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NET SEND command reference

1. General information about Net Send command
2. Using Net Send command
3. Net Send command syntax
4. Remarks on using Net Send command
5. Net Send command examples
6. Disabling and enabling messenger service and Net Send
7. How to send Net Send message in Windows 7

General information about Net Send command

Net Send is a command line application that comes with some Windows versions and is intended for sending messages to other users, computers or messaging names on the network. This command is only available in Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 and is unavailable in Windows 95, 98, ME, Vista, Windows 7 and later versions. In Windows XP, starting with Service Pack 2, Net Send command is disabled by default.

Using Net Send command

For Net Send command to work properly, it requires the Windows Messenger Service to be started. In fact, Net Send command is just a command line interface for the Messenger Service that is immediately responsible for message sending and receiving. Also, the messenger service or a compatible software has to be running on the computer which you want to send messages to. You can send messages only to a name that is active on the network. If you send the message to a user name, that user must be logged on.

In order to send a message using Net Send command, start a command prompt window. To start the command prompt click "Start" button, choose "Run..", enter "cmd" command and click OK button. Type "net" command with "send" parameter and with other parameters according to the command syntax. Messages received with messenger service are displayed in the standard Windows message box.

Net Send command syntax

The Net Send command has the following syntax:

net send {username | * | /domain[:domainname] | /users} message

where

username - user name, computer name, or messaging name to which you want to send the message;

* - sends the message to all names in your domain or workgroup;

/domain[:domainname] - sends the message to all names in the computer's domain or in the specified domain;

/users - sends the message to all users connected to the server;

message - specifies text of the message.

Remarks on using Net Send command

If command line arguments contains spaces, they should be enclosed in quotes.

You may face with problems when you use long user names to send messages. Names, used by messenger service, are limited to 15 characters.

Maximum allowed length of a broadcast message is 128 characters. Maximum allowed length of a personal message is 1600 characters.

Net Send command examples

To send the message "To send messages within LAN use the net send command" to user john type:

net send john To send messages within LAN use the net send command

To send a message to all users, connected to the computer, type:

net send /users Exit 1C immediately!

To send a message to all users in domain ukmz, type:

net send /domain:ukmz Electricity will be cut off in 5 minutes

To send a message to all users in the domain, to which your computer belongs, type:

net send * Gentlemen, the meeting will begin at 13:00

Disabling and enabling messenger service and Net Send

You can disable or enable the messenger service using both MMC console (Services snap-in) and command line. All these operations require administrative rights.

To enable the messenger service perform the following steps: Open Control Panel. Open Administrative Tool, Services. Find Messenger Service in the Windows services list. Open its properties window. Select "Auto" from "Startup type" drop-down list. Then press Start button. Press OK button.

To disable the messenger service perform the following steps: Open Control Panel. Open Administrative Tool, Services. Find Messenger Service in the Windows services list. Open its properties window. Select "Disabled" from "Startup type" drop-down list. Then press Stop button. Press OK button.

To enable the messenger service using command line type the following commands in commant prompt:

sc config messenger start= auto
net start messenger

To disable the messenger service using command line type the following commands in commant prompt:

net stop messenger
sc config messenger start= disabled

How to send Net Send message in Windows 7

In order to send Net Send messages on Windows versions that don't support Net Send command (Windows 7, Vista, ME, 95, 98) you can use third party software products. We suggest using the following programs: WinSent Messenger and Sent utility. WinSent Messenger is a messenger for LAN, compatible with net send. Sent utility is intended for sending messages from command line. For more details click the links below.

WinSent - NET SEND compatible LAN messenger

Sent - an utility to send NET SEND message from command line of Windows 7

Adding NET SEND
support to Windows 7

1) Download and install Winsent Messenger or Winsent Innocenti on all computers that should be used for message receiving.

2) Download and install Sent utility and Winsent Messenger on all computers that should be used for message sending.

3) Change Windows system settings according to the requirements.

Now you can send and receive NET SEND messages on Windows 7. If you need to send the message from command line then use sent command, otherwise use Winsent Messenger.



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