The more command paginates the results of other commands—when it’s used with them in the correct way.

The more command shows the contents of one or more files, one page at a time, but it’s rarely used this way. The type command duplicates this functionality and is more commonly used for this particular task.

If easy access to large command outputs is what you’re after, saving the results of a command using a redirection operator might be a better way to go. See How to Redirect Command Output to a File for more on this procedure.

More Command Availability

The more command is available from within the Command Prompt in all Windows operating systems including Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

It’s available from Advanced Startup Options and System Recovery Options as well. Recovery Console in Windows XP also includes the more command.

Syntax for the More Command

This is the syntax required when using the command to paginate the results of a different command:

The availability of certain more command switches and other more command syntax may differ from operating system to operating system, even Windows XP through Windows 11.

command-name | more [/c] [/p] [/s] [/tn] [+n] [/?]

Here is the syntax for using the command to show the contents of one or more files:

more [/c] [/p] [/s] [/tn] [+n] [drive:][path]filename [[drive:][path]filename] …

See How to Read Command Syntax if you’re confused about how to read the command syntax or how it’s explained in the table below.

Examples of the More Command

Here are a couple examples that show how the command could be used:

The /e option is also an approved switch but seems to be implied at all times, at least in newer versions of Windows. If you have trouble getting some of the switches above to work, try adding /e when executing.

An elevated Command Prompt is not required for full use of the command but will, of course, be required if you use command-name | more where the command-name specified otherwise requires elevation.

Shorten DIR Command Results

dir | more

In the above example, the more command is used with the dir command, paginating the often lengthy results of this command, the first page of which would look something like this:

Volume in drive D is Backup & Downloads Volume Serial Number is E4XB-9064 Directory of D:\Files\File Cabinet\Manuals 01/27/2007 10:42 AM 2,677,353 a89345.pdf 03/19/2012 03:06 PM 9,997,238 ppuwe3.pdf 02/24/2006 02:19 PM 1,711,555 bo3522ug.pdf 12/27/2005 04:08 PM 125,136 banddek800eknifre.pdf 05/05/2005 03:49 PM 239,624 banddekfp1400fp.pdf 08/31/2008 06:56 PM 1,607,790 bdphv1800handvac.pdf 05/05/2008 04:07 PM 2,289,958 dymo1.pdf 02/11/2012 04:04 PM 4,262,729 ercmspeakers.pdf 07/27/2006 01:38 PM 192,707 hb52152blender.pdf 12/27/2005 04:12 PM 363,381 hbmmexpress.pdf 05/19/2005 06:18 AM 836,249 hpdj648crefmanual.pdf 05/19/2005 06:17 AM 1,678,147 hpdj648cug.pdf 01/26/2007 12:10 PM 413,427 kiddecmkncobb.pdf 04/23/2005 04:54 PM 2,486,557 kodakdx3700dc.pdf 07/27/2005 04:29 AM 77,019 kstruncfreq.pdf 07/27/2006 01:38 PM 4,670,356 magmwd7006dvdplayer.pdf 04/29/2005 01:00 PM 1,233,847 msbsb5100qsg.pdf 04/29/2005 01:00 PM 1,824,555 msbsb5100ug.pdf – More –

At the bottom of that page, all of which you see in the Command Prompt window, you’ll notice a More prompt. Here you have additional options, all of which are outlined in the section below. Typically, however, you’d press the spacebar to advance to the next page, and so on and so on.

Show Text File Contents

more list.txt

In this example, the command displays the contents of the list.txt file in the Command Prompt window:

Milk Cheese Yogurt Avocado Broccoli Bell peppers Cabbage Edamame Mushrooms Spaghetti squash Spinach Cherries Frozen berries Melons Oranges Pears Tangerines Brown rice Oatmeal Pasta Pita bread Quinoa Ground beef Chicken Garbanzo beans – More (93%) –

Since the more command has full access to the file that you’re displaying, it knows from the start how much it’s displaying on the screen, showing a percentage indication as to how complete the output is.

We could adjust this example to start at the 10th line by slightly modifying the command:

more +10 list.txt

The printout in Command Prompt would display Spinach, then Cherries, and so on.

Options at the ‘More’ Prompt

Use one of these options when you encounter a More prompt:

Executing more without a filename or any options is allowed but doesn’t do anything useful.

If you can’t make these options work, execute the command again but add /e to the list of options you’re using.

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