Windows cmd open windows explorer

The direct equivalent of OS X’s open is start in cmd.

start foo.txt

would launch Notepad (or whatever text editor you’re using),

start http://example.com

would launch your browser,

start \someDirectory

will launch Explorer, etc.

Care has to be taken with arguments in quotes, as start will interpret the first quoted argument as the window title to use, so something like

start "C:\Users\Me\Folder with spaces\somedocument.docx"

will not work as intended. Instead prepend an empty quoted argument in that case:

start "" "C:\Users\Me\Folder with spaces\somedocument.docx"

Note that start isn’t a separate program but a shell-builtin. So to invoke this from an external program you have to use something like

cmd /c start ...

The equivalent in PowerShell is either Start-Process or Invoke-Item. The latter is probably better suited for this task.

Invoke-Item foo.txt  # launches your text editor with foo.txt
Invoke-Item .        # starts Explorer in the current directory

As for the Windows API, you’re looking for ShellExecute with the open verb.

File Explorer is the standard document manager tool in Windows, delivering a visual interface that enables the document structures. While operating in a Command prompt (CMD) or Ps, you may have to access the ongoing envelope in Windows Explorer to resume. Although there are speedier ways to access File Explorer, such as using a shortcut key, users may use Command Prompt to open the document chief inside the continuing database.

Use Command Prompt To Open File Explorer

CMD Windows Tutorial

First and foremost, open Command Prompt (CMD) on your PC by opening the “begin” menu, creating “cmd” in the Windows Search bar, then, at that point, picking “Command Prompt” from the question things. Request Prompt will open. Here, run the following request to open the File Explorer:

CMD Windows Guide

You can change indexes in Command Prompt by utilizing the compact disc order and running the beginning. Order once in the ideal catalog to open that organizer in File Explorer. Nonetheless, you can likewise open any organizer in File Explorer by running the beginning order, trailed by the envelope you might want to open.

Open File Explorer From CMD

Utilize the command to open the ongoing envelope in the File Explorer from the CMD

C:\> explorer

To indicate the way for an envelope to open in the File Explorer, execute:

C:\> explorer 'C:\Program Files'

You can likewise utilize the wayfarer order to open records or URLs in the client’s favored applications, for instance:

C:\> explorer photo.jpg
C:\> explorer doc.pdf
C:\> explorer https://www.example.com/

You can likewise run the traveler (or explorer.exe) order from the Task Manager or discourse box to open another example of File Explorer. Open an order brief, type adventurer, and press Enter. It will then open another File Explorer window.

CMD Windows for Developers

By Using Explorer Command

Open the Command Prompt window, type explorer, and hit Enter. It will open File Explorer to Quick Access or This PC relying upon your Folder Options setting. Write the following sequence to launch File Explorer in a different folder. If the enclosure method has gaps, make sure it is enclosed in two sentences.

Run Command to Open a Particular Folder

In Command Prompt, you might switch lists utilizing the disc succession and running the underlying stages. Once in the best record, ask once to send off that coordinator in File Explorer. In any case, you might open any envelope in File Explorer by executing the beginning request, trailed by the coordinator you need to open. In our proceeding with a list, C: Usersmarsh, for instance, we really want to open the Documents coordinator in File Explorer, which is just a single step down. To achieve this, we’d execute the accompanying order:

start Documents

CMD Windows for Programmers

Follow the steps outlined below to start a File Explorer panel from CMD on Pc windows before exiting the index.

Other useful articles:

  • Basic Windows CMD commands
  • Cool CMD Commands Tips and Tricks
  • Best CMD Commands for Hacking
  • CMD Commands for Wireless Network Speed
  • Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for CMD
  • What Info about My Laptop Can I Check with CMD and How?
  • Getting Started with CMD Windows
  • TOP-12 Command-Line Interview Questions (Basic)
  • Command-Line Interview Questions (Advanced)
  • CMD Commands to Repair Windows
  • CMD Commands to Speed Up Computer
  • CMD Commands for MAC OS
  • How Does the Command Line Work?
  • MS-Dos Interview Questions in 2021
  • Windows OS Versions and History
  • Recent Windows Versions Compared
  • Basic Windows Prompt Commands for Every Day
  • Windows Command Line Cheat Sheet For Everyone
  • Windows Command Line Restart
  • Windows Command Line for Loop
  • Windows Command — Change Directory
  • Windows Command — Delete Directory
  • Windows Command Line – Set Environment Variable
  • How Do I Run Command Line
  • Windows Command Line Create File
  • Windows Command Line Editor
  • CMD Commands for Network
  • CMD Commands to Look Like a Hacker
  • CMD in Microsoft SQL Server
  • SQLCMD Utility
  • Open File Explorer with CMD

The direct equivalent of OS X’s open is start in cmd.

start foo.txt

would launch Notepad (or whatever text editor you’re using),

start http://example.com

would launch your browser,

start \someDirectory

will launch Explorer, etc.

Care has to be taken with arguments in quotes, as start will interpret the first quoted argument as the window title to use, so something like

start "C:\Users\Me\Folder with spaces\somedocument.docx"

will not work as intended. Instead prepend an empty quoted argument in that case:

start "" "C:\Users\Me\Folder with spaces\somedocument.docx"

Note that start isn’t a separate program but a shell-builtin. So to invoke this from an external program you have to use something like

cmd /c start ...

