Last Updated on December 26, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

There are a few common places around the Windows 10 operating system that allow for you to run some commands. The Command Prompt being probably the most well known, Windows PowerShell being another.

The Command Prompt has been around since the dawn of Windows operating system and is still a useful tool for getting jobs done quicker than you would have been able to by using just a graphical interface and clicking buttons to navigate your way around the OS to get to where you needed to go.

The Windows PowerShell is similar to the Command Prompt but even more powerful, helping you administer more important things like automating Windows, using Objects, remotely manage servers, scheduling jobs, using Cmdlets, getting computer information, so forth.

The Run dialog box is another place where you can run commands, this time to specifically run programs (directly from it or run some Command Prompt commands), plus open folders and documents. It’s also powerful enough for you to run commands and programs with administrative permissions so that you can control them at their deepest level.

List of Run Commands

Windows Function Run Command
Add Hardware Wizard hdwwiz
Adding New Devices devicepairingwizard
Advanced User Accounts azman.msc
Advanced User Accounts netplwiz
Backup and Restore sdclt
Calculator calc
Certificates certmgr.msc
Character Map charmap
ClearType Tuner cttune
Color Management colorcpl
Command Prompt cmd
Component Services comexp.msc
Component Services dcomcnfg
Computer Management compmgmt.msc
Computer Management compmgmtlauncher
Connect to Projectors displayswitch
Control Panel control
Credential Backup and Restore Wizard credwiz
Data Execution Prevention systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention
Date and Time timedate.cpl
Device Manager hdwwiz.cpl
Diagnostics Troubleshooting Wizard msdt
Digitizer Calibration Tool tabcal
DirectX Diagnostic Tool dxdiag
Disk Cleanup cleanmgr
Disk Defragmenter dfrgui
Disk Management diskmgmt.msc
Display dpiscaling
Display Color Calibration dccw
DPAPI Key Migration Wizard dpapimig
Driver Verifier Manager verifier
Ease of Access Center utilman
Event Viewer eventvwr.msc
Fax Cover Page Editor fxscover
Game Controllers joy.cpl
Getting Started irprops.cpl
IExpress Wizard iexpress
Internet Explorer iexplore
Internet Options inetcpl.cpl
Language Pack Installer lpksetup
Local Users and Groups lusrmgr.msc
Magnifier magnify
Malicious Software Removal Tool mrt
Math Input Panel mip
Microsoft Management Console mmc
Mouse main.cpl
NAP Client Configuration napclcfg.msc
Narrator narrator
Network Connections ncpa.cpl
New Scan Wizard wiaacmgr
Notepad notepad
ODBC Data Source Administrator odbcad32
On-Screen Keyboard osk
Open Documents Folder documents
Open Downloads Folder downloads
Open Favorites Folder favorites
Open Pictures Folder pictures
Open Recent Folder recent
Open Videos folder videos
Paint mspaint
Pen and Touch tabletpc.cpl
People Near Me collab.cpl
Performance Monitor perfmon.msc
Performance Options systempropertiesperformance
Phone and Modem telephon.cpl
Phone Dialer dialer
Power Options powercfg.cpl
Printer User Interface printui
Private Character Editor eudcedit
Problem Steps Recorder psr
Programs and Features appwiz.cpl
Region and Language intl.cpl
Registry Editor regedit
Remote Access Phonebook rasphone
Remote Desktop Connection mstsc
Resource Monitor resmon
SAM Lock Tool syskey
Screen Resolution desk.cpl
Services services.msc
Set Program Access and Computer Defaults computerdefaults
Share Creation Wizard shrpubw
Shared Folder Wizard shrpubw
Shared Folders fsmgmt.msc
Snipping Tool snippingtool
Sound mmsys.cpl
Sound recorder soundrecorder
SQL Server Client Network Utility cliconfg
Sticky Notes stikynot
Sync Center mobsync
System Configuration msconfig
System Configuration Editor sysedit
System Information msinfo32
System Properties sysdm.cpl
System Properties (Advanced Tab) systempropertiesadvanced
System Properties (Hardware Tab) systempropertieshardware
System Properties (Remote Tab) systempropertiesremote
System Properties (System Protection Tab) systempropertiesprotection
System Restore rstrui
Task Manager taskmgr
Task Scheduler taskschd.msc
Taskbar and Start Menu control.exe /name Microsoft.TaskbarandStartMenu
Troubleshooting control.exe /name Microsoft.Troubleshooting
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Management tpm.msc
User Account Control Settings useraccountcontrolsettings
User Accounts control.exe /name Microsoft.UserAccounts
Utility Manager utilman
Version Reporter Applet winver
Volume Mixer sndvol
Windows Action Center wscui.cpl
Windows Activation Client slui
Windows Anytime Upgrade WindowsAnytimeUpgradeui
Windows Anytime Upgrade Results windowsanytimeupgraderesults
Windows Disc Image Burning Tool isoburn
Windows DVD Maker dvdmaker
Windows Easy Transfer migwiz
Windows Explorer explorer
Windows Fax and Scan wfs
Windows Features optionalfeatures
Windows Firewall firewall.cpl
Windows Journal journal
Windows Media Player wmplayer
Windows Memory Diagnostic Scheduler mdsched
Windows Mobility Center mblctr
Windows PowerShell powershell
Windows PowerShell ISE powershell_ise
Windows Remote Assistance msra
Windows Repair Disc recdisc
Windows Script Host wscript
Windows Update wuapp
Windows Update Standalone Installer wusa
WMI Management wmimgmt.msc
WordPad write
XPS Viewer xpsrchvw

