Open Command Prompt: How it works on Windows 7-10

There are several ways to open the command prompt on Windows. We show you some options under Windows 10, 8, 7 and Vista.

Windows 8 & 10: Open command prompt

The following guide works fastest on Windows 8 and 10. Alternatively, the instructions in the next paragraph also work for Windows 7 and Vista.

1. Right-click the Windows icon at the bottom left of the screen.
2. Alternatively, you can press the [Windows] and [X] keys on your keyboard at the same time.
3. Now select "Command Prompt" or "Command Prompt (Administrator)" from the list.
4. Note: In most cases you only need the command prompt without the addition "Administrator".

1. Click the Windows icon at the bottom left of the screen to open the Start menu.
2. Enter the command "cmd" in the search line. Then the "Command Prompt" appears.
3. Simply select the search result. Right-click to start the command prompt as an administrator.

In the next practical tip, we will show you the most important commands for the Windows command prompt.