Mastering the CMD Interface Across Windows Versions – A Step-by-Step Guide

What to Know

• Search the Start menu forCommand Prompt .
• Alternatively, in Windows 11/10, right-click the Start button and selectTerminal orCommand Prompt .
• Another method that works in all Windows versions is to execute thecmd command from the Run dialog box.

This article explains how to openCommand Prompt , which is one of thecommand-line interface programs used to executecommands in Windows operating systems. These directions apply to Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 11 or 10

There are a few ways, but using the search bar on the taskbar is one quick method for opening a command window.

Directions differ between Windows versions. SeeWhat Version of Windows Do I Have? if you’re not sure.

1. Select theStart menu (the Windows icon) on the taskbar, or press theWindows key .
2. Typecmd .
3. SelectCommand Prompt from the list.
   
   If you’re using the latest version of Windows 11, Command Prompt will open withinTerminal .

Some popular Command Prompt commands you might have heard of includeping ,netstat ,tracert ,shutdown , andattrib , but there are_many_ more. We have acomplete list of Windows Command Prompt commands .

Open Command Prompt Through the Start Menu Folder

Another way to open the Windows Command Prompt in Windows 10 is to look in its Start menu folder. Open theStart menu , select theWindows System folder from the list, and then chooseCommand Prompt from the folder group.

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Open Command Prompt Using Power User Menu

One more method is through thePower User Menu . If you’re using a keyboard or mouse, chooseTerminal (Windows 11) orCommand Prompt (Windows 10) from the menu that appears after pressingWin +X or right-clicking theStart Menu .

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You might see PowerShell options in the Power User Menu instead of Command Prompt. In more recent versions of Windows 10, Command Prompt has been replaced by PowerShell, but you canswitch between PowerShell and Command Prompt from the Power User Menu. Terminal is the replacement in Windows 11.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 8 or 8.1

You’ll find Command Prompt in Windows 8 through the Apps screen.

1. Select theWindows Start button and then swipe up to show theApps screen. You can accomplish the same thing with a mouse by selecting the down arrow icon at the bottom of the screen.
   If you’re using a keyboard or mouse, a really quick way to open a Command Prompt window in Windows 8 is through the Power User Menu—hold theWIN andX keys down together, or right-click theStart button, and chooseCommand Prompt .
   Beforethe Windows 8.1 update , the_Apps_ screen can be accessed from the_Start_ screen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, or right-clicking anywhere, and then choosingAll apps .
2. Swipe or scroll to the right on the Apps screen to locate theWindows System section heading.
3. SelectCommand Prompt . You can now execute whatever command you needed to run.

See our list of Windows 8 Command Prompt commands for all of the commands available through Command Prompt in Windows 8, including short descriptions and links to more in-depth information if we have it.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 7, Vista, or XP

In these versions of Windows, Command Prompt is found through a folder group in the Start menu.

1. Open theStart Menu in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
   In Windows 7 and Windows Vista, it’s a bit faster to entercommand in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu and then chooseCommand Prompt when it appears in the results.
2. Go toAll Programs >Accessories .
3. ChooseCommand Prompt from the list of programs.

See our list of Windows 7 commands andlist of Windows XP commands if you need a command reference for any of those versions of Windows.

Other Ways to Open Command Prompt

Command Prompt in Windows 11 through Windows XP can also be opened with a command. This is especially helpful if you like using the Run dialog box or if File Explorer has crashed and the Start menu is inaccessible (and thus the directions above don’t work).

To do this, entercmd into the command-line interface. This can be in the Run dialog box (WIN +R ) orTask Manager’s Run new task option (go toFile >Run new task if you’re not using Windows 11).

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Elevated Command Prompts and Old Windows Versions

Command Prompt doesn’t exist in versions of Windows released before Windows XP, like Windows 98 and Windows 95. However, the older and very similar MS-DOS Prompt does. This program is located in the Start menu and can be opened with thecommand run command.

Some commands, like thesfc command that’s used to repair Windows files, require that Command Prompt be opened_as an administrator_ before they can be executed. You’ll know if this is the case if you get a message like one of these after trying to execute the command:

• check that you have administrative rights
• … command can only be executed from an elevated command prompt
• you must be an administrator

SeeHow to Open an Elevated Command Prompt for help starting Command Prompt as an administrator, a process that’s a bit more complicated than what’s outlined above.

FAQ

• How do you change directory in Command Prompt?
  Type the commandcd followed by a space and the name of the folder tochange directories . For example, assuming you’re currently in the Users folder and want to change to the Documents folder, the command iscd Documents . You can also typecd and then drag and drop the folder you want to switch to into Command Prompt.
• How do you open a command prompt on Mac?
  Instead of Command Prompt, Mac owners use a program called Terminal. To open it, select theLaunchpad icon in the Dock and typeTerminal in the search field, then select the app. Alternatively, go into Finder and open the**/Applications/Utilities** folder to find it.
• How do you copy/paste into Command Prompt?
  You can use the same keyboard shortcuts you use to copy/paste in other programs—CTRL +C andCTRL +V . On Mac, copy the text in another app, then go into Terminal and chooseEdit >Paste .
• How do you open Command Prompt in a folder?
  Go into the folder andShift +Right -Click , then selectOpen PowerShell window here , orOpen in Terminal , toopen Command Prompt in a folder . On Mac, right-click the folder and selectNew Terminal at Folder from the menu.
• How do you navigate Command Prompt?
  Use thecd command to change directories in Command Prompt. To access another drive, type the drive letter followed by a**:** (C: ,D: , etc.). View the contents of a folder using thedir command.

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