Windows – How to Open Command Prompt in Current Folder with Keyboard Shortcut

autohotkeycommand linekeyboard shortcutswindows

How can I open a command prompt in current folder with a keyboard shortcut in Windows 7?
Is there any way to implement this?
I think Autohotkey could do this, but don't know how.

Best Answer

Use this keyboard shortcut: Shift + Menu, W, Enter

Shift + Menu (alternatively, Shift + F10), (opens extended right-click menu in current folder)
W (selects "Open Command Window Here"),
Enter (activates selection; required since "New" is also selectable with W)

The Menu key refers to the special key introduced by Microsoft, usually to the right of the right Win key.

This shortcut is available on a default installation of Windows (7) without any 3rd party software.

The AHK way. You just need to press Win + C (or whatever you want to define it as.):

SetTitleMatchMode RegEx
return

; Stuff to do when Windows Explorer is open
;
#IfWinActive ahk_class ExploreWClass|CabinetWClass

    ; create new text file
    ;
    #t::Send !fwt

    ; open 'cmd' in the current directory
    ;
    #c::
        OpenCmdInCurrent()
    return
#IfWinActive


; Opens the command shell 'cmd' in the directory browsed in Explorer.
; Note: expecting to be run when the active window is Explorer.
;
OpenCmdInCurrent()
{
    ; This is required to get the full path of the file from the address bar
    WinGetText, full_path, A

    ; Split on newline (`n)
    StringSplit, word_array, full_path, `n

    ; Find and take the element from the array that contains address
    Loop, %word_array0%
    {
        IfInString, word_array%A_Index%, Address
        {
            full_path := word_array%A_Index%
            break
        }
    }  

    ; strip to bare address
    full_path := RegExReplace(full_path, "^Address: ", "")

    ; Just in case - remove all carriage returns (`r)
    StringReplace, full_path, full_path, `r, , all


    IfInString full_path, \
    {
        Run,  cmd /K cd /D "%full_path%"
    }
    else
    {
        Run, cmd /K cd /D "C:\ "
    }
}

As a bonus, the script above also creates a new text file with this shortcut: Win + T

Credit to: Eli Bendersky

Related Solutions

Shortcut to open the Node Command Prompt in Any Folder

There is no built-in way to do this. But you can create one for the right-click of a folder (just like the "Open command prompt here" examples on the internet).

Create a file named Open Node-prompt here.reg and double click it (and click Yes and OK):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\Node]
@="Open Node here"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\Node\command]
@="cmd.exe /s /k \"pushd \"%V\" & \"C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\nodevars.bat\"\""

This will start the normal (cmd.exe) prompt in the correct chosen directory with first setting all the necessary variables for node.exe. After doing the dirs and cds you can call your node program.js just like normal.

Windows Shortcut – Fastest Way to Open CMD in Current Folder

Another Default All Keyboard Method

Once in the current folder with Windows Explorer, press ALT+D, type in CMD and press Enter

CAUTION: Issues with `ALT` + `F` + `P` (and other methods)

The This PC, Quick Access, and other special views in File Explorer is the real issue

It seems if you open Windows Explorer\File Explorer and by default it opens This PC then the Open command prompt option is grayed out and actually pressing the P key at this point does nothing if this is the case. This seems to be an issue for other File Explorer special views as well such as Quick Access.
When pressing ALT+D, typing in CMD and pressed Enter when on This PC (and Quick Access) via File Explorer, it opens up the command prompt in the C:\WINDOWS\system32 directory.