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How can I open a command line prompt in Windows 8 (Consumer Preview)?

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This hasn't really changed since Windows XP.. – Simon Sheehan Mar 6 '12 at 3:34
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@SimonSheehan: It has, see my answer. :) – Tom Wijsman Mar 6 '12 at 4:16
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i.qkme.me/36gn98.jpg – Mehrdad Mar 6 '12 at 8:36
see my question superuser.com/questions/396751/… – lukas Mar 6 '12 at 9:54
@Tom it "fits" better shutdown since it is moved to.... settings(sic!) – lukas Mar 6 '12 at 9:55
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4 Answers

up vote 17 down vote

Go to the search in metro (Or open the start menu, if you have one) and type cmd or cmd.exe. This can also be entered in Run, which can be launched with Windows Key + R

It should be listed under your apps as "Command Prompt."

It's still located in C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe

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Where is the start menu? – Thilo Mar 6 '12 at 3:36
@thilo perhaps you don't have it enabled; some users do. That's why I also said search in metro – Simon Sheehan Mar 6 '12 at 3:38
I don't have a Windows Key, but search in metro worked. Thanks. – Thilo Mar 6 '12 at 3:39
@SimonSheehan: There is no start menu in Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you can't enable it either. Unless you where to install a third party start menu, but the majority doesn't... – Tom Wijsman Mar 6 '12 at 18:06
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Ctrl+Esc is interpreted as hitting the Windows key, if you don't have one. :) – deed02392 Mar 6 '12 at 19:59
up vote 12 down vote

Windows+X or right clicking the lower left bottom is an faster way to get to a lot of handy things.

Then just click on the item using your mouse, arrow keys or hit the first letter till you get to the entry.

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+1. Nice. But so many options to do things. Microsoft has now officially entered the same realm of confusion as Apple with Dashboard, Launchpad, Spotlight, Mission Control, Recent Items Menu etc. I suppose this is what one would call a transitional period. We'll have to wait for a few years for things to shake out, I guess. – Thilo Mar 6 '12 at 5:10
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There are so many options because people refuse to change. – surfasb Mar 6 '12 at 12:11
@Thilo: I disagree with that, if I wouldn't have told you you might not have discovered this quick way of accessing a lot of configuration options. I'm too bored to type Serv and click Settings, instead I can just right click and open Computer Management and see Services right there. And that counts for every option listed there. It's not like they made so much different applications like Apple here... – Tom Wijsman Mar 6 '12 at 18:05
So many options because W8 is optimized for a touchscreen Tablet and Microsoft knows it will also be deployed on Desktops. – Moab Mar 7 '12 at 4:45
Makes it easier to use! ;) – Tom Wijsman Mar 7 '12 at 19:30
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up vote 5 down vote

This is a variation on @Simon Sheehan's answer to "search in metro" I guess, but I just found out that in the Metro start screen, you can type any letter to start a search, without moving the mouse anywhere special. And the search defaults to Apps, so a simple c takes me to "Command Prompt". (And if not, you can continue typing omm, that should do it).

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up vote 5 down vote

Press the Win+X key combo on the Metro screen or Desktop and you can open a command prompt or an admin command prompt from the context menu.

enter image description here

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That's what he said.. :) – Tom Wijsman Mar 7 '12 at 19:29

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