Windows 7 how to start command line mode. Program line. How to call the command line? Running the command line

Hello, dear blog readers. In my articles, I quite often mentioned such a concept as the command line. Although today this component in operating systems has lost its original meaning, solving certain problems cannot be done without the command line. Therefore, I bring to your attention an article about what is the command line and how to launch the command line in Windows 7 and XP.

First, let's define what the command line is.

The command line is a text-based interface between the operating system and the user, in which commands are issued by entering commands (text strings) from the keyboard. The command line is also called the console.

Today's operating systems use more graphical or menu-based interfaces. The command line is used when the problem cannot be solved using the graphical interface or the problem will take longer to solve.

Fig 1. Command line.

Using the command line has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:

— calling commands by pressing a small number of keys;

— the command line allows you to manage programs that do not have a graphical interface;

— access to commands is almost instantaneous (since there is no need to open the graphical interface to run the required file).

The main disadvantage of the command line (which contributed to the decline in popularity) is that the console interface is not user-friendly, since the commands need to be learned, or a hint must be used every time.

How to start the command line in Windows 7 and Windows XP operating systems

The console startup process is similar for the two operating systems. You must press the key combination “Win ​​+ R”. The “Run” window will open; in this window, enter the command “cmd” and press “Enter”. Windows Command Prompt will open in normal account mode.

The command line executable is located at

C:WINDOWSystem32

and is named cmd.exe.

To find out with list of all available commands for the command line You need to enter the command “help” in the console and press “Enter”. Help will appear with a list of commands used.

Fig 2. List of all available commands for the command line.

Launch command prompt with administrator rights.

Because a non-administrator user has limited capabilities when using the command line, sometimes the console needs to be launched on behalf of the administrator. To do this, open “Start”> “All Programs”> “Accessories” and right-click on “Command Prompt”.

More than one generation of Internet users has already grown up who did not see the beginning of the rapid rise of Microsoft Corporation and do not even know how to open the command line.

A feature of this early version of the Windows operating system, which was called MS DOS, was single-tasking (all processes were performed sequentially, not in parallel) and a predominantly text-based interface.

Nowadays, most operations on a computer running Windows can be performed solely with the mouse, but in those days, even the simplest actions required knowing a lot of complex text commands.

Via a shortcut in the Start menu

Running the Run program to open the command line is a strange idea, since the required shortcut is right next door.

You can also quickly find it by searching in the Start menu.

Due to a significant change in the Start menu interface in Windows 8, this method will be implemented slightly differently.

  • First you need to go to the application tiles (new version of Start) and right-click on the free area. As a result, a panel will pop up at the bottom, providing advanced options.
    In it you need to click on the All applications icon in the lower right corner.

  • Here you can see a list with additional hidden applications, including the Command Prompt shortcut. Now you need to click on the required shortcut with the right mouse button and select the run as administrator function in the bottom panel.

Advice! Running with administrator rights is recommended because some commands simply will not run normally.

In Windows 10, search works throughout the system. Therefore, to quickly find the command line, you need to press the Win+S combination and enter the name of the program, in this case it is the command line.

Searching for an executable file on the system disk

As mentioned above, the command line is implemented through a small executable file cmd.exe.

From here we can draw a logical conclusion that this executable can be found in some folder and launched directly.

This is true, the command line executable file starting from seven is stored in the System32 subdirectory of the Windows folder.

#9: Command Line File in Windows 10 Search

Good afternoon, dear readers of the blog site, today I want to talk about the topic How to open the Windows command line / 10 ways to open the command line. What is cmd, that's what Wikipedia tells us.

cmd.exe- command line interpreter (English) command line interpreter) for operating systems OS/2, Windows CE and for a family of operating systems based on Windows NT (eng. Windows NT-based). cmd.exe is analogous to COMMAND.COM, which is used in the MS-DOS and Windows 9x families. Operating systems of the Windows NT family for the IA-32 and OS/2 architecture also have COMMAND.COM for compatibility with older programs. In the interpreter settings, it is possible to change the cursor size, font, text color and window size.

Let's look at how to open it.

How to open command prompt as administrator

Below we will look at ten ways I know how to open the command line as an administrator.

