how do I open command prompt from file manager?

sdowney717 · Mar 31, 2024

right click with dir showing open power shell.
I need command prompt as PS does not like <> and gives errors

and instructions like this don't work. I have no 'address bar' in file manager

To open Command Prompt from File Manager, you can1 2 3:

Open File Explorer.
Navigate to the C:WindowsSystem32 folder.
Double-click the "cmd.exe" file or right-click the file and choose "Run as administrator".
Alternatively, you can create a shortcut to this file and store the shortcut anywhere you like.
You can also open Command Prompt using the address bar from File Explorer by typing "cmd" in the address bar and pressing Enter.

Brink · Mar 31, 2024

Hello mate,

If you like, you can set the default profile of Windows Terminal to the "Command Prompt" instead so it will always open with it by default.

Change Default Profile in Windows Terminal app in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to change the default shell profile to use when you open the Windows Terminal app for your account in Windows 11. Windows Terminal is a modern host application for the command-line shells you already love, like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash (via Windows...

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Flashorn · Mar 31, 2024

You could also just press on windows key + r and type cmd / enter.

john1955 · Mar 31, 2024

sdowney717 said:
You can also open Command Prompt using the address bar from File Explorer by typing "cmd" in the address bar and pressing Enter.

Tried this just for fun and it opened Firefox

LesFerch · Mar 31, 2024

john1955 said:
Tried this just for fun and it opened Firefox

That's not normal. What happens if you type cmd in the Run box?

Berton · Mar 31, 2024

john1955 said:
Tried this just for fun and it opened Firefox

It worked for me to open Command Prompt. I did have first to wipe out the 'path' showing in that dialog box.

LesFerch · Mar 31, 2024

sdowney717 said:
I have no 'address bar' in file manager

It's where your path (aka breadcrumbs) are displayed. You can type cmd there.

You can also add a whole selection of options to open Cmd at the current location with this little package I made:

RightClickTools

Add a Set of Powerful Tools to the Windows Explorer Context Menu

lesferch.github.io

FreeBooter · Mar 31, 2024

You can use this batch script to Add or Remove "Open in Windows Terminal" expandable context menu in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Batch:

::  Add or Remove "Open in Windows Terminal" expandable context menu in Windows 10 and Windows 11

@Echo Off

(Net session >nul 2>&1)||(PowerShell start """%~0""" -verb RunAs & Exit /B)

:_Start
Cls & Mode CON  LINES=18 COLS=90 & Color 0E
Echo.
Echo.       
Echo         Type (R) to Remove Windows Terminal cascading context menu
Echo.
Echo.         
Echo         Type (A) to Add Open in Windows Terminal cascading context menu   
Echo.       
Echo.
Echo         Type (P) to Add PowerShell 7 to Windows Terminal cascading context menu
Echo.       
Echo.
Echo         Type (W) to Add Ubuntu to Windows Terminal cascading context menu



Set /p input=:^>

If /i  Not %input%==R (Goto :_A) Else (Goto :_Remove)

:_A

If /i  Not %input%==A  (Goto :_B) Else (Goto :_Add)

:_B

If /i  Not %input%==P  (Goto :_C) Else (Goto :_PS7)

:_C

If /i  Not %input%==W  (Goto :_Start) Else (Goto :_WSL)









:_Add

Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\shell\OpenWTHere" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Open in Windows Terminal" /f
Reg.exe delete "HKCR\Directory\shell\OpenWTHere" /v "Extended" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\shell\OpenWTHere" /v "SubCommands" /t REG_SZ /d "" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\001flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Default Profile" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\001flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -d \"%%1\"" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\002flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Command Prompt" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\002flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "imageres.dll,-5323" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\002flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"Command Prompt\" -d \"%%1\"" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\003flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "PowerShell" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\003flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "powershell.exe" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\003flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"Windows PowerShell\" -d \"%%1\"" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\shell\OpenWTHere" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Open in Windows Terminal" /f
Reg.exe delete "HKCR\Directory\Background\shell\OpenWTHere" /v "Extended" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\shell\OpenWTHere" /v "SubCommands" /t REG_SZ /d "" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\001flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Default Profile" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\001flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -d \"%%V\"" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\002flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Command Prompt" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\002flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "imageres.dll,-5323" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\002flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"Command Prompt\" -d \"%%V\"" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\003flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "PowerShell" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\003flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "powershell.exe" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\003flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"Windows PowerShell\" -d \"%%V\"" /f
Exit






