then import them on another machine.

Strengths and practical tips​

• Scripting and automation: Winget’s import/export JSON schema and scripting features make it ideal for provisioning developer boxes, lab VMs, or recovery images. Use winget export to capture most community‑repo apps and then winget import to reinstall them elsewhere.
• Wide installer support: Winget supports EXE, MSI, MSIX, portable ZIPs and more, improving success rates for automated installs.

Caveats​

• Winget’s repository is broad but not exhaustive; export files will note unavailable apps and you’ll still need manual installers for a few vendor‑specific packages. For full provisioning workflows, combine winget with vendor automation (MSIs, Chocolatey, or custom scripts).

---

SDelete — securely wipe files and free space (Sysinternals)​

SDelete (Secure Delete) is part of the Microsoft‑maintained Sysinternals suite and is the recommended CLI for overwriting file contents and free space so deleted data is not easily recovered. The tool implements sector‑level overwrites and supports multiple overwrite passes and free‑space cleansing.

Key capabilities​

• Securely erase individual files or entire folders with controlled overwrite passes (default 1; -p lets you set more).
• Clean free space on logical disks to remove remnants of previously deleted files (sdelete -z or sdelete -c options).

Why use SDelete (and its limits)​

• Forensically safer deletion: SDelete targets the underlying clusters and uses NTFS APIs to locate compressed/encrypted/sparse file clusters before overwriting them. This approach is more thorough than simply deleting or emptying the Recycle Bin.
• SSD caveat: Modern SSDs and their controllers (wear leveling, over‑provisioning) complicate guarantees about whether a physical flash cell was truly overwritten; specialized vendor tools and full disk encryption provide stronger guarantees for SSDs. The classic DoD‑style overwrite is more applicable to magnetic media; SDelete still offers value but consider storage type.

Safe usage checklist​

1. Run SDelete from an elevated prompt for disk operations.
2. Use -p conservatively; extra passes increase time but not necessarily effectiveness on SSDs.
3. For device resale or decommission, prefer full-disk encryption (pre‑installed) or vendor secure‑erase utilities where available.

---

ViVeTool — enable (and experimentally toggle) Windows feature flags​

ViVeTool exposes the Windows Feature Store feature‑flag mechanism and lets you toggle experimental or hidden features by their feature IDs (FIDs). This is the tool enthusiasts use to enable in‑development UI elements or OEM‑restricted experiences before Microsoft flips a rollout flag. Community GUIs and pages list known IDs, but accuracy is community‑driven.

What ViVeTool does well​

• Feature toggle access: It flips values in the internal feature store so that UI/features built into the OS but disabled by default can be enabled locally — helpful for testing or unlocking early builds.

Serious caveats and risk​

• Not endorsed for average users: The tool itself is a neutral utility, but the features it unlocks are often experimental. Enabling unstable FIDs can produce visual glitches, reliability problems, or compatibility issues. ViVeTool usage is typically recommended only for power users or lab systems.
• No official comprehensive ID list: Feature ID meaning is largely community‑discovered. Always verify an ID’s function from multiple community sources before applying it to a production device.

Best practices​

• Use ViVeTool only on test or non‑critical systems.
• Create a system restore point or full image backup before toggling features.
• Reboot after changes and test thoroughly for UI or driver regressions.

---

PnPUtil — export and reinstall drivers in bulk​

PnPUtil (PnPUtil.exe) is a built‑in Windows tool (since Vista) for managing driver packages in the driver store. It can export all third‑party drivers from a working machine and reinstall them after a clean OS install, saving hours of driver hunting. The commands XDA suggests — pnputil /export-driver [I] "C:\Path\to\Folder" and pnputil /add-driver "C:\Path\to\Folder\[/I].inf" /subdirs /install /reboot — are standard usage patterns.

Why PnPUtil is valuable​

• Fast recovery: Export all third‑party drivers from a known‑good system, keep them on removable media, and then bulk‑install after a reinstall to restore network, chipset, and device support quickly.
• Admin‑level control: PnPUtil also enumerates, adds, removes and can (starting with certain Windows versions) filter by class or file listings — useful for scripted driver management in enterprise imaging.

Usage tips​

• Export from your functional machine: pnputil /export-driver * C:\DriverBackup (run elevated).
• After reinstall: pnputil /add-driver C:\DriverBackup*.inf /subdirs /install to install recursively and register drivers.
• Verify driver store entries with pnputil /enum-drivers before and after operations.

---

Yazi — a fast terminal file manager written in Rust​

For users who prefer to live in the terminal, Yazi is a modern, asynchronous terminal file manager written in Rust that combines speed and a feature set inspired by modern file managers. It focuses on async I/O for responsiveness, supports previews (images, PDFs, videos, syntax highlighting), plugin support, and other niceties expected of a contemporary file manager. The project is actively developed and offers a polished daily‑driver experience for terminal aficionados.

