How to Run a Program on Command Prompt

Opening Specific Programs

1. Open Start

   . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. You can also press the Windows key on your computer's keyboard.

2. Open File Explorer

   . Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start window.

3. Open the folder your program is in. Navigate to the folder that has the program you want to open by clicking on any folders needed to get to it.

   1. When the icon for the program you want to open in Command Prompt displays in the middle of the File Explorer window, you're in the correct folder.
   2. If you don't know the location of the program, many programs are often located in the "Program Files" folder on the hard drive, or you can search for it in the search bar at the top.

4. Select the program's folder's path. Click the right side of the address bar that's at the top of the File Explorer window. You should see a blue box highlight the address bar's contents.

5. Copy the path. Press Ctrl and C at the same time.

6. Click This PC. This folder is on the left side of the File Explorer window.

7. Click This PC again. Doing so will de-select any folders in the This PC folder, which will allow you to open the This PC folder's properties.

8. Click Computer. It's a tab in the upper-left side of the page. A toolbar will appear.

9. Click Properties. This icon resembles a white box with a red checkmark in it. Clicking it prompts a pop-up window to appear.

10. Click Advanced system settings. It's a link in the upper-left side of the window. Doing so opens another pop-up window.

11. Click the Advanced tab. It's at the top of the window.

12. Click Environment Variables…. This option is at the bottom of the window. Another window will appear.

13. Click Path. It's in the "System variables" window near the bottom of the page.

14. Click Edit…. This option is at the bottom of the page.

15. Click New. It's in the top-right side of the Edit page.

16. Paste in your program's path. Press Ctrl and V at the same time to paste the path into the Path window.

17. Click OK. This will save your path.

18. Open Command Prompt.

19. Open your path. Type cd into Command Prompt, type one space, press Ctrl+V to enter your program's path, and press ↵ Enter.

20. Type start into Command Prompt. Make sure you leave a space after start.

21. Enter your program's name. Type in the name of the program exactly as it appears in the folder, then press ↵ Enter. The program will run.

    1. If there are spaces in the program's name, place an underscore ("_") where a space should go (e.g., system_shock rather than system shock).
    2. Alternatively, you can enclose the path in double quotes. (eg: start "C:Program FilesWindows Media Playerwmplayer.exe")