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CMD Hacker Prank: 18 Copy-Paste Commands That Look Like Hacking

Last reviewed on August 23, 2026.

Every movie hacker has the same setup: a black window, green text, and lines of output scrolling faster than anyone could read. You can recreate that on any Windows machine in under a minute — using completely harmless, built-in commands that just look dramatic. This guide covers the real-CMD version of the prank, a copy-paste "Matrix" batch file, and the zero-effort option.

Just want it to work right now? Open the fake hacker terminal, press F11, and click START — commands type and "execute" themselves, no setup, any OS. The rest of this page is for doing it in real Windows Command Prompt.

Everything on this page is harmless. The commands below only read and display information — they don't change settings, delete anything, or touch the network beyond a standard ping. Still, the golden rule applies: never type commands you don't understand into a terminal, and never run a script someone sends you without reading it first.

The 30-second version

  1. Press Win + R, type cmd, hit Enter.
  2. Type color 0a and press Enter — instant green-on-black hacker palette.
  3. Type title SYSTEM ACCESS — UNAUTHORIZED to set the window title.
  4. Type tree C:\ or dir /s and let the scroll do the work.
  5. Press Alt + Enter for fullscreen (or maximize the window).

Harmless CMD commands that look like hacking

All of these are read-only. The right column is what's actually happening while your audience thinks you're breaching the Pentagon.

CommandWhat it looks likeWhat it actually does
color 0a Hacker mode engaged Sets green text on a black background. color 0c is red for "alert" scenes, color 0b is cyan.
dir /s Dumping the entire file system Lists every file in the current folder and all subfolders. From C:\ it scrolls for a long time.
tree C:\ Mapping the target's directory structure Draws the folder hierarchy as ASCII branches. One of the best-looking scrolls in Windows.
ping -t 8.8.8.8 Maintaining a connection to a remote server Pings Google's public DNS forever. Stop it with Ctrl + C.
netstat -an Monitoring all network connections Lists your machine's open ports and active connections — real data that looks very serious.
ipconfig /all Pulling network credentials Shows your own network adapter configuration.
tasklist Enumerating target processes Lists running processes, like a text-mode Task Manager.
systeminfo Profiling the compromised system Prints OS version, hardware, patches — slowly, line by line, which sells the effect.
arp -a Enumerating every device on the network Prints the ARP cache: IP and MAC addresses your machine has recently talked to. Short, dense, very convincing.
netsh wlan show profiles Harvesting saved Wi-Fi networks Lists the names of Wi-Fi networks this PC has connected to. Reads only — it changes nothing.
nslookup google.com Resolving the target's infrastructure Does a DNS lookup and prints the server and addresses. Swap in any domain for a custom "target".
driverquery Fingerprinting kernel-level modules Lists installed device drivers with dates. A long, technical-looking table.
tracert 8.8.8.8 Tracing the route into the target network Shows each network hop between you and the destination, appearing one line at a time with timings.
wmic process list brief Injecting into running processes Another process listing, formatted as a wide table with priorities and IDs.
net view Discovering machines to pivot to Lists shared computers visible on your local network.
chkdsk Deep-scanning the drive sector by sector Read-only disk check with staged percentage progress. (Without /f it never writes anything.)
title SYSTEM BREACH IN PROGRESS The window itself is compromised Renames the Command Prompt window. Free drama, zero risk.

Chain them for a convincing sequence: color 0a → systeminfo → netstat -an → tree C:\. By the time the tree finishes, your reputation is made.

The "Matrix" batch file

This classic two-liner fills the screen with endless streams of green numbers. Paste it into Notepad, save it as matrix.bat (choose "All files" as the type), and double-click it. Close the window or press Ctrl + C to stop — it does nothing except print random numbers.

@echo off
color 0a
:loop
echo %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random%
goto loop

Want the real falling-code look with katakana characters, color options, and fullscreen — without making files? Open our Matrix rain effect in a browser and press F11.

Fake virus scan

Scrolls a file-by-file "scan" and then reports infections. Save as scan.bat.

@echo off
color 0a
title ANTIVIRUS - DEEP SYSTEM SCAN
echo Initializing heuristic engine...
timeout /t 2 /nobreak >nul
for /f "delims=" %%f in ('dir /b /s C:\Windows\System32\*.dll') do (
  echo [SCAN] %%f
  ping -n 1 127.0.0.1 >nul
)
color 0c
echo.
echo  !! 47 THREATS DETECTED !!
pause

Fake download / decryption progress

A percentage counter that climbs to 100%. Save as download.bat.

