7 ways to open the Run dialog box in Windows

To use this tool, simply type a related command and press Enter. But how do you open the Run dialog? Let's explore 7 ways to open the Run tool in Windows.

1. Use keyboard shortcuts

The fastest way to access most Windows software programs is through keyboard shortcuts. To quickly access the Run dialog box, simply press the Windows key + R.

2. Using the Quick Access Menu

The Windows Quick Access Menu is an incredible tool. It makes it easy to open various tools like Run dialog, Device Manager, Task Manager, etc.

Here's how you can use this tool to open the Run dialog box:

1. Press Win + X or right-click the Windows icon to open the Quick Access Menu.
2. Scroll down and select Run from the options.

7 ways to open the Run dialog box in Windows Picture 1

3. Use the search bar on the Start menu

The Start menu search bar can help you find almost anything on your Windows device. Here's how you can use this search bar to open the Run dialog box:

1. Click the Start menu search bar or press Win + S.
2. Type Run in the search box and select the best match.

4. Using the Start menu

The Start menu provides a convenient way to access tools on a Windows device. Here's how this tool can help you open the Run dialog box:

1. Click the Windows icon on the taskbar or press the Windows key.
2. Click All Programs and select the System Tools folder.
3. Finally, select Run from the options.

7 ways to open the Run dialog box in Windows Picture 2

5. Use Command Prompt or PowerShell

If you're used to using Command Prompt or PowerShell, you'll love using these methods.

For starters, here's how you can open the Run dialog box via Command Prompt:

1. Type Command Prompt in the Start menu search bar and select the best match.
2. Type the following command and press Enter to open the Run dialog box:

explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

If you want to use PowerShell instead, here's how this tool can help you open the Run dialog box:

1. Type Windows PowerShell into the Start menu search bar and select the best match.
2. Type the following command and press Enter to open the Run dialog box:

(New-Object -ComObject "Shell.Application").FileRun()

6. Use File Explorer's Address Bar

You can always use File Explorer's address bar to access various Windows programs. Here's how the address bar can help you open the Run dialog box:

1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
2. Type the following command into File Explorer's address bar and press Enter to open the Run command dialog box.

explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

7 ways to open the Run dialog box in Windows Picture 3

7. Create a shortcut on the desktop

Have you ever tried to create your own desktop shortcuts on Windows devices? Windows Desktop shortcuts allow you to access software programs on your device with just a few clicks.

Here's how you can create a desktop shortcut for the Run dialog box:

1. Press Win + D to access the Desktop.
2. Right-click an empty space on the Desktop and navigate to New > Shortcut.
3. Enter the following command in the location box and click Next to continue:

explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

7 ways to open the Run dialog box in Windows Picture 4

In the next window, type Run command dialog box or choose any suitable name for your shortcut. From there, click Finish.

Finally, pin the shortcut to the taskbar for easy access. To do that, right-click the shortcut and select Pin to taskbar.

The Run dialog box is a pretty nifty feature. If you haven't tried this tool yet, now is the perfect time to start.

Kareem Winters

Update 03 August 2022