Computer and Software Support


Color

This page is from Microsoft

Updated: January 21, 2005

Changes the Command Prompt window foreground and background colors for the current session. Used without parameters, color restores the default Command Prompt window foreground and background colors.
 
 
Syntax
color [F][B]
Parameters
F
Specifies the foreground color.
B
Specifies the background color.
/?
Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks
  • The following tables lists valid hexadecimal digits that you can use as the values for F and B.
Value Color

0

 Black
1 Blue
2 Green
3 Aqua
4 Red
5 Purple
6 Yellow
7 White
8 Gray
9 Light blue
A Light green
B Light aqua
C Light red
D Light purple
E Light yellow
F Bright white

  • Do not use space characters between F and B.

  • If you specify only one hexadecimal digit, the corresponding color is used as the foreground color and the background color is set to black.

  • To set the default Command Prompt window color, click the upper-left corner of the command prompt window, click Defaults, click the Colors tab, and then click the colors that you want to use for the Screen Text and Screen Background.

  • You can use cmd /t:FG to change the Command Prompt window colors for the current session.

  • If the foreground and background colors are the same, the color command sets ERRORLEVEL to one (1).

Examples

To change the Command Prompt window foreground color to red and background to white, type:

color 74

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