Command prompt problem

I had to clean reformat my Win 11 Home PC to address an unrelated problem.

However, some strange things have happened to Command/DOS prompt:
-Font has changed in DOS prompt and some apps (eg a 32-bit app that I need), and font is now inferior and harder to read...
-Cursor has an odd vertical shape, like at Change Cursor Shape in Console in Windows 10
I tried to change it in properties to "underscore", but it stays as vertical.
-I you select Run as Administrator, the font/cursor is old normal.

Why bother with Command. Windows terminal can do all that Command can do and you can customise it (colour, font selection, size, etc.) to suit. You can also run PowerShell in Terminal if that is useful. Use the Run command (Windows key + R) and type WT.EXE (my emphasis, lower case OK).
You can also select it on the Win key+ X menu.

Did it switch to Legacy Mode?

If you Right-Click on CMD (top status bar) and select Proprieties - on first page at Options - you have "use legacy console". Is that checked? Also, clicking on Fonts - you can tweak all the font visual settings to your personal tastes (like using Bold Fonts, increasing the size or using a different Font). This changes will affect both CMD and PowerShell.

Thanks. I will investigate wt.exe - it works on new PC, not old pC "touch keyboard and handwriting panel service isn't running on your machine".

However, font has changed for some windows-based programs. One example is refer 1st attached with normal font, unchanged for years... vs 2nd attached on my new pc. Has MS issued an update with all these font changes?

Hi Neves,
I tried Right-Click on CMD, but no Properties... just Settings, with no "use legacy console".

Maybe Powershell is causing the font problems (and other problems) on new pc, eg with above 2 attached examples in 32-bit apps.
Can I disable Powershell and see if that fixes new problems?

Have you checked in Device Manager to see what video driver is being used. Your computer might be using the basic MS driver.

sidr said:

Hi Neves,
I tried Right-Click on CMD, but no Properties... just Settings, with no "use legacy console".

Click to expand...

You're suppose to right click on the top bar (as pointed by the Arrow) and the legacy option should be displayed in the first Options tab (as shown by the 2nd arrow - bellow).

What build of Windows 11 are you using? Cause the latest comes with a new CLI - called Terminal (this actually as tons of extra/modern visual tweaks) - which takes over CMD & PowerShell as the main CLI. You can uninstall both Terminal and PowerShell - leaving you with CMD alone - tho, depends what you need from a CLI - cause the latter (PowerShell/Terminal) - do come with extra tweaking/installing/managing features implemented within.

PS. My bad while writing Proprieties - indeed it's suppose to say Settings.

sidr said:

Thanks. I will investigate wt.exe - it works on new PC, not old pC "touch keyboard and handwriting panel service isn't running on your machine".

However, font has changed for some windows-based programs. One example is refer 1st attached with normal font, unchanged for years... vs 2nd attached on my new pc. Has MS issued an update with all these font changes?

Click to expand...

Right click on the app/executable - > Proprieties -> Compatibility - > "Click on Change High DPI Settings" and check "Override High DPI Scaling Behavior (select Application)". See if this helps for the apps in question.

For the classic command window and the classic PowerShell window, the custom settings like different colors and fonts etc. are stored in four separate shortcut (.lnk) files. These files are located in this folder:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group3
Note that when you open this folder in File Explorer, the names of these four shortcut files will be different than their real filenames, due to how File Explorer actually identifies these files. Use the dir command to reveal their true name.

Command window as an administrator:
01 - Command Prompt.lnk

Command window as a standard user:
02 - Command Prompt.lnk

PowerShell window as an administrator:
01a - Windows PowerShell.lnk

PowerShell window as a standard user:
02a - Windows PowerShell.lnk

So, as a matter of fact, each one of these four different options can have its own individual custom settings. My scripts that I wrote to add these to the Shift + right-click context menu of folders and folder backgrounds also honor them as such, along with offering a few other additional key benefits. Anyway. If you are interested in this kind of stuff, it can be found here:

Hi Neves
Re 1st suggestion: I did it. It didn't fix the font, but it did fix another obscure bigger problem which is more important - many thanks.
Re 2nd suggestion: I tried "app/executable - > Proprieties -> Compatibility" but no compatibility option... there are 5 tabs - General, Shortcut,. Security, Details, and Previous Versions (empty). Anyway I'm not too fussed now, as the other bigger problem was fixed.
Hi hdhi - thanks also