How to Open CMD or PowerShell in the Current Folder in Windows
Sometimes, we need to open CMD or PowerShell in the current folder. Usually, people open Command Prompt or PowerShell from the Start menu. Then, browse to the desired location using cd (change directory) command. But this is a lengthy process and nobody wants to do this every time.
In earlier builds of Windows 10, you could easily start Command Prompt in a specific location directly from the File menu in Windows Explorer. But in newer builds, PowerShell has replaced the Command Prompt in the File menu, context menu, and alternate Start menu.
In Windows 11, there is no ‘File Menu’. So, you can’t open CMD or PowerShell from there. However, you can easily use the right-click context menu to open Windows Terminal in the current folder.
SEE ALSO: How to Set up Windows Terminal to open Command Prompt by Default?
Open CMD or PowerShell in the Current Folder in Windows 10 and 11
Besides Windows 10, you can also open the command prompt in Windows 7 and XP using a simple trick. So, in this tutorial, we will explain the process for Windows 7 along with Windows 10. Let’s see the process for Windows 10 first. We will show you simple tricks to achieve the task.
Method 1: Start CMD or PowerShell in the Current Folder from the Address Bar (Windows 10 and 11)
In Windows 10 or 11, go to the folder where you want to open Command Prompt. Then, type cmd in the address bar and press Enter. The command prompt will open in the current folder path.
NOTE: You can also open PowerShell in the current folder using this trick. Simply type powershell in the address bar and press Enter.
SEE ALSO: How to Uninstall Programs using Command Prompt in Windows 10?
Method 2: Open PowerShell or CMD in the Current folder from the File Menu (Windows 10 only)
The second trick uses Windows Explorer’s menu. Click on File from the menu bar and hover over Open Windows PowerShell. Then select Open Windows PowerShell or Open Windows PowerShell as administrator. This will open PowerShell in the current folder.
After opening PowerShell, you can type cmd and press Enter to start the Command Prompt in the current location. Since Windows 11 doesn’t have the File menu, so, you can’t use this method in Windows 11.
cmd command in PowerShell to start the Command Prompt in the Current folderSEE ALSO: 10 Cool Command Prompt Tricks for You.
Method 3: Start PowerShell and CMD from Right-click Context Menu (Windows 10 and 11)
You can also open PowerShell in the current directory from the right-click context menu in Windows 10 and 11.
Windows 10
Simply press & hold the Shift key and right-click in the blank space. Then select “Open PowerShell window here” from the context menu. This will open PowerShell at the current path.
After that, you can type cmd and press Enter to start CMD in the same path/location.
Windows 11
In Windows 11, simply right-click in the blank space and select “Open in the Windows Terminal“. This will open Windows Terminal at the current folder’s path.
By default, Windows Terminal opens with PowerShell. However, you can set it up to open Command Prompt by default or type cmd and press Enter.
SEE ALSO: Try the New Alt+TAB Switcher in Windows 11.
Start Command Prompt in the Current folder in Windows 7 or XP
In Windows XP and 7, there is no option to start CMD in the current folder from the File menu. So, you can use the address bar and right-click context menu tricks to start CMD in the current folder. Here we are explaining the context menu trick only.
Step 1: Start CMD via Context Menu in Windows 7
Press & hold Shift-Key and right-click anywhere in the blank space. Right-click context menu will pop up and you will see the “Open Command window here” option in this context menu. Click “Open command window here” to open the Command Prompt in that folder.
You can check the path in the command window.
SEE ALSO: How to Create Bulk Users in Active Directory using PowerShell?
Launch CMD or PowerShell in the Current Directory with Ease
Now you see, it’s quite easy to open the command prompt window in the current folder. These tricks come in handy when you must launch CMD or PowerShell in the current directory multiple times. The Shift-Key trick works for all versions of Windows while the Explorer menu option is available in Windows 8 and Windows 10 only. As mentioned earlier, in newer builds of Windows 10, PowerShell has replaced the Command Prompt. So, you will have to type cmd in the PowerShell window to start the Command prompt. Similarly, Windows 11 has also changed the process a bit but it is still very easy.
Well, hope you liked this quick trick. Feel free to share your thoughts on this in the comment section below. If you wish to get such tricks directly into your inbox, don’t forget to subscribe.
