How to Check Open Ports in Windows?

Windows 10 is the latest and the greatest in the long line of operating systems offered by Microsoft. It is constantly updated and many bug fixes are offered in these updates. Ports are used by all applications to communicate with the internet. These ports need to be opened by the application, automatically or in some cases, manually, by the user.

In most cases though, the ports are opened automatically and the user isn’t informed about the ports that are opened when an application is installed. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss the method to check what ports have been opened on your computer. Make sure to follow the instructions carefully and accurately to avoid conflict.

How to Check Open Ports in Windows 10?

All applications installed on your computer that is communicating with the internet need to access a port on your computer in order to do so. Windows records the applications listening on a port and this record can be checked by the user anytime. There are, however, many methods to check this record. In this article, we have listed two of the easiest one which won’t require the installation of any third-party application.

Method 1: Using AB Command

In order to identify the application that is listening to a particular port on our computer, we will be using the “AB” command in the command prompt. This will list the name of the executable that has made the request to listen on the port. For that:

1. Press “Windows” + “R” to open Run prompt.
2. Type in “cmd” and press “Shift” + “Ctrl” + “Enter” to provide administrative privileges.

   

3. Type in the following command and press “Enter” to execute it.

   netstat -ab

   

4. Wait for the list to be displayed, the name of the executable will be shown below the port information.

   

Method 2: Using AON Command

There is another command that can be used to identify the process that is listening on a particular port. This command will show the PID number instead of the executable’s name. In order to use this command:

1. Press “Windows” + “R” to open the Run prompt.
2. Type in “Cmd” and press “Shift” + “Ctrl” + “Enter” to provide administrative privileges.

   

3. Type in the following command and press “Enter” to execute it.

   netstat -aon

   

4. The list will be displayed with a PID number at the end.

   

5. Note down the PID number, press “Windows” + “X” and select “Task Manager“.

   

6. Click on “Details” to view all running executables.

   

7. Match the noted PID number with a number in the list, right-click on the executable that matches the number and select “Open File Location“.

   

8. This will open the location of the application that is listening to the port.