When debugging or monitoring Windows systems, developers often need to view the exact command line used to launch a process, including all arguments. While Task Manager shows this information in its "Command Line" column, automation scenarios require command-line alternatives.

The Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) provides the most straightforward method:

wmic process where "name='processname.exe'" get commandline

For example, to check Java processes:

wmic process where "name='java.exe'" get commandline

PowerShell offers more flexible options through Get-WmiObject or Get-CimInstance:

Get-WmiObject Win32_Process -Filter "name = 'notepad.exe'" | Select-Object CommandLine

Or using Get-Process:

Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -eq 'chrome'} | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Path

For elevated processes or system services, you might need to run these commands as Administrator. When dealing with multiple instances:

wmic process where "name='python.exe'" get processid,commandline

Here's how to extract JVM arguments from running Java processes:

wmic process where "name='java.exe'" get commandline | findstr /i "Xmx Xms"

This helps in:

• Verifying runtime parameters
• Debugging memory issues
• Auditing production configurations

While WMIC is convenient, frequent queries can impact system performance. For monitoring scenarios, consider:

• Caching results
• Running queries at intervals
• Using performance counters for basic monitoring

Be aware that command line arguments may contain sensitive information like passwords or API keys. Implement proper access controls when:

• Logging process information
• Sharing diagnostics output
• Automating process monitoring

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When debugging or monitoring processes on Windows, you often need to see the complete command line that launched a process - including all arguments. While Task Manager shows this information in its "Command Line" column, you might need to access it programmatically or through command-line tools.

Here are the most effective ways to achieve this:

Using WMIC

wmic process where "name='java.exe'" get CommandLine

Example output:

CommandLine
"C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_201\bin\java.exe" -Xmx1024m -jar myapp.jar

Using PowerShell

More modern approach with Get-WmiObject or Get-CimInstance:

Get-WmiObject Win32_Process -Filter "name = 'python.exe'" | Select-Object CommandLine

Or using Get-Process:

Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -eq "chrome"} | Select-Object -ExpandProperty CommandLine

For more advanced scenarios, consider these tools:

Process Explorer (Sysinternals)

procexp.exe /accepteula -a CommandLine

Handle (Sysinternals)

handle.exe -p <PID> -a

Finding all Java processes with their arguments:

wmic process where "name='java.exe'" get ProcessId,CommandLine

PowerShell function to find process by name and show command line:

function Get-ProcessCommandLine {
    param (
        [string]$ProcessName
    )
    Get-CimInstance Win32_Process -Filter "name = '$ProcessName'" | 
        Select-Object ProcessId, CommandLine
}

Note that WMI queries can be slow for systems with many processes. For frequent monitoring, consider:

• Caching results
• Filtering by specific process names/PIDs
• Using performance counters instead for basic monitoring

Be aware that:

• Some processes might hide their command lines
• Administrator privileges might be required
• Sensitive information (passwords) might be visible in command lines