Find and Open Files Using Command Prompt in Windows 10

Do you ever drive yourself crazy looking for all the files you need for a project? Have you saved them in unknown places on your computer? Can you only remember part of the name you gave the file? If any of these apply to you, using the command prompt instead of Windows Explorer may help you quickly find the files you need and allow you to open them directly from that location.

We have to mention, though, that it’s a waste of time using the Command prompt to open simple, trivial files. However, this method is something you should definitely look at when dealing with multiple files and assorted file types in random folders.

Opening Command Prompt

To search for the files you want, first launch Command Prompt. There are several ways to do this.

• Type cmd in the Windows search box, then click on the icon to open the window. It’s preferred to run the command prompt as an administrator.

• Use the Run window. A fast way to launch this window is to press the Win + R keys on your keyboard. Then, type cmd or cmd.exe and press Enter or click OK.

• Use Cortana if it works for you properly: as soon as you see the Cortana is “listening” text, say “open command prompt,” and it will open up.

Search for your files

In the command prompt, type dir «\search term*» /s , but replace the words “search term” with text you want to find by using the file name. In the following screen, we are trying to search for a folder/file named “movies.”

The correct file path can be easily identified by the size of the folder. Once you have typed in the command, press Enter, and the search begins. It may look like nothing is happening for a second or two, though. But soon all the file paths mentioning the correct file or folder will be identified and named.

What do all the terms in the command mean?

• dir is a command used to show files in the current directory but which can also locate data anywhere in the system.
• The backslash tells dir to search from the root directory of the current drive.
• /s tells dir to search all subdirectories.
• Finally, * is used by command-line apps as a wildcard. It indicates that the search will locate all file names that contain your search term.
• Putting an asterisk at the end of the name, like business* , will find all the files with your search term at the beginning of the name.
• If you put it at the beginning, then your search will include only results with your text at the end. For example, *.jpg .
• If you put an asterisk at each end of the search term, you will cover all the bases. No matter where your text is in the actual name of the file, that file will be listed in the results.

Change Command Prompt Directories for Precise File Location

If your target file is located in D: drive, you won’t find it anywhere in the Windows folder from the C: drive. Therefore, you should learn to change the drive path as shown below.

First, type cd.. , which will enable you to easily move one folder up. To go to D drive, just type d: , and the command prompt will now listen to the new drive.

Within the destination drive, you can search for the correct file once again using the dir «\search term*» /s command discussed in the previous section. Do take care to use the * wildcard, both at the beginning and end of the search term for a comprehensive search – especially if that folder has hundreds of files. It’s pretty common to make mistakes in the wildcards and backslash, which returns a “no label” error as shown below. If you type correctly, you will easily identify the folder path and the correct file name.

If the folder path is very long, you may want to copy-paste the entire thing. We have a detailed tutorial on how to cut-copy-paste in the Windows 10 command prompt. But the method is simple enough: use Ctrl + A to select the entire command prompt screen, then just release the mouse or trackpad click. This would make any part of the command screen selectable for a copy-paste action as shown below.

Open your Files in Windows 10 Command Prompt

Once you find the file you want to open, you can open it from this screen using its default program, without locating it in your file explorer.

First, change the directory to the immediate folder where the file is located. This can be done using cd followed by the entire folder path to the correct file. It’s common to make mistakes, so it’s better to copy-paste the entire folder path as discussed in the previous section. Once the correct directory menu has been opened, you can open any files there. Here it’s a folder, where I saved my personal collection of rented movies.

Enter the file name inside the quotation marks «..» as shown here. Press Enter and the file will open using its default application. Here it’s Movies and TV programs, which is set as my default application for .mp4 files.

The file, a Mel Gibson-led movie called “Get the Gringo,” opens from the command prompt.

You can open multiple files from the command prompt once you’ve opened the correct folder. Here we open another file called “Erin Brockovich.mp4” in the same folder.

The file, a Julia Roberts-led movie called “Erin Brockovich,” opens from the command prompt using the default app.

Once you’re done, you may want to move back to another folder in the command prompt. For this, use cd.. followed by a new drive name as shown below. Navigating your computer’s files using the command prompt is very similar to just doing it in a regular way from your File explorer.