1 way to launch the command line. Before Windows 8 (unless you have to return the start button)

To open the command line, click start and enter cmd in the search field, the program icon to launch will appear at the top

or enter command line, the effect will be the same

If you need to open cmd on behalf of the Administrator, then this is done with the right button and selecting

Method 2 is by using Run

Press two magic buttons win+R

The Run window will open, type cmd and press Enter.

3 The way to open the command line is through the Windows folder

Open My Computer and go to the path C:\Windows\System32 and find the cmd.exe file there. The method is not the fastest, but anyone can handle it. The essence is simple, the command line, like all utilities, has its own executable file. We find it and launch it, do not forget about the right click and the context menu with administrator mode.

4 The way to call cmd is to create it via a shortcut

In this method, we will create a Windows shortcut for the task at hand. Right-click Create-Shortcut

Specify the location of the file, write cmd here

How to name the shortcut is up to you, I’ll call it cmd too, Done

And we see that a command line shortcut has been created

5 Method to launch the command line, through the task manager

Open the task manager by right-clicking at the bottom of the screen

Go to the menu File-Run new task

We write cmd in the task and click OK and enable the command line.

6 Method to launch the command line, for those with Windows 8 and higher

We go to Start and click on the magnifying glass at the top right, or the magnifying glass can be called up from the side menu on the desktop

We enter cmd and in the search results we see the shortcut we need.

You can also press the down arrow in Start.

The start menu structure will open in which by scrolling to the right you will find the command line

7 Method to launch the command line, for those with Windows 8.1 and higher

Right-click on Start and select Command Prompt

Method 8 through standard programs in start up to windows 8

Open start all programs

Go to Tools - Command Prompt

9 Method using the Explorer menu in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10

Open any folder and click on the File menu on the left

and select open command line, you will immediately be offered two options: simple opening or as Administrator.

The trick is that the command line will open the current directory, not the user's folder.

Method 10 via the Shift button

Select any folder, hold Shift and right-click and from the context menu select Open command window

Here we have figured out how to open the Windows command line, which method is right for you, I don’t know, I just know that there is a choice.

Windows operating systems have a very powerful tool for system administration - the command line, also known as the console. This tool is available not only in older versions of Windows (for example, Windows XP), but also in modern ones (for example, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10).

The command line is a program that allows the user to work with the operating system in a text-based interface. Using special text commands through the command line, you can change operating system settings and run programs. The advantage of the command line is that it allows you to solve problems without using a graphical interface. This greatly simplifies system administration and opens up great opportunities for automating work processes.

Often, in articles about setting up the Windows operating system, the user is asked to use the command line, but no information is given on how to launch the command line and how to work with it. Because of this, the user gets stuck and cannot take advantage of the recommendations received. If you also encounter such a problem, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with this material.

The first and easiest way to launch the Command Prompt is to search the Start menu. To do this, open the "Start" menu (or the start screen if you have Windows 8) and enter the search query "CMD" or " Command line" After this, a search will be performed and you will be asked to run this program.

It should be noted that this method also allows. To do this, right-click on the found program and select the option “ Run as administrator».

After this, a User Account Control window will appear in which you will need to confirm running the program with administrator rights. To do this, you just need to click on the “OK” button.

This will launch the Windows Command Prompt. The fact that it works in administrator mode can be understood by the inscription “Administrator” in the window title.

If there is no “Administrator” sign, then the command line was launched with the rights of the current user.

Launching the Command Prompt Using the Run Menu

Another fairly quick and easy way to launch the command line is the "" menu. In order to use this method, you need to press the key combination Windows-R, enter the command “CMD” in the window that appears and press the enter key or the “OK” button.

As a result, the command line will be launched. Unfortunately, this method does not allow you to run the command line with administrator rights.

Launch Command Prompt using a shortcut

If you often use the command line, you can create a shortcut on your desktop and launch the command prompt using it. To do this, right-click on an empty space on the desktop and select “Create - Shortcut” in the menu that opens.

As a result, a window for creating a shortcut will appear. In this window, you need to enter the command “CMD" and click on the "Next" button several times in order to confirm the creation of the shortcut.

As a result, a command prompt shortcut will appear on your desktop. With its help, you can launch the command line both in normal mode and with administrator rights (right click - run as administrator).

