How to Open Command Prompt in Windows 11, 10, and Older Versions

On Windows 11 or Windows 10, open Start, type cmd, and select Command Prompt. That opens a standard command-line session. If a command specifically needs elevated permissions, choose Run as administrator instead. On Windows 11, Command Prompt may appear in a Windows Terminal window; it is still the Command Prompt shell.

Open Command Prompt in Windows 11 or Windows 10

Use Start search

1. Press the Windows key or select Start.
2. Type cmd or Command Prompt.
3. Select Command Prompt in the results to open it normally.

You do not need to type in a particular search box first; opening Start and typing begins a search on current Windows versions. If search results do not show the app, try cmd.exe from the Run dialog below.

Use the Run dialog

Press Windows + R, enter cmd in the Open field, then press Enter or select OK. This is a quick option when you know the executable name. The command opens in your user account, without administrator elevation.

Launch it from File Explorer

Press Windows + E to open File Explorer. Select the address bar at the top, type cmd, and press Enter. This opens Command Prompt with the folder shown in File Explorer as its starting location, which can be handy when you want to run a command against files in that folder. Make sure you use the address bar, not the separate search box.

Choose the Command Prompt profile in Windows Terminal

Search for and open Windows Terminal, then select the arrow next to the new-tab button and choose Command Prompt. If Terminal opens with PowerShell, switch profiles using that menu. Windows Terminal is the window that hosts command-line shells; cmd.exe and PowerShell are separate shells that can run inside it. Microsoft documents Windows Terminal as a host for both Command Prompt and PowerShell.

The Windows + X power-user menu is another possible route. Depending on the Windows version and settings, it may show Terminal or PowerShell instead of Command Prompt. Open Terminal and select the Command Prompt profile if it is available.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator

Administrator mode is only needed for commands that change protected system settings, services, or files. To launch an elevated prompt, open Start, search for cmd, right-click Command Prompt (or use its context menu), and select Run as administrator.

Windows displays a User Account Control prompt. Select Yes if you intended to open the app and trust the request; a managed device may instead ask for an administrator account and password. Selecting No cancels. An elevated window is usually labeled Administrator in its title. Avoid pasting commands from untrusted sources, since an elevated command can make system-wide changes.

Find Command Prompt on older Windows versions

Windows 8 and 8.1

From the Start screen, begin typing cmd, then choose Command Prompt from the search results. You can also press Windows + X and select Command Prompt if it appears in the power-user menu.

Windows 7 and Vista

Select Start, open All Programs, open Accessories, then choose Command Prompt. You can also type cmd in the Start menu search field and select the result. The exact list layout can vary, but the app is named Command Prompt.

These legacy launch paths may still work, but Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and standard Windows 10 editions have reached their Microsoft support end dates. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; Windows 8.1 ended on January 10, 2023; Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020. See Microsoft’s Windows end-of-support summary and Windows 10 lifecycle page for details, including edition-specific support.

What opens when you select Command Prompt?

Command Prompt runs the Windows command interpreter, cmd.exe. You can enter commands at the prompt and press Enter to run them. Its window might be a traditional console or a Windows Terminal tab, depending on your system’s terminal settings. Microsoft’s cmd reference explains the command interpreter and its supported switches.

If you are on a Mac, there is no Windows Command Prompt app. macOS includes Terminal, but it uses a different command environment, so Windows commands may not work there.