⚡ Windows shortcuts for developers

Open Windows tools without Search.

A clean, practical reference for opening Command Prompt, PowerShell, Visual Studio Installer, Remote Desktop, Snipping Tool, Teams, system settings and administrator utilities using Run, CMD and direct paths.

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35+Useful commands

6Developer categories

1-clickCopy buttons

100%Client-side page

Windows Terminal — Quick Reference

# Open Run dialog

shortcut>Win + R

# Open CMD as administrator

run>cmd

Then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter

# Open Remote Desktop

run>mstsc

# Open Visual Studio Installer

cmd>"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\setup.exe"

# Repair Windows image

admin>DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Essential Run Commands

Fast access to the tools developers use most often.

Everyday commands

⌨️

Command Prompt

Open the classic Windows command-line interface.

cmd

Win + RCLI

🛡️

CMD as Administrator

Type CMD in Run, then use the elevated-launch shortcut.

cmd → Ctrl + Shift + Enter

AdminElevated

⚙️

PowerShell

Open Windows PowerShell from the Run dialog.

powershell

ScriptingAutomation

📁

File Explorer

Open the Windows file manager immediately.

explorer

FilesFolders

📊

Task Manager

Inspect running processes, startup apps and performance.

taskmgr

ProcessesPerformance

🧩

Control Panel

Open the traditional Windows Control Panel.

control

SettingsLegacy UI

Developer & Visual Studio Tools

Quick ways to open Visual Studio utilities and development tools.

Developer focused

🟣

Visual Studio Installer

Open the installer containing Modify, Repair and Uninstall options.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\setup.exe"

ModifyRepairUninstall

💻

Visual Studio

Launch Visual Studio when its command is registered in PATH.

devenv

IDE.NET

🔷

Visual Studio Code

Open VS Code when the code command is enabled.

code

EditorVS Code

🌐

IIS Manager

Open Internet Information Services Manager.

inetmgr

IISHosting

🗄️

SQL Server Management Studio

Launch SSMS if its executable is available in PATH.

ssms

SQL ServerDatabase

🧪

System Properties

Access computer name, advanced settings and environment variables.

sysdm.cpl

PATHEnvironment

Apps & Productivity

Open common Windows applications even when Start Search is broken.

Application shortcuts

🖥️

Remote Desktop Connection

Connect to a remote Windows PC or server.

mstsc

RDPServer

🔐

Remote Desktop Admin Session

Open Remote Desktop using the administrative session switch.

mstsc /admin

Admin SessionRDP

✂️

Snipping Tool

Launch the Windows screenshot capture application.

snippingtool

ScreenshotCapture

📸

Instant Screen Capture

Open the snipping overlay directly using the keyboard.

Win + Shift + S

KeyboardFast

👥

All Installed Apps

Open the AppsFolder and launch Teams, ChatGPT or Store apps manually.

shell:AppsFolder

TeamsStore Apps

🤖

Open ChatGPT App List

Open all installed apps from CMD and select ChatGPT.

explorer shell:AppsFolder

ChatGPTCMD

📦

Installed Apps

Open the modern Windows Apps & Features settings page.

ms-settings:appsfeatures

AppsUninstall

🧰

Programs and Features

Open the classic installed-programs and uninstall window.

appwiz.cpl

ClassicUninstall

📝

Notepad

Open the built-in Windows text editor.

notepad

TextEditor

Windows System Utilities

Administrative consoles, diagnostics and system configuration tools.

System management

🔧

Windows Services

Start, stop and configure Windows services.

services.msc

ServicesAdmin

🔌

Device Manager

Manage hardware devices and installed drivers.

devmgmt.msc

DriversHardware

📜

Event Viewer

Inspect Windows application, security and system logs.

eventvwr.msc

LogsDebugging

🧱

Computer Management

Open users, disks, services and system tools in one console.

compmgmt.msc

ManagementAdmin

💽

Disk Management

Manage disks, partitions and drive letters.

diskmgmt.msc

StoragePartitions

ℹ️

System Information

Check Windows version, hardware and whether the PC is x64 or x86.

msinfo32

x64Hardware

⏱️

Task Scheduler

View and manage scheduled Windows tasks.

taskschd.msc

JobsAutomation

🚀

System Configuration

Configure boot options and diagnostic startup settings.

msconfig

BootStartup

🧬

Registry Editor

Open the Windows Registry editor. Use carefully.

regedit

AdvancedRegistry

Windows Search & Repair Commands

Useful commands when Search, Teams, WebView2 or system components stop working.

Run carefully

🩺

Repair Windows Image

Checks and repairs corruption in the Windows component store.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Admin CMDDISM

🔍

Scan Protected System Files

Scans Windows files and replaces corrupted protected files.

sfc /scannow

Admin CMDSFC

🔎

Search Indexing Options

Open indexing options and rebuild the Windows Search index.

control.exe srchadmin.dll

SearchIndex

🔄

Windows Update

Open Windows Update directly from Run.

ms-settings:windowsupdate

UpdatesSecurity

🔧

Check Windows Search Service

Open Services and verify that Windows Search is running.

services.msc

Windows SearchService

🧩

Locate Teams or Store Apps

Use AppsFolder when Teams is not listed under Programs and Features.

shell:AppsFolder

TeamsWebView2

No command matched your search. Try words like CMD, Teams, Visual Studio, RDP or Search.

How to Use These Commands

Three quick methods for opening Windows tools.

Method 1: Run Dialog

Press Win + R, enter a command such as mstsc, then press Enter.

Method 2: Administrator Mode

In the Run dialog, type cmd or powershell, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

Method 3: Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, choose Run new task, and enable administrative privileges when required.

Method 4: Direct Executable Path

Paste a full executable path into Run or CMD, such as the Visual Studio Installer path. Use quotation marks when the path contains spaces.

⚠️

Administrator note

Commands such as DISM, SFC and some system-management utilities should be run from an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell window. Avoid deleting random folders from AppData, Program Files, WindowsApps or Visual Studio installation directories.