Windows 10 Run Commands you should Know

There are times when you like to done things quickly on your Windows 10 system. At those times, you might feel that using the trackpad or mouse is slowing down your work. 

In dealing with such situations, Windows 10 run commands can be the mighty tool. Windows run commands allow you to access the features and applications to customize them quickly. With simple keystrokes, you can reach deep down to your operating system files.

If learned and applied correctly, these commands can significantly improve your work efficiency. Let us list out ten frequently used commands.

Open Run Command Dialog Box

Before moving any further, the first thing you should know is how to call the Run Command Dialog box.

We can do this in three ways. 

First is just press Windows + R buttons of your keyboards together. The second way is type Run in the search bar and then click on the Run application. The third method to open Run Dialog Box is by right-clicking on the Windows start icon, and you will get the Run option there. 

So, since we have our Run Dialog Box ready, we can now start shooting the commands on it.

Note: The quotation marks(” “) should not be included in the commands

1. Opening the Home folder of the current user (“.”)

This command is quite handy in better controlling the File Explorer. Just type a single period (.) , and you will land on to your home folder.

(2) Opening the Windows 10 drive (“\”) 

Sometimes you want to explore your root Windows 10 drive(in most cases, it is “C” drive). So instead of navigating using your mouse, use backslash (\) to jump to the root Windows 10 drive directly. 

This (\) command can also be used to navigate towards a specific folder of the drive, by appending that folder name; for example, (\Program Files) will take you to the folder named Program Files in your Windows 10 drive.

(3) Opening the Users folder (“..”)

If you want to reach to the all users folder, type (..) on the Run Dialog and hit OK. This command is quite beneficial while performing the system administrative tasks.

(4) Opening the System Configuration (“msconfig”)

The Microsoft Configuration application is handy for setting the Startup method and grants you permission to block or stop certain services to load during the boot sequence. To get access to this application, type (msconfig), and that’s it.

(5) Opening Control Panel (“control”)

This command can be the most useful for you. You might need the Control Panel most of the time for various purposes like Uninstalling/Repairing an application, Security Settings, Hardware & Sound settings, and much more. For quickly accessing the Control Panel type (Control) on the Run Window and hit OK.

(6) Opening Resource Monitor (“resmon”)

Resource Monitor is one of the most important features of Windows 10. Most users simply ignore it or don’t know about it. It helps users to know which running process is using their resources like CPU or RAM usage. This feature can be handy when your system gets hanged, and you want to catch the application, which is causing it.

Getting to this feature is easy by run commands. Type (resmon) on Run Dialog Window and click OK to launch it.

(7) Opening Programs and Features (“appwiz.cpl”)

There comes a time when you get fed up with an application and wants to uninstall it. For that, what you normally do is go to Control Panel and then look for Programs and Features option. Instead of that, you can type the (appwiz.cpl) command on the Run Dialog Box, and you will directly land to Programs and Features Window.

(8) Opening common Microsoft apps (“calc”, “notepad”, “mspaint”, etc.)

The Run Commands can launch some basic Microsoft apps whose shortcuts are generally not present on your desktop. Like Calculator, Notepad, or MSPaint. Open the Run Dialog Box and use the commands to launch the apps.

(9) Opening Disk Cleanup Utility (“cleanmgr”)

Windows 10 is much advanced in Disk Cleanup than its previous versions. Most of the cleaning process is done automatically in the background. However, there may be some stances when you want to perform disk cleanup manually. For that use (cleanmgr) run command instead of searching for Cleanup Utility.

(10) Open Remote Desktop (“mstsc”)

Remote Desktop is another lesser-known application of Windows 10. It is used when you remotely want to access any other system from your Windows 10 device. This app can be launched directly from Run Command Dialog Box. Type (mstsc) and click OK.

Conclusion

This guide listed out the most common and most useful ten Windows 10 run commands. As already said, they can be super beneficial for enhancing your work speed on your system. However, the key is to learn and remember to use them whenever required. 

Peter Brown

Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.