If desired, this shortcut can even be pinned to the taskbar or Start menu.

Launching the Command Prompt in Windows 10

Windows 8 and Windows 10 have a new way to launch the Command Prompt. This method involves using a new menu that opens when you press the Windows-X key combination or right-click on the Start button. This menu provides a large number of tools for managing the operating system, including the Command Line. In this case, the menu allows you to launch the command line both in normal mode and with administrator rights.

Therefore, if you have Windows 8 or Windows 10, then you can press Windows-X or right-click on the Start menu and then launch the command line using the menu that opens.

If you have “” instead of the command line in this menu, then you need to open the “Options” menu (Windows-i) and go to the “ Personalization - Taskbar».

Here you need to disable the option that replaces the command prompt with Windows Power Shell. After disabling this option, the command line will appear in the menu specified earlier and you can launch it.

By entering commands in "Command line" in operating systems of the Windows family, you can solve a variety of problems, including those that cannot be solved through a graphical interface or are much more difficult to do. Let's see how you can open this tool in Windows 7 in various ways.

Interface "Command line" is an application that provides communication between the user and the OS in text form. The executable file of this program is CMD.EXE. In Windows 7, there are quite a few ways to call the specified tool. Let's find out more about them.

Method 1: Run window

One of the most popular and easiest ways to call "Command line" is to use a window "Run".


The main disadvantages of this method are that not all users are accustomed to remembering various combinations of hot keys and launch commands, as well as the fact that activation cannot be performed in this way on behalf of the administrator.

Method 2: Start Menu

Both of these problems are solved by running through the menu "Start". Using this method, it is not necessary to keep various combinations and commands in mind, and you can also launch the program of interest to us on behalf of the administrator.


Method 3: Use Search

The application we need, including on behalf of the administrator, can also be activated using search.


Method 4: Directly Run the Executable File

As you remember, we talked about launching the interface "Command line" is performed using the executable file CMD.EXE. From this we can conclude that it is possible to launch the program by activating this file by going to the directory of its location using Windows Explorer.


At the same time, it is not at all necessary to use the address bar to go to the directory where CMD.EXE is located in Explorer. Moving can also be done using the navigation menu located in Windows 7 on the left side of the window, but, of course, taking into account the address that was indicated above.

Method 5: Explorer Address Bar


Thus, you don’t even have to look for CMD.EXE in Explorer. But the main drawback is that this method does not provide for activation on behalf of the administrator.

Method 6: Run for a specific folder

There is a rather interesting activation option "Command line" for a specific folder, but, unfortunately, most users do not know about it.


Method 7: creating a shortcut

There is an option to activate the “Command Prompt” by first creating a shortcut on the desktop that links to CMD.EXE.

  1. Click RMB anywhere on your desktop. In the contextual list, select "Create". In the additional list, go to "Label".
  2. The shortcut creation window opens. Click on the button "Review…" to specify the path to the executable file.
  3. A small window opens, where you should go to the directory where CMD.EXE is located at the address that was already specified earlier. You need to select CMD.EXE and click "OK".
  4. Once the item's address is displayed in the shortcut creation window, click "Further".
  5. In the field of the next window, a name is assigned to the shortcut. By default, it corresponds to the name of the selected file, that is, in our case "cmd.exe". This name can be left as it is, but you can change it by entering any other name. The main thing is that by looking at this name, you understand what exactly this shortcut is responsible for launching. For example, you can enter the expression "Command line". After the name is entered, click "Ready".
  6. The shortcut will be generated and displayed on the desktop. To launch the tool, just double-click on it LMB.

    If you want to activate as an administrator, you should click on the shortcut RMB and select from the list "Run as administrator".

    As you can see, to activate "Command line" using a shortcut you will have to tinker a little once, but in the future, when the shortcut has already been created, this option for activating the CMD.EXE file will be the fastest and easiest of all the above methods. At the same time, it will allow you to run the tool both in normal mode and as an administrator.

There are quite a few launch options "Command line" in Windows 7. Some of them support activation as an administrator, while others do not. In addition, it is possible to run this tool for a specific folder. The best option to always be able to quickly launch CMD.EXE, including as an administrator, is to create a shortcut on the desktop.