The command line (cmd, console) is a tool for working with commands without a graphical interface. Regular users There is almost no need to work with this element. However, different situations arise. In this material we will learn how to open the command line in Windows 10 using several methods and how to enable access to it.
Basic ways to call Cmd
Let's look at 6 ways to launch the console, including as an administrator. Use the method that is more attractive or suitable for the situation.
1. Click on the search icon, which is located next to the “Start” button on the taskbar or use the Win + S button combination. Type cmd into the input area. Windows OS will find the command prompt. To launch it, click Enter or LMB. If you need to call with admin privileges, right-click on the found object. Select the appropriate item from the pop-up menu. 
2. The Run window is quick and convenient tool opening Windows components. To see this tool, use the keyboard shortcut Win + R. Type cmd in the input field and click OK (Enter). 
3. Click the Start icon, scroll to Utilities Windows applications and open it by clicking LMB. Accordingly, we are interested in the “Command Line” application. Right-click on it, then point to “Advanced” and run it as administrator. 
4. Calling the command line in Windows 10 can even be done using the task manager. Use the combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the task manager. From the top menu, select File, then Run New Task. 
As in previous methods enter cmd, if necessary, check the box to create a task with administrator rights. After all actions, click OK. It is also possible for immediate launch cmd On behalf of the administrator, hold down Ctrl and click on “Run a new task”. 
5. The command line is located in F:\Windows\System32. Where F is the label of the system volume, most often it is designated as C. Open Explorer by pressing Win + E. Visit the System32 directory, find cmd.exe. Double-click LMB to open the command line or use RMB to bring up the menu and select the appropriate item. 
There is one more trick. In the address bar Windows Explorer 10, type cmd, and press Enter. 
6. There are situations when you need to call the command line in Windows 10 upon boot. Use the Win + I buttons to launch the options. In the update and security section, select "Recovery" and "Restart now" from the special boot options. 
Select troubleshooting option. 
Tap more options. 
Next, click on the command line. 
After the system restarts, select the desired account. 
If prompted, type the password or leave the field blank and click Continue. Next you will have access to cmd. 
Additional methods for opening the command line
These methods require additional steps to be taken before using them in the future. Take the following steps.
1. Starting with Windows 10 build 14971, the menu called up by clicking Win + X displays PowerShell instead of the command line. There is a trick that can include cmd in place of PowerShell. Open settings using the Win + I key combination. Visit the “Personalization” section. Move the slider as shown in the screenshot. 
By right-clicking on Start, two options related to cmd will appear in the menu. To open the command prompt in Windows 10, select the desired value by clicking LMB. 
2. Starting with Windows 10 build 14986, in the menu that is launched by holding Shift and right-clicking, there is no command line in the folder where you want to call the console, but there is a way to add it back. Follow these steps:
- Download reg file, then unpack the archive.
- Double-click on the Shift_PKM file, then click “Run”, “Yes”, “Yes”, OK.
Select the desired element, hold down Shift + RMB, and “Open command window” will be added to the menu. 
3. Right-click on any free area to display the menu. Hover your cursor over “Create,” then click “Shortcut.” Type the name Cmd.exe, click Next. 
Give it a name, such as Command Prompt, by clicking Finish. 
For convenience, you can right-click on the shortcut, select “Properties”, “Advanced”, and mark it to launch by double-clicking LMB in administrator mode. 
Enabling the command line
It happens that when you call cmd using one of the methods above, a message appears about restricting use by the administrator. When you click on any key, the console closes. Log in as an administrator, then do one of two steps. 
1. To enable the command line in Windows 10 in such a situation, follow these steps. In the Run window (called Win + R), type regedit, click OK. Get to the System section (path in the screenshot below), right-click on it, select “Delete”. Click “Yes” to confirm. 
2. If there is no System section in the registry, and you are the owner of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education, type gpedit.msc in the search by pressing Enter. Go through the sections “User Configuration”, “Administrative Templates”, to “System”. On the right, find the state that prohibits the use of cmd, double click on it. 
Set the position to “Not specified”. Then click OK. Now cmd should function smoothly. 
Here's how you can open the command line in Windows 10. As you can see from the material, there are enough methods (basic and additional) to do this, and if you encounter a limitation problem, you can always quickly turn on the console.
