Create permanent DOSKEY in Windows cmd

I think the title is pretty self explanatory.

The question is how can I create an alias in a Windows cmd that will also work after I close and then reopen it. For example I would like an alias called ip to call the command ipconfig or an alias ls -l to call Dir.

My operating system is Windows 10, in case that makes a difference.

Solution 1:

Create a macro definition file, for instance in notepad; name it at will and save it anywhere (for instance, in next example I used filename macros.doskey in d:\bat\ folder).
Alternatively, doskey /macros>d:\bat\macros.doskey command will list all current macro definitions into d:\bat\macros.doskey file.
A sample macro definition file could be as follows (note that ==> is my command prompt specified by prompt $Q$Q$G$S command):

==> type d:\bat\macros.doskey
ls=dir /B $1 
ip=ipconfig $*

Then, next commands should do the job:

==> reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor" /v Autorun /d "doskey /macrofile=\"d:\bat\macros.doskey\"" /f
The operation completed successfully.

==> reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor" /v Autorun

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor
    Autorun    REG_SZ    doskey /macrofile="d:\bat\macros.doskey"

For explanation, read cmd /?:

If /D was NOT specified on the command line, then when CMD.EXE starts, it looks for the following REG_SZ/REG_EXPAND_SZ registry variables, and if either or both are present, they are executed first.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun

and/or

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun

Disclaimer: some AutoRun settings could eventuate in unlooked-for unwanted behaviour, e.g. as decribed in Hidden gotcha: The command processor’s AutoRun setting

Read Save and restore macro definitions; you could prepare a valid macros.cmd script file in one step:

==> >macros.cmd (@for /F "delims=" %G in ('doskey /macros') do @echo DOSKEY %G)

==> type macros.cmd
DOSKEY ip=ipconfig $*
DOSKEY ls=dir /B $1

==>

Please keep in mind that you cannot run a Doskey macro from a batch file.

Solution 2:

1. Create a file to store your macros (DOSKEYs).
   "C:\bat\macros.doskey"†

   ls=dir $* $T
   up=cd.. $T
   ex=exit $T
   np=notepad
   

2. Go to the registry editor.
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\
   

3. Right-click and add a new "String Value" sub-key. Name it Autorun.
   Right-click -> New -> String Value

4. Right-click it and Modify the Value data.
   Right-click -> Modify -> Value data -> DOSKEY /MACROFILE="C:\bat\macros.doskey"
5. Good to go.

† Note that the file does not have to be saved as a .doskey file.
† Also note that the token $T is required if you're making multiple DOSKEYs.