What makes Yazi stand out​

• Asynchronous architecture: Uses non‑blocking I/O to keep the UI responsive even during heavy file operations.
• Rich preview system: Built‑in previewers and integration with common command‑line tools make browsing and inspecting files fast without leaving the terminal.

Practical usage notes​

• Yazi is cross‑platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) and currently in active development — expect breaking changes between releases. Use release binaries or package manager installs for stability, and pin versions in scripts.
• It’s especially productive combined with tools like fzf, ripgrep, or starship in a modern terminal workflow.

Unverifiable/volatile claims​

• Community and project status can change rapidly for open‑source tools; before adopting Yazi for mission‑critical daily work, verify the project’s release cadence and issue backlog on its GitHub page. Treat any single‑author or small‑team project as higher risk for disruptive changes.

---

Starship — make your terminal beautiful, fast, and informative​

Starship is a cross‑platform, highly configurable prompt written in Rust. It’s designed to be minimal and blindingly fast while providing contextual segments (Git branch, status, package manager versions, battery, jobs, etc. that show only when relevant. Starship works across shells including PowerShell, Bash, Zsh, Fish, and even the classic Cmd with Clink.

Why Starship is a strong pick​

• Performance: Rust implementation keeps prompt latency negligible.
• Configurable segments: You can add or remove modules and theme the prompt via a single TOML config file.
• Cross‑platform parity: The same configuration works across Windows, macOS, and Linux, simplifying multi‑OS workflows.

Installation and tips​

• Install the starship binary (curl installer, winget, or package manager).
• Add the small initialization snippet to your shell profile (PowerShell profile or ~/.bashrc).
• Use prebuilt presets or copy/paste community configs to get an attractive and functional prompt quickly.

Complementary tooling​

• Tools like Oh My Posh offer more Windows‑centric themes and wrappers, but Starship’s speed and portability make it appealing for users who work across platforms. Evaluate both for your shell environment.

---

Security, risk analysis, and overall recommendations​

Each tool brings clear benefits, but they also carry distinct risk profiles and operational tradeoffs.

• winget (Low operational risk): Official Microsoft tool with rapid iteration; use it for automation and maintain a list of exceptions for vendor‑only apps. Back up exported lists and verify app sources.
• SDelete (Moderate risk & nuanced guarantees): Excellent for magnetic drives and thorough deletion, but understand modern SSD behaviors and prefer full‑disk encryption or vendor secure‑erase for SSDs. Always double‑check the storage medium and use the correct command flags.
• ViVeTool (High risk for general users): Powerful and experimental — a feature‑toggle tool that can enable unstable code paths. Reserve it for test machines and always backup system images beforehand.
• PnPUtil (Low–Moderate risk): A built‑in admin tool that, when used correctly, reduces driver‑reinstall friction. Use it elevated and validate INF sources.
• Yazi (Low risk but development flux): A compelling terminal file manager for power users; validate release stability before embedding it into critical scripts.
• Starship (Low risk): Lightweight and widely used; minimal risk to system integrity, but watch font and terminal configuration requirements (Nerd Fonts recommended).

---

Quick start cheatsheet (commands to copy/paste)​

• Winget: export your apps
• winget export -o C:\myapps.json
• Winget: import on a new system
• winget import -i C:\myapps.json
• SDelete: securely delete a file (one pass)
• sdelete -p 1 C:\sensitive\secret.docx (or sdelete -z C: to zero free space).
• ViVeTool: enable a feature ID (test machine only)
• vivetool /enable /id:12345678 — then reboot. Verify ID meaning first.
• PnPUtil: export drivers
• pnputil /export-driver * C:\DriverBackup (run elevated).
• PnPUtil: bulk add drivers after reinstall
• pnputil /add-driver C:\DriverBackup*.inf /subdirs /install /reboot
• Yazi: run (after installing release binary)
• yazi — explore the interactive UI. Verify previewers and Nerd Font settings first.
• Starship: quick install and enable
• curl -sS [url]https://starship.rs/install.sh[/url] | sh then add eval "$(starship init powershell)" to your PowerShell profile.

---

Conclusion​

The XDA list is practical and accurate: these six command‑line tools each solve a real pain point for Windows users — from efficient app provisioning (Winget) and secure deletion (SDelete) to driver backup (PnPUtil), terminal workflows (Yazi), and a polished prompt experience (Starship). ViVeTool is the outlier and should be approached with caution; it opens the door to experimental OS behavior and is best used only on test systems. The strong rule of thumb is simple: use built‑in and Microsoft‑maintained tools where possible for system‑level tasks, review open‑source project health before depending on them in production, and always back up before changing system state (drivers, experimental flags, or disk‑wiping operations).
Adopting these utilities takes the Windows Terminal from a troubleshooting niche into a daily productivity engine — and with careful, evidence‑backed use, they can shave hours off setup and repair workflows while giving you more control and visibility than GUI paths often allow.

---

Source: XDA 6 Windows command line tools you're missing out on