100 Run Commands Every Windows User Should Know

Did you know you can view detailed system specs by entering msinfo32 into the search bar? Windows supports hundreds of useful Run commands like this.

For instance, if your PC feels slow, you’ll want to uninstall some programs and run the Disk Cleanup Wizard. Or you may want to periodically update your Device Drivers. Or maybe you need to access a page nested deep in the Control Panel.

There’s a run command for these and most other Windows tasks.

I’ve listed the 100 most useful ones to help you level up your productivity.

Even if you’re a Windows veteran, I’m confident you’ll pick up a few new ones from this guide.

I’ve also created a printable PDF cheatsheet if you’d like one for offline use.

Don’t Skip These Basics

Press Windows + R to launch the Run dialog box. Or, press Win + X and select the Run option there.

Then, enter the commands in the Run prompt to try them out.

For most commands, entering them directly into the search box works too.

If you’re not sure where to start, try out my top 15 most used run commands:

Command	Action
msinfo32	Open the System Information applet
ncpa.cpl	Open the Network Connections page
cmd	Launch Command Prompt
powershell	Launch PowerShell
msconfig	Launch the System Config utility
appwiz.cpl	Open the Programs and Features page
devmgmt.msc	Launch the Device Manager utility
diskmgmt.msc	Launch the Disk Management utility
sysdm.cpl	Configure System Properties
control	Launch the Control Panel
services.msc	Launch the Services Management Console
regedit	Launch the Registry Editor
notepad	Launch Notepad
osk	Bring up the On-Screen Keyboard
%temp%	Access the temp folder in the File Explorer

Run as Admin: After typing the command, you can press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to execute it with admin privileges. This is useful for launching programs like cmd or MS Word as an administrator.

Get System Info

Have you ever needed to find your motherboard model? Or the BIOS version? Or any other PC spec really? These are the run commands to use in such situations:

Command	Action
msinfo32	Open System Info
dxdiag	Open the DirectX Diagnostic tool
winver	Display the full Windows build and version

When my laptop starts lagging, I use the Task Manager to check if any program is hogging the CPU/RAM.

Monitoring the GPU temperature has also helped me fix crashes on more than one occasion.

Use these commands to monitor your system in real-time or to record data:

Command	Action
taskmgr	Open the Task Manager
perfmon	Open the Performance Monitor
resmon	Open the Resource Monitor

Open Locations in File Explorer

Want to check if temp files are piling up? Or maybe you want to get to the C:\Windows directory quickly. For such needs, use the following run commands:

Command	Action
.	Open the user’s home folder
..	Open the C:\Users folder
%temp%	Open the Temp folder
%appdata%	Open the AppData\Roaming folder
%programdata%	Open the ProgramData folder
%systemdrive%	Open the drive where Windows is installed (C: by default)
%windir%	Open the Windows folder
%programfiles%	Open the ProgramFiles folder
%userprofile%	Open the User profile folder
shell:personal	Open the Documents folder
shell:downloads	Open the Downloads folder
shell:history	Open the Recent items page
shell:system	Open the System32 folder

Open any Drive: Enter C: at the Run prompt to open the C: drive in Windows Explorer. Similarly, you can access any other partition by using another drive letter (D:, E:, F:, etc).

Launch Windows Apps

Use these run commands to quickly launch built-in apps like MS Paint or the calculator:

Command	Action
cmd	Open a Command Prompt window
powershell	Open a PowerShell window
calc	Launch the calculator
explorer	Launch the File Explorer
mspaint	Launch Microsoft Paint
notepad	Launch Notepad
wordpad	Launch WordPad

Has your desktop crashed: Normally, the Win + E keyboard shortcut is a better way to open the File Explorer. But it may not work if your desktop has crashed. In that case, the explorer run command can launch a new explorer instance.

Launch Third-Party Programs

Most people don’t know this, but you can also use run commands to efficiently open third-party apps. Here are the ones I normally use:

Command	Action
winword	Launch Microsoft Word
winword /safe	Launch MS Word in safe mode
excel	Launch MS Excel
chrome	Launch Google Chrome
firefox	Launch Mozilla Firefox
opera	Launch the Opera browser
acrobat	Launch Adobe Acrobat
photoshop	Launch Adobe Photoshop

Navigate the Control Panel

A lot of important pages in the Control Panel are nested quite deep. For instance, you may need to uninstall programs or change sound/network settings often.

