Windows – Open file from the command line on Windows

command linewindows

On Mac OS X and GNOME on Linux, there are commands that can be used to open files from the command line in their associated GUI editors: open and gnome-open, respectively. Is there any command like this for Windows?

Best Answer

If you are currently in the command prompt and have a file called test.png and , which are located in c:\test you can do the following:

If you are at the directory (so should say c:\test>) just type:

test.png

which would open test in the default png picture editor.

If the files name contains spaces, then simply enclose the file name within " "

 "this image.png"

You can alternatively type:

c:\test\test.png

which will open the file no matter where you currently are.

Finally, you can pass the picture to another program. For example, if you have an image editor called imageedit.exe and it supports opening files through command lines (and if the program is pathed/accessible or you are in it's current directory), you can type the following:

 imageedit c:\test\test.png

Related Solutions

Windows Command Line – Schedule a Job

Windows also has an "at job". Albeit the syntax is a little different.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>at /?
The AT command schedules commands and programs to run on a computer at
a specified time and date. The Schedule service must be running to use
the AT command.

AT [\\computername] [ [id] [/DELETE] | /DELETE [/YES]]
AT [\\computername] time [/INTERACTIVE]
    [ /EVERY:date[,...] | /NEXT:date[,...]] "command"

\\computername     Specifies a remote computer. Commands are scheduled on the
                   local computer if this parameter is omitted.
id                 Is an identification number assigned to a scheduled
                   command.
/delete            Cancels a scheduled command. If id is omitted, all the
                   scheduled commands on the computer are canceled.
/yes               Used with cancel all jobs command when no further
                   confirmation is desired.
time               Specifies the time when command is to run.
/interactive       Allows the job to interact with the desktop of the user
                   who is logged on at the time the job runs.
/every:date[,...]  Runs the command on each specified day(s) of the week or
                   month. If date is omitted, the current day of the month
                   is assumed.
/next:date[,...]   Runs the specified command on the next occurrence of the
                   day (for example, next Thursday).  If date is omitted, the
                   current day of the month is assumed.
"command"          Is the Windows NT command, or batch program to be run.

Example:

at 9:00 /interactive notepad.exe

This will cause Notepad to interactively open for the user at 9:00 in the morning.

Open a directory in a Linux GUI file browser via the command line

In Gnome you can do

nautilus . &

The dot means current directory, and the & runs the process in the background so you can continue to use your terminal (and ctrl+c won't kill the browser).

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Windows Command Line – Schedule a Job

Open a directory in a Linux GUI file browser via the command line

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