:_PS7

Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\004flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "PowerShell 7" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\004flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "pwsh.exe" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\004flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"PowerShell\" -d \"%%1\"" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\004flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "PowerShell 7" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\004flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "pwsh.exe" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\004flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"PowerShell\" -d \"%%V\"" /f
Exit



:_WSL

Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\005flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Ubuntu" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\005flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "wsl.exe" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\005flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"Ubuntu\" -d \"%%1\"" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\005flyout" /v "MUIVerb" /t REG_SZ /d "Ubuntu" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\005flyout" /v "Icon" /t REG_SZ /d "wsl.exe" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\Background\Shell\OpenWTHere\shell\005flyout\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c start wt.exe -p \"Ubuntu\" -d \"%%V\"" /f
Exit




:_Remove

Reg.exe delete "HKCR\Directory\shell\OpenWTHere" /f
Reg.exe delete "HKCR\Directory\Background\shell\OpenWTHere" /f
Exit

Flashorn · Mar 31, 2024

Berton said:
It worked for me to open Command Prompt. I did have first to wipe out the 'path' showing in that dialog box.

This is how mine shows up:

James · Mar 31, 2024

sdowney717 said:
address bar

That is this bit:

Just click and type cmd and it will open command prompt into the folder you are currently in

Flashorn · Mar 31, 2024

LesFerch said:
It's where your path (aka breadcrumbs) are displayed. You can type cmd there.

You can also add a whole selection of options to open Cmd at the current location with this little package I made:

RightClickTools

Add a Set of Powerful Tools to the Windows Explorer Context Menu

lesferch.github.io

Will this work with StartAllBack??

Flashorn · Mar 31, 2024

You can also open Explorer and clear the address bar and type
shell:AppsFolder to get all of your apps including cmd.

john1955 · Mar 31, 2024

LesFerch said:
That's not normal. What happens if you type cmd in the Run box?

It opens the command prompt
But now that I opened it from "run" it now opens from Explorer address bar

Flashorn · Mar 31, 2024

john1955 said:
It opens the command prompt
But now that I opened it from "run" it now opens from Explorer address bar

Did you exit cmd?

john1955 · Mar 31, 2024

Flashorn said:
Did you exit cmd?

Yes and I rebooted and tried it again and cmd from File Explorer opened the command prompt so it was a fluke but a fluke that happened three times in a row.

Flashorn · Mar 31, 2024

john1955 said:
Yes and I rebooted and tried it again and cmd from File Explorer opened the command prompt so it was a fluke but a fluke that happened three times in a row.

Are you saying that every time you open File Explorer, the address bar has cmd in it?

Topgundcp · Mar 31, 2024

1 - When you open cmd from file explorer, the default working directory: C:\Windows\system32
2 - When you open from right click on start menu, the default working directory: C:\users\yourUserName
3 - When you open Terminal from right click context menu, the default working directory is where you are at.
All three will open the Terminal with default you set ex. Command Prompt, but if you want to switch to Powershell, just click on the arrow key drop down, a new tab will open with new selection

Edwin · Mar 31, 2024

Shift/Right Click.

sdowney717 · Mar 31, 2024

This all started when I right clicked on the bin folder to import a mysql database and PowerShell did not like > or <
Which confused me as I had done it before, but then remembered it needs to be a command prompt, then it works

Thanks for the assist.

john1955 · Mar 31, 2024

Flashorn said:
Are you saying that every time you open File Explorer, the address bar has cmd in it?

No, I'm saying that three times in a row typing cmd into file explorer's address bar opened Firefox (at my home address) but after I used "run" to open the Command Prompt it fixed it so now typing "cmd" in File Explorer's address bar opens the Command Prompt and it stayed fixed after a reboot.