4 Ways to Open Command Prompt with Keyboard on Windows

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Accessing Command Prompt (CMD) without a mouse

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: December 3, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Windows Key + R
|
• Windows Key
|
• Windows Key + X (Windows 10)
|
• Windows Key + X (Windows 11)
|
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Do you need to open the Command Prompt on your Windows laptop or desktop computer? If your mouse isn't working, you can use keyboard shortcuts instead. You can use the Run menu, Power Menu, or Search menu to run the Command Prompt with or without Administrator privileges. This wikiHow will show you how to open the Command Prompt using your keyboard on Windows 10, 8.1, and 8.

Keyboard Shortcuts to Open Command Prompt

• Open the Run menu with Windows Key + R, then type "cmd."
• Press "Enter" to open the regular Command Prompt, or Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open as an Administrator.
• Another way is to press Windows Key + X, use the arrow keys to select "Command Prompt," then press Enter.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Windows Key + R

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1. 
   1
   Press ⊞ Win+R. This will open the Run window.
2. 
   2
   Type cmd. This is the code for the Command Prompt.
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3. 
   3
   Press ↵ Enter. This will open a regular Command Prompt window.

   • To open Command Prompt with Administrator privileges, press CTRL + Shift + Enter.
     • Use the arrow key to highlight Yes to allow access, then press Enter.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using the Windows Key to Search

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1. 
   1
   Press the Windows key. This is the Windows logo on your keyboard.
2. 
   2
   Type cmd. This will search for the Command Prompt. It should be the first option.
3. 
   3
   Press ↵ Enter. This will open a regular Command Prompt window.

   • To open Command Prompt with Administrator privileges, press CTRL + Shift + Enter.
     • Use the arrow key to highlight Yes to allow access, then press Enter.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Windows Key + X (Windows 8, 8.1, 10)

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1. 
   1
   Press ⊞ Win+X. Pressing the Windows key and X at the same time opens the Power User menu.
2. 
   2
   Select Command Prompt. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Command Prompt.

   • On newer versions of Windows 10, the Command Prompt is replaced by Windows PowerShell.
     • If you'd like to switch PowerShell with Command Prompt in the Power User Menu, right-click on the taskbar and click Properties, then click the Navigation tab. Make sure the checkbox next to "Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the lower-left corner or press Windows key +X" is unchecked, then click OK.
     • Alternatively, you can select Run instead. Follow the steps to Using the Run Window to access the Command Prompt.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Windows Key + X (Windows 11)

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1. 
   1
   Press ⊞ Win+X. Pressing the Windows key and X at the same time opens the Power User menu.
2. 
   2
   Select Terminal. You can choose Terminal or Terminal (Admin).
3. 
   3
   Click the arrow at the top of the Terminal window. It's next to the plus sign to add a new Terminal tab.
4. 
   4
   Click Command Prompt. This will open a new tab in the Terminal window for Command Prompt.

   • Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+2 to open a new Command Prompt tab in the Terminal window.
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