Windows 11 is about to upgrade the Run dialog box after more than 20 years, what's special?

The Run dialog in Windows 11 is actually a relic of old Windows. Its current interface is over 20 years old, and the only significant change over the years has been dark mode, which has been accompanied by a fair amount of flashbangs in File Explorer. But it looks like Microsoft has finally decided to overhaul this long-standing feature.

Tech blogger @phantomofearth shared an early look at the new Run interface. While it's still in beta, the screenshots give a pretty good idea of ​​the direction Microsoft wants to take in future updates.

The new Run dialog has a larger command input box and a list of recently used commands at the top. According to Windows Central, the interface will also automatically display the application icon when it detects the corresponding executable file. However, the 'Browse' button – which used to open File Explorer and manually find the .exe file – is gone.

Interestingly, Microsoft intends to let users switch back and forth between the old and new versions of Run. An option in the 'Advanced' section of the Settings app will enable the modern Run interface, while Windows 11 defaults to the old version – a situation that's a lot like the 'two right-click menus' that exist side by side today.

Microsoft has not officially announced any information yet, and these features are only available in the test build. Perhaps we will have to wait a bit longer before hearing the company confirm. In the meantime, users can try some third-party utilities to 'modernize' the Run dialog box right now.

Kareem Winters

Update 08 December 2025