Adding Open Command Window Here in Windows 10

In Windows 7, you could be in a File Explorer window and hold Shift + Right click to bring up the “Open Command Window Here” in the context menu. It’s very hand when I want to just be in the correct directory to do stuff without having to go through all the paths to get there.

This feature is disabled in Windows 10 and you have “Open PowerShell window here” instead. I don’t (but should someday) use Power Shell. For now, I just want my good old command window.

There are instruction online to do a bunch of permission change via RegEdit and changing the flag of the cmd folder registry. It was pretty involved and in the end I couldn’t really get it to work. I then stumbled upon somebody’s comment on an easier way.

Basically, just save this script as a .Reg file and then run it. It’ll automatically add the registry key that allows the right click context that we need. You might want to close all the File Explorer windows to get it to work.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\normal_cmd]
@="@shell32.dll,-8506"
"Icon"="cmd.exe,0"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\normal_cmd\command]
@="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\normal_cmd]
@="@shell32.dll,-8506"
"Icon"="cmd.exe,0"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\normal_cmd\command]
@="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""

Now when you Shift + Right click in a File Explorer, you’ll have “Open Command Window Here” back.

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