To call the command line in Windows 10, you need to know where it is. In the top ten it is located in the same place as the eight and seven.
Although it is possible even closer - you can open it a little faster (than in the seven) - no more than a second, including on behalf of the administrator.
Windows 10 has done a little better when it comes to calling Command Prompt, Device Manager, Control Panel or Task Manager.
Although the visibility is different, those who switched to it, for example, from seven, will not be able to find it instantly.
The interface of the dozens, although minimal, still received some changes. Enough theory - let's move on to action.
The fastest way to make a command line call in windows 10
The fastest way to open the command line, including as an administrator, (of course in Windows 10) is to right-click on the well-known “Start” button (the first one at the bottom left).
As in the figure below, there are two calling methods - normal and as administrator.
As already mentioned, this procedure is also integrated in the eight, but this was not the case in the seven
The second option is to launch the command line in Windows 10
The second option is a little longer. It was most often used in the seven.
To use it, you first need to be in personal Windows 10.
Immediately after this you will see a black window - this will be the command line. You can also access the "black window" through "all programs", but this is longer. Good luck.
The Command Line or Console is a text-based interface for managing the operating system. The Command Prompt is present in all versions of Windows, including Windows 7 and Windows 10. Using it, you can issue commands to the operating system in text form. It may seem inconvenient, but if you know exactly what you're doing, Command Prompt can be a huge time saver. In addition, using the command line, you can quickly execute entire lists of commands saved in text file with extension BAT or CMD.
This article will focus on how to open the command line in Windows 7 and Windows 10 if you suddenly need it. For each of these operating systems, several of the most simple ways calling the command line as in normal mode, and on behalf of the administrator.
How to open the command line in Windows 7
The easiest way to open the Command Prompt in Windows 7 is to use the Start menu. To do this you need to open start menu, open the list of programs and find the command line in the "Standard" section.
You can also use the search in the Start menu. To do this simply enter search query"Command Line" or "CMD" and the system will find it itself the desired program. All you have to do is click on it to open it.
If you need to call the command line as an administrator, this is done in a similar way. Find Command Prompt in the Start menu, right-click on it and select the menu item “Run as administrator”. After this, a warning will appear from User Account Control indicating that the program is being called with administrator rights. Click on the “Ok” button and the command line will appear on the screen.
If this is not enough for you, then you can look at other ways to call the command line in Windows 7.
How to open the command line in Windows 10
In the operating room Windows system 10 makes it even easier to work with the command line. Since there is a new menu that can be opened, by right-clicking on the “Start” button or by pressing the key combination Windows-X. By using this menu You can quickly open the command line in normal mode or with administrator rights.
Another new feature in Windows 10 is the File menu, which is available in any folder. You can also access the Command Prompt using the File menu. For this you need open any folder, click on the “File” button on the left top corner window and select the menu item “Open command line”. After this, you can call the command line in normal mode or as an administrator. It should be noted that in this case the command line will open immediately in the selected folder, and not in the user’s folder.
In addition, in Windows 10 you can call the command line using the old methods. For example, by searching in the Start menu. To do this, open the Start menu, enter “Command line” or “CMD” into the search and open the program, which will be found. And if you right-click on the found program, you can open the command line as an administrator.
If this is not enough, then you can get acquainted with additional ways calling the command line in the Windows 10 operating system.
Most recently, we posted instructions in which we described in detail how to open the Windows command line in previous versions of this operating system. But time does not stand still and Microsoft continues to delight us with new versions of its OS, even if they are successful only once in a while.
In the latest Windows operating system to date appearance desktop and the main Start menu have again undergone some changes, and users again began to wonder: how to launch the command line in new Windows 10. This simple instructions will easily answer the above question.
In the latest version of the operating system from Microsoft, as in general in the previous ones, the user has several ways to call the command line. In this article we will talk about some of the most convenient of them, and you yourself will choose the most suitable one for yourself.
Click on one of the links above to quickly jump to instructions.
How to open the command line from the Start menu
In fact, although the main menu has received some changes and improvements in appearance, the process of opening the command line remains the same previous versions operating system except for renaming a couple of folders.
