Administering return data from execution of commands by a computer operating system including receiving in the operating system a command name and optional command parameters specifying a command for current execution, the command having been previously executed, and displaying return data from the previous execution of the command. Typical embodiments include marking the command in a history file upon the previous execution of the command, including recording a display buffer location of the return data from the previous execution of the command. In such embodiments, displaying return data from the previous execution of the command includes retrieving from the history file the display buffer location of the return data from the previous execution of the command and reading from a display buffer the return data from the previous execution of the command in dependence upon display buffer location.