Press Win + X and select Terminal to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11 in two clicks.
The other three routes are the wt Run command, Start menu search and File Explorer, followed by how to open Terminal as administrator and pick which shell it starts with.
1. Open Windows Terminal using the Windows-X menu
The Win + X menu, also called the Quick Link menu, is the right-click menu of the Start button. It holds both a normal and an administrator Terminal entry.
- Press Win + X, or right-click the Start button.
- Select Terminal in the menu.
- Wait for the window to open with a Windows PowerShell tab, the default profile.
Choose Terminal (Admin) from the same menu instead when a command needs administrator rights, then select Yes at the User Account Control prompt.
Which way to open Terminal should you use?
| Your situation | Use this | Where the first tab starts |
|---|---|---|
| Fastest with keyboard or mouse | Win + X > Terminal | Your user folder |
| Keyboard only, no menus | Win + R, type wt |
Your user folder (%USERPROFILE%) |
| You also want admin or a specific profile | Start menu search for Terminal | Your user folder |
| You need to work inside a particular folder | File Explorer > right-click > Open in Terminal | The folder you right-clicked |
Before you begin: Windows Terminal requirements in Windows 11
Windows Terminal is the default terminal app in Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, so most PCs need nothing installed; on older builds you can download Windows Terminal free.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Terminal is installed | If no Terminal entry appears, install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store, the version Microsoft recommends |
| Store or packaged version | Only the Store (packaged) build adds Open in Terminal to File Explorer and can be set as the default terminal |
| Know your shell | Terminal is the window; PowerShell, Command Prompt and WSL Linux are shells that run inside it as profiles |
| Admin rights for system commands | Some commands only work in an elevated PowerShell window, and admin and normal tabs cannot share one window |
What is the Windows Terminal in Windows 11?
Windows Terminal is the app that hosts command-line shells in tabs and panes. It is not a shell itself: PowerShell, Command Prompt and Linux distributions run inside it as profiles, and it replaces the old console window as the default terminal in Windows 11.
| Profile | What it runs | When it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PowerShell | The PowerShell shell built into Windows | Default profile after installation |
| Command Prompt | cmd.exe, the classic Windows command line | Included by default |
| Azure Cloud Shell | A browser-based shell for managing Azure | Included by default |
| WSL distributions and other PowerShell versions | Linux shells such as Ubuntu, or PowerShell 7 | Created automatically when they are installed |
In other words, Windows Terminal is a terminal emulator. Microsoft defines a terminal as the software version of what used to be a physical display and keyboard: it takes what you type, passes it to the shell, and draws the shell's output on screen.
Because Terminal is only the window, opening it with any route below starts whichever profile is set as the default.
2. Open Terminal using the ‘wt’ Run command
wt is the command name of Windows Terminal. It works from the Windows Run dialog and from most places that accept a command.
- Press Win + R to open the Run box.
- Type
wt. - Press Enter or select OK.
- Start working in the PowerShell tab, which opens in your user folder.
wt also takes options: wt -p "Command Prompt" opens a Command Prompt tab, and wt -d D:\Projects starts in that folder.
3. Search for Terminal in the Start menu
Start menu search is the route to use when you want the right-click options, such as running Terminal as administrator.
- Select Start or press the Windows key.
- Type Terminal.
- Press Enter to open it normally.
- Right-click Terminal in the results and select Run as administrator if you need an elevated window.
4. Open Windows Terminal from File Explorer
File Explorer can open Terminal already pointed at the folder you are viewing, which saves typing a long cd path.
- Press Win + E to open File Explorer and go to the folder you want.
- Right-click an empty area inside the folder, or right-click the folder itself.
- Select Open in Terminal.
- Alternatively, click the address bar, type
wtand press Enter to open Terminal in the folder you are viewing.
Open in Terminal is missing when Terminal came from the unpackaged ZIP or portable download; the Store version adds it.
Open Terminal as administrator and other Terminal shortcuts
These routes are useful extras rather than separate methods, because each one starts from a Terminal window or one of the routes above.