To access them more easily, use the following run commands:

Command	Action
control	Open the Control Panel
control admintools	Open the Windows Admin Tools page
appwiz.cpl	Open the Programs and Features page
mmsys.cpl	Configure Sound Device settings
desk.cpl	Configure Display settings
control mouse	Configure Mouse settings
control keyboard	Configure Keyboard settings
control printers	Open the Bluetooth & Devices page (which includes Printer settings)
joy.cpl	Configure installed Game Controllers
timedate.cpl	Configure Date and Time settings
control folders	Configure File Explorer settings
computerdefaults	Configure Default Apps
wscui.cpl	Configure Security and Maintenance settings
powercfg.cpl	Configure Power Options
control access.cpl	Configure Ease of Access settings
utilman	Configure Accessibility settings
sdclt	Set up Windows Backup
filehistory	Configure File History for backups
control.exe /name microsoft.troubleshooting	Access the built-in troubleshooters

Access System Management Tools

Don’t you just love updating drivers, managing partitions, and maintaining your system with disk cleanup? Yeah, me neither.

At least these run commands will make these tasks easier to complete:

Command	Action
diskmgmt.msc	Open the Disk Management console
devmgmt.msc	Open the Device Manager console
diskpart	Launch the DiskPart utility
services.msc	Manage Windows services (run, stop, change startup behavior)
regedit	Open the Registry editor
lusrmgr.msc	Manage users and groups (accounts and passwords)
netplwiz	Alternative way to manage user accounts
control.exe /name Microsoft.UserAccounts	Change account settings for the logged-in user
sysdm.cpl	Configure System Properties
systempropertiesperformance	Directly open the Performance options page
tpm.msc	View and manage the TPM status
compmgmt.msc	Open the Computer management console
taskschd.msc	Open the Task Scheduler
eventvwr.msc	Open the Event Viewer
gpedit.msc	Manage group policy settings
secpol.msc	Manage security policy settings
dfrgui	Optimize disks via defragmentation
cleanmgr	Open the Disk Cleanup wizard.
optionalfeatures	Turn optional Windows features on or off (Hyper-V for virtualization, Windows Subsystem for Linux, etc)
rstrui	Use System Restore to roll back your PC
systemreset	Access the Windows Reset feature

Troubleshooting Tip: I often use the Memory Diagnostic tool (mdsched) and Driver Verifier tool (verifier) to troubleshoot memory and driver errors. If you ever encounter startup or crashing problems on your PC, give these run commands a shot.

Change Display Settings

After installing Windows, there are a few default settings I always change. Display settings make up the majority of these changes as visuals play a big part in personalization.

Command	Action
desk.cpl	Configure display settings like the resolution and refresh rate
control color	Configure the background, theme, lock screen, and similar options
colorcpl	Manage color profiles for your monitors
cttune	Improve readability with Clear Type Text Tuner

My Favorites: Network Commands

As someone who frequently troubleshoots network issues, I may be biased here. But I feel that network commands are the most helpful type of run commands.

Command	Action
ncpa.cpl	Open the Network Connections page
mstsc	Launch the Remote desktop connection wizard
firewall.cpl	Change Windows Defender firewall settings
wf.msc	Change advanced firewall settings

The first two rank among my personal favorites.

ncpa.cpl is extremely versatile. It lets you check and diagnose the network status, enable/disable network adapters, change the IP address and DNS server, and much more. Definitely add it to your repertoire!

As for mstsc, I regularly use it to remotely access my main PC from different locations in our office. Whether I’m testing new builds in our lab or using my laptop in the common area, I can log in to my main PC easily. I’m sure it’ll serve you well too.

Looking for More?

Interested in some obscure run commands that will make you look like a pro? I’ve got you covered.

Command	Action
fonts	View installed fonts and manage font settings
fsquirt	Launch the Bluetooth File Transfer wizard
psr	Launch the Steps Recorder
charmap	Access all characters in the Character Map
eudcedit	Create custom characters and fonts
credwiz	Backup or restore credentials
intl.cpl	Manage date and time formats
narrator	Customize narrator (screen reader) settings
useraccountcontrolsettings	Set the UAC notification level
devicepairingwizard	Add a printer or device to your PC
magnify	Launch the Magnify tool
snippingtool	Launch the snipping tool (screenshots)
logoff	Sign out of your account (the logoff will begin as soon as you press enter)
shutdown /r	Restart your PC
shutdown /s /t 00	Power off your PC immediately

Note that for some run commands like explorer, taskmgr, magnify, snippingtool, etc., keyboard shortcuts are a better alternative.

Instead of opening Run and typing out an entire command, simply pressing Win + E or Ctrl + Shift + Esc is much easier/faster.

To learn more about such combos, check out our list of the 100 most useful keyboard shortcuts.

I hope you found this list helpful. If you have any other useful run commands to share, do let us know in the comments!