Along with the list of run commands that you use, the Run dialog box allows you to open things around the Windows operating system often as one of the alternatives for navigating using the graphical interface as well. For example, you could boot to the Advanced Startup Options screen by using the Run dialog box, changing the number of times Windows 10 creates restore points, opening up File Explorer, performing a clean boot of the Windows 10 operating system, and loads of other stuff.

Finding Run Command from Start Menu

You’ll always have the Run dialog box link available from the Start menu in Windows 10, making it one of the more reliable methods to open it if you are ever experiencing problems due to software bugs that can sometimes happen to devices on occasion. To find it, you just have to click on the “Start” button on the taskbar and then scroll down your All Apps list until you get to “Windows System.” Click on the words or the little arrow to the right, and it reveals a bunch of apps that are all related to your system, one of them being the “Run” app. Click on it once and then you have the Run dialog open on your computer’s display.

How to Add the Run Command to the Windows 10 Start Menu Tiles

You can always use the Run command dialog box in Windows 10 by pressing the Windows logo + R keys on your keyboard. It then brings up the Run dialog for you to run your commands in the available field. However, it’s also possible to get the Run dialog put on the Start menu as well, so you aren’t just relying on your keyboard, and you don’t have to scroll down the full list of All Apps just to find it. Not everyone cares about tiles all that much, and some prefer not going to the effort to use them, but on the other hand, you also have heaps of people who live the idea of setting up tiles if they can save them some time in the future and overall in their lives.

To get started with your pinning, use the Cortana search box in the taskbar and type “Run,” and you’ll then see the Run desktop application under the Best match section. Right-click on it to bring up the menu where you can then choose to pin it to the Start menu. (You’ll also see another option from the same menu that allows you to pin it to the taskbar if you prefer. Technically that would offer the quickest way to get access to it, but most people prefer only keeping the essential stuff pinned to the taskbar like your Microsoft Edge, File Explorer, and the Windows Store icons so that it isn’t cluttered.)

If you can’t see the search field in the taskbar it might be because someone on your computer has disabled Cortana completely by using the Windows Registry, or they just might have hidden the Cortana search box by using the taskbar settings.

We’ve seen some people around the web suggest that you could just right-click on an icon found in the Start menu and that would bring up the Run option from its context menu. We aren’t noticing that with the later versions of Windows 10. It’s possible that it was a feature in earlier versions, but we don;t remember witnessing it then either. Others are suggesting that you could just use the search field (as in Cortana search) to bring up the same stuff. That’s also another misguided opinion. You can bring up some things from search, but you won’t be able to do close to everything that we cover here in our how-to guides by just using the search field alone, which is why we often get people to use the Run dialog. Just another reminder to not always believe everything you see on the internet, particularly in the comment sections. Comments can be of value for adding some additional information, but don’t perpetually take what they say as the definite truth.

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