How to Open Command Prompt in Windows 10,8,7,Vista,XP

By StevenComputers

Last updated on January 21st, 2021

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How to Open Command Prompt

Start executing commands after following these easy steps

To execute commands in any Windows PC you need to use a special program which relies on a command-line interface. This is called Command Prompt. If you’re here wondering how to open it, you’ve come to the right place. This article will show you the methods to do it according to the operating system you use. There are some differences for this process depending on your version of Windows.

You’ve got quite a large selection of commands that you can use with Command Prompt so it may be worth it to learn how to use it. It’s not the kind of tool you need to regularly work with, but it can be extremely helpful once in a while. Whether you wish to automate a task or discover some Windows issues, let’s see what are some methods to try for opening Command Prompt. We’ll focus on Windows 10 as it’s the most recent Windows version, but don’t worry, scroll down to see ways to access Command Prompt on older Windows versions. By the way, some Windows 10 methods can also work in older versions.

In Windows 10

Method 1 – Through the Start button

  1. Click on the Start button
  2. Go to the ‘All Apps’ section
  3. Look for the Windows System folder in there
  4. Under that folder, you should see the Command Prompt application
  5. Go ahead and execute your commands

Method 2 – Power User Menu

  1. Press the Windows key together with the X key
  2. Choose the Command Prompt option (there’s also a Command Prompt Admin you can select for more important commands)

Method 3 – Task Manager

  1. Open Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting the application
  2. From the ‘File’ menu click the first option to create a new task
  3. You will now be prompted to write so type in ‘cmd’ and select ‘OK’
  4. If you prefer to have Admin privileges make sure you check that box before clicking ‘OK’

Method 4 – Search box

  1. Press Start
  2. Insert the ‘cmd’ text into the search box
  3. In case you want to run Command Prompt with Admin privileges all you have to do is to select ‘Run as Administrator’ when right-clicking the search result

Method 5 – Run Box

  1. Press Windows+R keys to activate the ‘Run’ box
  2. For regular commands just type ‘cmd’ and select ‘OK’
  3. For administrator Command Prompt you will have to press another key combination: Ctrl+Shift+Enter

In Windows 8/8.1

  1. Go to the ‘All Apps’ section by pressing the down-pointing arrow at the bottom of the screen
  2. Look for the Windows System section
  3. Somewhere in there you should see the Command Prompt application
  4. Click it to execute your commands

An alternative way to open Command Prompt that doesn’t involve so many steps is to activate the Power User Menu. This is quite easy. Just press the WIN+X key combination on your keyboard and choose it from the appearing menu.

In Windows 7, Vista, and XP

  1. Click on the Start button
  2. Go to the ‘All programs’ section right over the search box
  3. Find Command Prompt on the list
  4. Execute the required commands
  5. Windows 7 and Vista users can find Command Prompt easier by searching for it in the search box.

Did you find our article useful? Then you might also be interested in our article about How to Download and Install DirectX.