How to Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10)

This article explains the simple steps for opening Command Prompt via your keyboard.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Opening a Regular Command Prompt Window

  1. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 1
    1
    Press and hold the ⊞ Win key.
  2. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 2
    2
    Press and hold the X key.
  3. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 3
    3
    Release the two keys. A context menu should appear in the lower-left corner of your screen, just above the Start
    Image titled Windowsstart.png
    button.
  4. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 4
    4
    Press the C key.
  5. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 5
    5
    Begin using the Command Prompt. Type a command into the Command Prompt window and hit ↵ Enter to initiate it.

Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Opening an Administrator Command Prompt Window

  1. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 6
    1
    Press and hold the ⊞ Win key.
  2. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 7
    2
    Press and hold the X key.
  3. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 8
    3
    Release the two keys. A context menu should appear in the lower-left corner of your screen, just above the Start
    Image titled Windowsstart.png
    button.
  4. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 9
    4
    Press the A key.
  5. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 10
    5
    Provide confirmation in the User Account Control window if prompted. You might need to type the password to an administrator account. Then click or tap Yes at the bottom of the window to continue.
  6. Image titled Open Command Prompt with a Keyboard Shortcut (Windows 8, 8.1, and 10) Step 11
    6
    Begin using the Command Prompt. Type a command into the Command Prompt window and hit ↵ Enter to initiate it.

Things You'll Need

  • Device running Windows 10, 8.1, or 8


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About This Article

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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 54,738 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: September 19, 2017
Views: 54,738
Categories: Command Prompt