The chcp command in Windows

The chcp command changes the active code page console. If used without parameters, the chcp command will show the number of active page code of the control panel.

For an example of how to use this command, please see the Example below.

Chcp command syntax

 chcp [] 

Parameters

ParametersDescription Specifies the code page. /? Show help at the command prompt.

The following table lists each supported code page and its country / region or language:

Code page Country / region or language 437 United States 850 Multilingual (Latin I) 852 Slavic (Latin II) 855 Cyrillic (Russian) 857 Turkish 860 Portuguese 861 Iceland 863 Canadian-French 865 Northern European 866 Russia 869 Greece 936 China

Note

1. Only the original device manufacturer's (OEM) code page installed with Windows will appear correctly in the Command Prompt window using Raster fonts. Other code pages appear correctly in full screen mode or in the Command Prompt window using TrueType fonts.
2. You do not need to prepare code pages (as in MS-DOS).
3. Programs that you start after you specify a new code page will use the new code page. However, the programs (except Cmd.exe) that you start before you specify the new code page use the original code page.

For example

To see the active code page settings, enter:

 chcp 

A message similar to the following appears:

 Active code page: 437 

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

 CHCP 850 

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

 Invalid code page 

See more:

1. Change command in Windows
2. Cd command in Windows
3. The cacls command in Windows