To launch the command line, click the icon "Windows"(aka Start) in the lower left corner of the screen, and in the menu that opens, open the item "All applications".
Scroll down the list of all your installed applications to the letter "WITH" and click on the folder "Service - Windows", in it you will find a command line shortcut. Launch it.
As a result of your actions, a command line window will open in which you can enter any commands.
Calling Command Prompt as Administrator in Windows 10
Having successfully completed the first steps of this instruction and opened the command line, you may be surprised to find that you do not have enough rights to execute some commands, even if you are logged in as an administrator.
This situation actually happens often, and this is done for the safety of the user, since inept handling of the command line can lead to irreversible consequences for the data on your computer.
Fortunately, if you are using a computer under account administrator, this problem is solved with one extra click of the mouse. Just right click on the shortcut "Command line" and in the opened context menu select item.
Confirm your intentions in the User Account Control window that opens by clicking the button "Yes".
As a result of the above actions, the Windows 10 command prompt with administrator rights will be opened on the desktop.
Calling the command line using the "Run" command
At least the “Run” item starting from the 7th Windows versions and it’s not in the start menu by default, but it hasn’t disappeared from the operating system itself. This method of opening the command line is still one of the fastest and easiest to remember. Just remember the keyboard shortcut "Win+R".
Pressing these buttons at the same time brings up a command-ready “Run” window, through which you can not only launch the command line, but also do many other useful things, for example, or ping something.
As a result, the “Run” window will open on the screen. To open the command line, enter the command "cmd" and press "OK".
The result will not take long to arrive.
Calling the command line through Windows search
IN latest versions Microsoft's operating system search has become a truly useful and convenient tool. Unlike what we saw in XP, it now works instantly and looks for what you really need. You can also use it to quickly find and launch the command line.
Click on the search icon in the form of a magnifying glass in the lower left corner of the screen and in the search bar that opens, start typing "Command line". The result will appear before you have time to finish typing this phrase.
If you need to run a line with administrator rights, just right-click on the name "Command line" and select the item in the context menu "Run as administrator".
Calling the command line from the context menu
We left the easiest method for those who read this article to the end. The fastest way to open the Windows 10 command line is to use the new context menu of the Start button. Just right click on Windows icon in the lower left corner of the screen and in the context menu that opens, select "Command line" or "Command Prompt (Administrator)".
Of course, these are not all the ways to launch the command line in Windows 10. You can also, for example, create a shortcut to it on the desktop. But why? Perhaps the options listed above are quite sufficient, and everyone can find the most convenient one for themselves.
The command line is an indispensable tool in the work of any system administrator and simple user PC. It is convenient, easy to use and does not require much effort from the user to perform any operation. However, this console also has back side medals. Oddly enough, users do not know the commands that can be used to solve this or that problem. And in some cases, the user does not even know how to launch this console. Therefore, we will look at more than 10 basic command line commands for Windows 10 that every PC user should know about.
Where is it located and how to launch the command line on Windows 10?
On Windows 10, the command line file is located at system disk to the address: folder Windows\System32\cmd.exe. To launch this console, press “Win + R” and enter “cmd”.
Also, to launch the console in Windows 10, only with Administrator rights, you should click “Start” and enter “Command Prompt” in the search bar. Next you will need to click on search results right-click and select “Run as Administrator”.
You can launch the command line with or without Administrator rights as follows: right-click on the “Start” icon and select “Command Prompt”.
You can also launch the console through the “Task Manager” by selecting a new “Task” and entering “cmd” in the line.
List of basic command line commands
The commands that the user will need in everyday use of the PC are as follows. Let's look at them in alphabetical order (all commands are written in small letters, without capital letters).
Arp – displays and allows you to edit ARP protocol entries.
Assoc - displays and allows you to change the relationship between the name and type extensions of a file.
Attrib – allows you to edit the attributes of the file or folder you specify.
Bcdboot – creating or restoring a system partition.
Bcdedit – will set properties in the boot database to configure the initial boot.
Break – enable/disable extended processing of the CTRL+C keyboard shortcut.
Cacls – display and edit file access control list (ACL).
Call – will call one batch file from another.
Cd – see the name of the current folder, or go to another.
