Computer and Software Support


chcp

This page is from Microsoft

Updated: January 21, 2005

Displays the number of the active console code page, or changes the console's active console code page. Used without parameters, chcp displays the number of the active console code page.
Syntax
chcp [NNN]
Parameters
NNN
Specifies the code page. The following table lists each code page supported and its country/region or language:Code pageCountry/region or language437United States850Multilingual (Latin I)852Slavic (Latin II)855Cyrillic (Russian)857Turkish860Portuguese861Icelandic863Canadian-French865Nordic866Russian869Modern Greek
/?
Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks
  • Only the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) code page installed with Windows XP appears correctly in a command prompt window that uses Raster fonts. Other code pages appear correctly in full-screen mode or command prompt windows that use TrueType fonts.

  • You do not need to prepare code pages, as in MS-DOS.

  • Programs that you start after you assign a new code page use the new code page, however, programs (except Cmd.exe) that you started before assigning the new code page use the original code page.

Examples
To view the active code page setting, type:

chcp

A message similar to the following appears:

Active code page: 437

To change the active code page to 850 (Multilingual), type:

chcp 850

If the specified code page is invalid, the following error message appears:

Invalid code page

Formatting legend

Format Meaning
Italic Information that the user must supply
Bold Elements that the user must type exactly as shown
Ellipsis (...) Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line
Between brackets ([]) Optional items
Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd} Set of choices from which the user must choose only one
Courier font Code or program output