PowerShell or Command Prompt?

By Ed Bott

Every version of Windows includes a full-strength command-line interpreter you can use to perform a wide range of tasks. It supports a full set of built-in commands and also allows you to run third-party programs by typing the name of an executable file, with or without switches.

In Windows 7, the native command-line interface is the Windows Command Processor, which you get to by typing Cmd in the Run dialog box. In Windows 10, beginning with version 1703, the native command-line interface is Windows PowerShell. You can run PowerShell, with or without administrative credentials, by right-clicking Start (or pressing Windows key + X) and then choosing the appropriate option from the Quick Links menu.

For system administrators, it's worth spending the time to learn PowerShell's complexities, but for everyday tasks, the older Cmd.exe environment is still available. From a PowerShell window, just type cmd and press Enter. That runs a Command Prompt session directly inside PowerShell.

If you want to replace PowerShell in Windows 10 with the older Windows Command Processor, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and slide the Replace Command Prompt With Windows Powershell switch to Off.

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