The equivalent in PowerShell is either Start-Process or Invoke-Item. The latter is probably better suited for this task.

Invoke-Item foo.txt  # launches your text editor with foo.txt
Invoke-Item .        # starts Explorer in the current directory

As for the Windows API, you’re looking for ShellExecute with the open verb.

  • Home
  • News
  • How to Open a File Explorer Window from CMD Win 10

By Alisa |
Last Updated

This post gives detailed instructions for how to open File Explorer from CMD (Command Prompt) without leaving the current directory. As a leading software producer, MiniTool produces free data recovery software, disk partition manager, Windows system backup and restore software, video editor/converter/downloader, and more.

If you want to open Windows File Explorer from CMD (Command Prompt) and don’t know how to do it, you can check the detailed instructions below.

How to Open a File Explorer Window from CMD’s Current Directory

Preparation:

If you still don’t how to open Command Prompt in Windows 10, you can follow the following operation to open it first. Press Window + R to open Run dialog, type cmd, and press Enter to open CMD. If you want to open elevated Command Prompt, you can press Ctrl + Shift + Enter after typing cmd in Run.

You can also press Windows + X and select Command Prompt to open it. If you see PowerShell but not Command Prompt after pressing Windows + X, you can put Command Prompt back on the Windows + X Power Users menu.

Related: [Fixed] Command Prompt (CMD) Not Working/Opening Windows 10?

Check below how to open a file explorer window from Command Prompt’s current directory.

1. To open File Explorer application, you can simply type explorer command and press Enter to start explorer.exe from Command Prompt.

2. To open the current folder/directory File Explorer window, you can type start . command in Command Prompt window and press Enter.

3. To open the parent directory of the current folder, you can type start .. command, and press Enter.

open File Explorer from cmd

4. If you want to open another folder in the parent directory without leaving the current folder in Command Prompt, you can type start ..\<folder name>, and press Enter. Replace the ‘folder name’ with the exact name of the target folder.

5. You can also type the full path to open any File Explorer folder from current directory in CMD on your Windows 10 computer, for instance, you can type the command start c:\windows\system32 to open the System32 folder under Windows directory.

6. You can also use the Windows built-in environmental variables or the new shell: operator styles command to open file explorer from CMD without leaving the current folder. For example, you can type start %AppData% command and press Enter to open the user’s AppData folder. Or you can type start shell:startup to open Windows startup folder.

7. To check all the functions and switches of the start command, you can type start /? command in Command Prompt window. You will get a full list of the switches of start command and the functions of those switches.

Bottom Line

If you want to open a File Explorer window from CMD on Windows 10 without leaving the current directory, you can follow the instructions above to do it.

FYI, if you happen to lose some data on your Windows 10 computer or other storage devices, you can use the best data recovery software like MiniTool Power Data Recovery to easily recover lost data.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a top free data recovery software for Windows 10. It allows you to easily recover any deleted/lost files from Windows 10 computer, external hard drive HDD or SSD, USB drive, SD card, memory card, and more.

This tool is 100% clean and safe. You can just connect your device, open MiniTool Power Data Recovery and select your device, then click Scan button. After the scan finishes, you can preview, select and save the recovered files to a safe location.

About The Author

Position: Columnist

Alisa is a professional English editor with 4-year experience. She loves writing and focuses on sharing detailed solutions and thoughts for computer problems, data recovery & backup, digital gadgets, tech news, etc. Through her articles, users can always easily get related problems solved and find what they want. In spare time, she likes basketball, badminton, tennis, cycling, running, and singing. She is very funny and energetic in life, and always brings friends lots of laughs.

Say if I am navigating some folder in cmd such as E:\dir1\dir2

E:\dir1\dir2>

How can I open the folder quickly in Windows Explorer? Copying the whole path and pasting seems awkward.

There is an equivalent in Mac; an open . will do that.

asked Jan 22, 2012 at 3:08

onemach's user avatar

start . or explorer . will open the current directory in Windows Explorer.

answered Jan 22, 2012 at 3:20

iglvzx's user avatar

iglvzxiglvzx

23.5k13 gold badges85 silver badges122 bronze badges

1

explorer . 

will start Windows Explorer in the current directory.

answered Jan 22, 2012 at 4:56

Rook's user avatar

RookRook

23.7k32 gold badges129 silver badges213 bronze badges

3

To augment the accepted answer, if you are like me and will probably never remember start ., here is a simple batch file called explore you can put in your Environment Path:

@echo off
echo Opening %cd%
start .

enter image description here

answered Aug 6, 2018 at 14:30

THE JOATMON's user avatar

THE JOATMONTHE JOATMON

1,8789 gold badges49 silver badges82 bronze badges

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you’re looking for? Browse other questions tagged

.

  • Windows com stopcode что это
  • Windows cannot be installed to this disk selected disk is gpt partition style
  • Windows com stopcode page fault in nonpaged area
  • Windows cannot be installed to disk the selected disk is of the gpt partition style
  • Windows cmd output to file