Chcp – display or set the active code page.
Chdir – see the name of the current folder, or move to another.
Chkdsk – checks the disk and displays statistics.
Chkntfs - show or change the parameter that checks the disk during loading.
Cls – clears content on the screen.
Cmd – launch another command line Windows strings O.C.
Color – change the default background and color.
Comp – allows you to compare the contents of two files or two packages.
Compact – show or change the file compression option in partitions with an NTFS file system.
Convert – converts a volume from FAT to NTFS.
Copy – copy the file(s) to the specified directory.
Date – will show the current date and also allow you to change it.
Del – will delete the files you specify.
Dir – will display a list of files and subfolders (if any) from the specified path.
Diskcopm - allows you to compare the contents of two floppy disks.
Dickcopy - will completely copy the contents of one floppy disk to any other (specified by you).
Diskpart – will show and allow you to configure the properties of the disk partition.
Dockey - create macros, edit and re-invoke command lines.
Driverquery – state and properties of a device driver.
Echo – switches command display modes on the screen.
Endlocal – end of local environment changes for a particular batch file.
Erase – allows you to delete one or several files at once.
Exit – exits the command line and ends its work.
Fc – will compare two files or two sets of files and identify the differences between them.
Find – allows you to find a text string in one or more files.
Findstr – allows you to find a string in files.
For – will run the command you specify for each of the files in the set.
Format – formatting (partitioning) the disk for working with the Windows operating system.
Fsutil – will show and allow you to configure file system properties.
Ftype - will display and allow you to change the file types used when matching by file name extension.
Goto – transfers control to the marked line of the batch file.
Gpresult – will show information about group policy for a computer or user.
Graftabl – will allow Windows OS to display an extended character set in graphical mode.
Help – will display full list CMD.exe command line commands.
Icacls - display, modify, archive, and restore ACLs for files and directories.
If is an operator for conditionally executing commands in a batch file.
Label – deleting, changing, and creating volume labels for disks.
Md – command to create a new folder.
Mkdir is another command to create a folder.
Mklink – creating symbolic as well as hard links.
Mode – change parameters and configure system devices.
More - sequential output of data in parts the size of one screen.
Move – allows you to move one or several files at once from one folder to another.
Openfiles – will show files opened in the shared folder by the remote user.
Path – will show the current one, and also allows you to set the search path for executable files.
Pause – stops the execution of a batch file and displays a message about it.
Popd – Restores the previous active folder value saved using the PUSHD command.
Print – prints the contents of the specified text file.
Prompt - changes the prompt to command line Windows.
Pushd – Saves the active folder value and moves to another folder.
Rd – allows you to delete the specified folder.
Recover – Recovers readable data from a bad or damaged drive.
Rem - Places comments in batch files and CONFIG.SYS.
Ren – allows you to rename specified folders or files.
Rename – command for renaming, alias of the “ren” command.
Replace – replaces any files.
Rmdir – allows you to delete the specified folder.
Robocopy is an improved tool for copying files and directory trees.
Set – Shows, sets, and also deletes Windows environment variables.
Setlocal - Starts localizing environment changes in a batch file.
Sc – shows and allows you to configure services (background processes).
Schtasks – will allow you to execute a command or run a program at a specified time.
Shift – change the position (shift) of the substituted parameters for the batch file.
Shutdown – shutdown the computer (works also with remote mode).
Sort – allows you to sort the input.
Start – execution of a program or command in a separate Windows window.
Subst – will assign a drive name to the given path.
Systeminfo – displays information about the system and PC configuration.
Tasklist – will show a complete list of running tasks and services.
Taskkill – allows you to stop background process or application.
Time – view or change the current time.
Title – assign a window title for the current command line session.
Tree – graphical display of the directory structure of a disk or folder.
Type – displays the contents of text files.
Ver – show information about the version of the Windows operating system.
Verify – setting the mode for checking the correctness of writing files to disk.
Vol – will show its own label and serial number disk volumes.
Xcopy – allows you to copy directories and files.
Wmic - Displays WMI information in an interactive environment.
It is important to note that if you are involved in system administration and the command line is already your “best friend,” we recommend that you study the broader capabilities of CMD from professional literature.
