The Windows Terminal is a great addition to Windows 10 and Windows 11, and it offers many improvements over the old Windows Console Host. Here are the best ways to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11.
Content
- From the start menu
- From the power user menu
- From the Run window
- From Task Manager
- From explorer
- From the right-click context menu
- From the Windows terminal
From the start menu
The Windows Terminal can be launched from the Start menu just like any other application. Click the Start button or Windows key, type terminal in the search field, then click Open
If you want to run the Terminal as an administrator, click on the small arrow on the right side of the Start menu to expand the Terminal options. , then click “Run as administrator”
From the power user menu
The Power User Menu is probably the most underused menu in Windows. From it you can access most of the necessary tools, including the Windows Terminal.
Right-click the Start button or press Windows+X, then click “Windows Terminal” or “Windows Terminal (Administrator).”
Advice. When the power user menu is open, you can press the i key to open Windows Terminal, or press A to open Windows Terminal as an administrator. Quick pressWin + Xand then pressingAoriis by far the fastest way to open a terminal window if you don’t need it to open in a specific folder.
From the Run window
ClickWindows + Rto open the launch window, type wt. you can clickEnteror click “OK” to launch the terminal with normal rights, or clickCtrl+Shift+Enterto launch the Windows Terminal with administrator rights.
From Task Manager
Task Manager has the ability to open programs from the command line, which is very similar to the Run window, which can be accessed by clickingWindows+R .
Click “File” then click “Run new task”
Type wtin the text box next to “Open” then clickEnteror click “OK” Check the “Create this task with administrator privileges” box if you want to run the Terminal as an administrator.
From explorer
The File Explorer between Windows 10 and Windows 11 has been redesigned, and one of the ways to open PowerShell in Windows 10 has been removed in Windows 11.
However, you can still launch the Terminal from File Explorer. Just click on the address bar, type wtin the box, then clickEnter.
File Explorer in Windows 10 opened PowerShell or Command Prompt in the current directory when launched through the address bar. Unfortunately, Windows 11 didn’t bring this feature to the new Terminal.
From the right-click context menu
The right-click context menu has been the Swiss army knife of menus in Windows and has been for decades. If you have something you need to do, chances are good that the right-click context menu already contains what you’re looking for. You can also customize it by adding new applications.
Just right click on the folder and select “Open in Terminal”
Normally, the Terminal opens for users C: (Your user), but this is one exception – in this case, the Terminal opens in any folder that you have right-clicked.
From the Windows terminal
You are probably thinking, “Wait! Windows Terminal is already open. Why do I need to open another Windows terminal from Windows Terminal?”
Normally you wouldn’t do this, but there is at least one good reason to do so. Windows Terminal, unlike its predecessor Windows Console Host, supports tabs. This means you can open PowerShell in one tab, query Anaconda in one tab, and open your favorite Linux distribution in another tab.
The terminal does not allow you to open tabs with mixed permissions however in the same window. In other words, you can’t open a regular PowerShell tab and a PowerShell admin tab in the same terminal window without third-party modifications. Microsoft developers deliberately made this choice for security reasons, and they are adamant in their victory .
Enter a command start-process wt -Verb RunAsand press a keyEnter. A new Terminal window – with elevated administrator privileges – will open immediately.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of ways to open the Terminal – there are others, but they will help you with most everyday applications.