Run Commands Cheatsheet
Read the web version at PCTips.com
Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box. Enter any command and try it out.
Don’t Skip These Basics
Command Action
msinfo32 Open the System Information applet
ncpa.cpl Open the Network Connections page
cmd Launch Command Prompt
powershell Launch PowerShell
msconfig Launch the System Config utility
appwiz.cpl Open the Programs and Features page
devmgmt.msc Launch the Device Manager utility
diskmgmt.msc Launch the Disk Management utility
sysdm.cpl Configure System Properties
control Launch the Control Panel
services.msc Launch the Services Management Console
regedit Launch the Registry Editor
notepad Launch Notepad
osk Bring up the On-Screen Keyboard
%temp% Access the temp folder in the File Explorer
Get System Info
Command Action
msinfo32 Open System Info
For more cheat sheets, head over to www.pctips.com
Shortcut Action
dxdiag Open the DirectX Diagnostic tool
winver Display the full Windows build and version
taskmgr Open the Task Manager
perfmon Open the Performance Monitor
resmon Open the Resource Monitor
Open Locations in File Explorer
Command Action
. Open the user’s home folder
.. Open the C:\Users folder
%temp% Open the Temp folder
%appdata% Open the AppData folder
%programdata% Open the ProgramData folder
%systemdrive% Open the drive where Windows is installed (C: by default)
%windir% Open the Windows folder
%programfiles% Open the ProgramFiles folder
%userprofile% Open the User profile folder
shell:recent Open the Recent items page
shell:system Open the System32 folder
Open the C: drive in Windows Explorer (replace the drive letter to
C:
access any other partition)
For more cheat sheets, head over to www.pctips.com
Launch Windows Apps
Command Action
cmd Open a Command Prompt window
powershell Open a PowerShell window
calc Launch the calculator
explorer Launch the File Explorer
mspaint Launch Microsoft Paint
notepad Launch Notepad
wordpad Launch WordPad
Launch Third-Party Programs
Command Action
winword Launch Microsoft Word
word /safe Launch MS Word in safe mode
excel Launch MS Excel
chrome Launch Google Chrome
firefox Launch Mozilla Firefox
opera Launch the Opera browser
acrobat Launch Adobe Acrobat
photoshop Launch Adobe Photoshop
Navigate the Control Panel
Command Action
control Open the Control Panel
For more cheat sheets, head over to www.pctips.com
Shortcut Action
control admintools Open the Windows Admin Tools page
appwiz.cpl Open the Programs and Features page
ncpa.cpl Configure Network Adapter settings
mmsys.cpl Configure Sound Device settings
desk.cpl Configure Display settings
control mouse Configure Mouse settings
control keyboard Configure Keyboard settings
control printers Configure Printer settings
joy.cpl Configure installed Game Controllers
timedate.cpl Configure Date and Time settings
control folders Configure File Explorer settings
computerdefaults Configure Default Apps
wscui.cpl Configure Security and Maintenance settings
powercfg.cpl Configure Power Options
control access.cpl Configure Ease of Access settings
utilman Configure Accessibility settings
sdclt Set up Windows Backup
file history Configure File History for backups
control.exe /name
Access the built-in troubleshooters
microsoft.troubleshooting
For more cheat sheets, head over to www.pctips.com
Access System Management Tools
Command Action
diskmgmt.msc Open the Disk Management console
devmgmt.msc Open the Device Manager console
services.msc Manage Windows services (run, stop, change startup behavior)
regedit Open the Registry editor
lusrmgr.msc Manage users and groups (accounts and passwords)
netplwiz Alternative way to manage user accounts
control.exe /name Microsoft.UserAccounts Change account settings for the logged-in user
sysdm.cpl Configure System Properties
systempropertiesperformance Directly open the Performance options page
tpm.msc View and manage the TPM status
compmgmt.msc Open the Computer management console
taskschd.msc Open the Task Scheduler
eventvwr.msc Open the Event Viewer
gpedit.msc Manage group policy settings
secpol.msc Manage security policy settings
dfrgui Optimize disks via defragmentation
cleanmgr Open the Disk Cleanup wizard
Turn optional Windows features on or off (Hyper-V for virtualization,
optionalfeatures
Windows Subsystem for Linux, etc)
rstrui Use System Restore to roll back your PC
systemreset Access the Windows Reset feature
For more cheat sheets, head over to www.pctips.com
Shortcut Action
mdsched Launch the Memory Diagnostic tool
verifier Launch the Driver Verifier tool
Change Display Settings
Command Action
desk.cpl Configure display settings like the resolution and refresh rate
control color Configure the background, theme, lock screen, and similar options
colorcpl Manage color profiles for your monitors
cttune Improve readability with Clear Type Text Tuner
Network Commands
Command Action
ncpa.cpl Open the Network Connections page
mstsc Launch the Remote desktop connection wizard
firewall.cpl Change Windows Defender firewall settings
wf.msc Change advanced firewall settings
Sate Your Curiosity
Command Action
fonts View installed fonts and manage font settings
fsquirt Launch the Bluetooth File Transfer wizard
psr Launch the Steps Recorder
For more cheat sheets, head over to www.pctips.com
Shortcut Action
charmap Access all characters in the Character Map
eudcedit Create custom characters and fonts
credwiz Backup or restore credentials
intl.cpl Manage date and time formats
narrator Customize narrator (screen reader) settings
useraccountcontrolsettings Set the UAC notification level
devicepairingwizard Add a printer or device to your PC
magnify Launch the Magnify tool
snippingtool Launch the snipping tool (screenshots)
Sign out of your account (the logoff will begin as soon as you press
logoff
enter)
shutdown Power off your PC
For more cheat sheets, head over to www.pctips.com