@echo off
color 0a
title DOWNLOADING CLASSIFIED FILES
for /l %%i in (1,1,100) do (
  cls
  echo Decrypting archive: %%i%% complete
  echo.
  ping -n 1 127.0.0.1 >nul
)
echo TRANSFER COMPLETE - 4.7 GB RECEIVED
pause

ACCESS GRANTED finale

The payoff shot: a flashing green banner. Save as granted.bat.

@echo off
title ROOT ACCESS
:loop
color 0a
cls
echo.
echo   ###   ####  ####  #### ####  ####
echo   #  # #     #     #     #    #
echo   ###  #     #     ####  ####  ###
echo   #  # #     #         #    #     #
echo   #  #  ####  #### ####  ####  ####
echo.
echo          A C C E S S   G R A N T E D
ping -n 1 127.0.0.1 >nul
color 02
cls
ping -n 1 127.0.0.1 >nul
goto loop

Why these are safe: every script above only uses echo (print text), color/title (cosmetics), dir (list files), ping (used here purely as a timer), and timeout. None of them write, delete, download, or modify anything. Close the window or press Ctrl + C to stop any of them.

The same prank on macOS and Linux

Terminal on macOS and Linux has better-looking equivalents, and most are one word:

Set the terminal profile to green-on-black ("Homebrew" on macOS, or any Matrix theme) and press Cmd + Ctrl + F / F11 for fullscreen.

The zero-effort option: a fake terminal that types itself

Real CMD commands have a limit: they look like a file listing, not an "intrusion in progress." For the full movie-hacker fantasy — port scans, password cracking, ACCESS GRANTED banners — use our fake hacker terminal. It's a pre-scripted browser animation: click START, go fullscreen, and realistic commands type and execute themselves with progress bars and dramatic output. Nothing real runs, nothing to install, works on any OS.

Variations on the theme: the hacker typer produces code as fast as you can mash keys, the boot sequence simulator fakes a BIOS/Linux boot, and the system breached screen is the perfect jump-scare finale for an unattended laptop.

If you want the joke to be a crash rather than an intrusion, the fake blue screen of death reproduces the Windows stop error with any stop code you like, and the fake Windows update screen is the one that genuinely fools people — because it looks completely routine.

Can you actually hack with CMD?

Not the way movies show it. Command Prompt is just a way to run programs by typing their names; the commands above are ordinary administration tools. Genuine security work involves specialized tools, authorization, and a lot of patience — and unauthorized access to other people's systems is a crime in most countries. Keep the prank a prank: green text, scrolling output, and a confused friend are the whole payload.

CMD hacker prank FAQ

Is the CMD hacker prank safe?

Yes — every command and script on this page is read-only. They print information (file listings, network connections, process lists) or change cosmetic settings like text colour and the window title. None of them delete files, alter settings, install anything, or contact a remote server beyond an ordinary ping. Close the window or press Ctrl + C to stop anything that is still running.

What is the best CMD command to look like you're hacking?

tree C:\ is the single best one: it draws your entire folder structure as ASCII branches and scrolls for minutes. Run color 0a first for green-on-black text. For a shorter, denser effect that looks more like a network intrusion, use netstat -an or arp -a.

How do I make Command Prompt green like a hacker?

Open Command Prompt (Win + R, type cmd, Enter) and type color 0a. The first digit is the background and the second is the text, so 0a means black background with bright green text. color 0c gives red-on-black for alert scenes and color 0b gives cyan.

How do I make CMD fullscreen?

Press Alt + Enter inside the Command Prompt window, or just maximise it. On Windows 11 you can also open Command Prompt inside Windows Terminal and press F11. Fullscreen removes the window chrome and is what sells the effect.

Can you actually hack with Command Prompt?

No, not the way films depict it. Command Prompt simply runs programs by name, and the commands here are ordinary Windows administration tools that read your own machine's configuration. Real security work uses specialised tools and requires authorisation; accessing systems you do not own is a crime in most countries.

How do I make a fake hacking batch file?

Open Notepad, paste one of the scripts on this page, then choose File > Save As, set 'Save as type' to 'All files', and name it something ending in .bat (for example matrix.bat). Double-click the saved file to run it. Press Ctrl + C or close the window to stop it.

How do I stop the prank?

Press Ctrl + C to interrupt a running command or script, or simply close the Command Prompt window with the X button or Alt + F4. Nothing keeps running in the background afterwards.

Is there a fake hacking screen that needs no setup?

Yes. The fake hacker terminal at xscript.net/fake-terminal is a browser page that types and 'executes' realistic intrusion commands by itself — port scans, password cracking, progress bars and an ACCESS GRANTED banner. Press F11 for fullscreen and click START. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and phones, and nothing is installed or executed.

Prank responsibly