| What you want | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Terminal as administrator | Win + X > Terminal (Admin), or right-click Terminal in Start and select Run as administrator |
| Terminal as admin from Task Manager | Open Task Manager, select Run new task, type wt, tick the option to create the task with administrative privileges, then select OK |
| Terminal from Command Prompt or PowerShell | Type wt and press Enter; wt -w 0 cmd adds a Command Prompt tab to the Terminal window already open |
| A Terminal shortcut on the taskbar | Search for Terminal in Start, right-click it and select Pin to taskbar |
| Always open one profile as admin | In Settings, open the profile and turn on Automatically run as Administrator |
| A second Terminal window | Press Ctrl + Shift + N inside Terminal |
| A new tab in the same window | Press Ctrl + Shift + T, or select + on the tab bar |
| A Command Prompt or other profile tab | Select the ˅ arrow next to + and pick the profile |
| Two panes side by side at launch | Run wt -p "Command Prompt" ; split-pane -p "Windows PowerShell" from the Run box |
| A new pane in an open window | Press Alt + Shift + + for a vertical pane, Alt + Shift + – for a horizontal one, or Alt + Shift + D to duplicate the current profile |
| The command palette | Press Ctrl + Shift + P to search and run most Terminal features |
| Add new profiles | Open Settings and select the + option to add a new profile, listed with your existing profiles |
| Edit the configuration file | Hold Shift while selecting Settings in the drop-down menu to open settings.json in your text editor |
Admin rights matter because commands that change system settings, services or protected folders fail in a normal window. Use the elevated window only for those tasks, since admin and normal tabs cannot mix in one window.
Change which shell Terminal opens with
Every route above opens the default profile, which is Windows PowerShell after a fresh install. Change it if you mostly use Command Prompt or a Linux distribution.
- Open Terminal and press Ctrl + , to open Settings.
- Select Startup in the left pane.
- Pick a profile from the Default profile list, such as Command Prompt.
- Select Save.
- Close Terminal and open it again to confirm the new shell loads first.
The same Startup page has a Default terminal application setting. Set it to Windows Terminal so any command-line app you open, such as Command Prompt from the Start menu, opens inside Terminal instead of the old console window.
How to check Terminal opened the right shell
- Look at the tab title; it names the profile, such as Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.
- For an admin window, confirm you opened it from Terminal (Admin) or Run as administrator and accepted the User Account Control prompt.
- Type
cdin Command Prompt orGet-Locationin PowerShell and press Enter to see the current folder.
Why can't I open Windows Terminal in Windows 11?
Troubleshooting starts with the symptom you see. Match it below and apply the fix.
No Terminal entry in Win + X or Start search
Windows Terminal is not installed, which can happen on older builds or after it was removed.
- Open the Microsoft Store and search for Windows Terminal.
- Select Get or Install.
- Open it from Start once the install finishes.
Typing wt in Run says Windows cannot find it
The wt.exe app execution alias is switched off.
- Open Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > App execution aliases.
- Turn on the alias for Terminal (wt.exe).
- Press Win + R, type
wtand press Enter again.
Terminal opens with no title bar, tabs or menus
Focus mode is on, which hides the tabs and title bar.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the command palette.
- Type
toggle focus modeand press Enter.
A keyboard service warning appears when Terminal opens
The Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service is disabled, and Windows needs it to send key presses to Terminal.
- Press Win + R, type
services.mscand press Enter. - Open Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service.
- Set Startup type to Automatic, select OK and restart the PC.
Terminal misbehaves after settings changes
A broken settings file.
- Close Terminal.
- Delete settings.json and state.json from
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState. - Open Terminal again; it recreates both files with the default settings.
Open Terminal in Windows 11 FAQ
How do I open a terminal on Windows?
Press Win + X and select Terminal, or press Win + R, type wt and press Enter. Both open Windows Terminal with a PowerShell tab in Windows 11.
How do I start Terminal from the keyboard only?
Press Win + R, type wt and press Enter. You can also press the Windows key, type Terminal and press Enter.
How do I open two terminals at once?
Inside Terminal, press Ctrl + Shift + N for a second window or Ctrl + Shift + T for a second tab. To open both at launch, run wt ; new-tab from the Run box.
What is Open in Terminal?
Open in Terminal is a File Explorer right-click option that opens Windows Terminal in the selected folder. It comes with the Microsoft Store version of Terminal, not the ZIP or portable builds.
How do I open Terminal on a PC running Windows 10?
Install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store, then press Win + R, type wt and press Enter. Start menu search and Open in Terminal also work once it is installed.
How do I use Terminal after opening it?
Type a command at the prompt and press Enter; for example, Get-ChildItem lists the files in the current folder. From there you can learn Windows Terminal basics such as tabs, panes and profiles.
What can I do in Terminal?
Terminal runs PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL Linux distributions and Azure Cloud Shell in tabs and panes. You can manage files, run scripts, check network settings and use developer tools from one window.
Is Terminal the same as Command Prompt?
No. Command Prompt is a shell, while Windows Terminal is the window that hosts shells. Terminal can open Command Prompt as one of its profiles alongside PowerShell.
How do I open Terminal on a Mac?
macOS has its own Terminal app, separate from Windows Terminal. You can open Terminal on a Mac from Spotlight, Finder or Launchpad.
Conclusion: the best way to open Terminal in Windows 11
Use Win + X > Terminal day to day, and Open in Terminal in File Explorer when the work belongs to a specific folder. Win + X needs no typing and also offers the admin entry, while the File Explorer route skips the cd step entirely.