Wrapping Up

If you are looking for all your files concerning one topic or just trying to find the one that is hiding among all the folders in your computer, try using the command prompt. It may make it more efficient for you.

Amazingly, the command prompt is way faster and more responsive than opening the files from the File Explorer. This is true for video files, Windows Photos, Word documents, and heavy-duty games. The reason for this is that the GUI always consumes more memory and slows down the processes.

Related:

Sayak Boral is a technology writer with over ten years of experience working in different industries including semiconductors, IoT, enterprise IT, telecommunications OSS/BSS, and network security. He has been writing for MakeTechEasier on a wide range of technical topics including Windows, Android, Internet, Hardware Guides, Browsers, Software Tools, and Product Reviews.

How to Open and Run ISO File on Windows 10/7/8

ISO image files are basically used for making Windows operating system disks as well as extracting gaming files, applications, software and other information from a single source. Usually, people compress all the required data in one single file so that it can be burned in a CD/DVD or USB flash drive to run the installer directly from the portable device.

Now you must be wondering that you can simply copy paste the ISO image file from your computer to flash drive or DVD like you do with multimedia files and it will run perfectly. But that’s not the truth at all. In fact, you will be required to properly burn the ISO image file to your portable device to extract the data and run the installer correctly or else any data contained inside the ISO image file will simply won’t work. So, in this guide we will show you couple ways to run ISO image files on Windows operating systems.

Method #1: Run and Open ISO Files on Windows 10/8/7

ISO to USB is a free and open source tool available on the official website that helps to burn ISO image files into pen drives and CD/DVDs. It is extremely liter in size and can get the job done easily. It is a plug and play tool that doesn’t required to be installed at all. Here’s a step by step tutorial to show how to use this tool to burn ISO image files and run them properly on Windows computers.

Step 1. Go to the ISO to USB tool page and download the executable file on your PC.

Step 2. Like we mentioned, you don’t have to install it, just double click on the downloaded file and it will run automatically.

Step 3. Plug in a flash drive or CD/DVD in your PC and wait for the tool to detect it automatically.

Step 4. Click on «Browse» from the ISO file section and select the ISO image file from the local drive of your computer.

Step 5. Leave all the default settings as it is if you have no knowledge about them and simply click on «Burn» and let the program do the rest.

Step 6. Once the ISO file is successfully burnt into your portable device, you can open the flash drive to see the extracted files.

Cons:

• Extremely slow. Takes longer than usual.
• Program can hang half way into burning.
• Doesn’t work with Windows 64-bit systems.
• Fatal errors and warnings are common.

Method #2: Open ISO File on Windows 10 using WizISO

If you are looking for a reliable and more user-friendly way to open and view content in ISO image file then you must use an ISO Editor tool. WizISO is the most recommended ISO editing tool that can extract everything from your ISO file and burn any size of ISO image files into your thumb drive or CD/DVD without getting any fatal errors or warnings. This program is specially designed for editing, burning , extracting , creating ISO file on Windows operating system ISO image file.

WizISO — Burn ISO File to USB/DVD with 5 Minutes

• One-stop solution to burn ISO file to USB/DVD without losing any data. No special technical skills are required.
• It works for both GPT (UEFI boot) and MBR (legacy BIOS/CMS boot) modes.
• Fully supports all types of system files- FAT. FAT 32, and NTFS.
• Allow you to edit ISO, extract, create, burn and copy disc.
• Supports all kinds of Windows operating system- XP/ Vista/ 7/ 8/ 10.

Step 1. Firstly, install the program on your Windows computer in 2 minutes and open it to see the attractive UI.

Step 2. Select the «Burn» option open the ISO burnning interface. Click on «Browse» and the program will detect ISO image files automatically from your PC. and Insert the CD/DVD or USB flash drive to PC and the program will recognize the device automatically.

Step 3. Choose the partition style and format then click on «Burn». Wait for few moments and voila! The ISO image file is successfully burnt. You can simply run the program and it will work perfectly now.

There are many ways to burn and run ISO image files on Windows 10/87 but we have listed the 2 most favorite ways to accomplish the task effortlessly. WizBurn is a classic and innovative tool that most Windows users loves due to its efficiency and simplicity. You can go ahead and download the tool today as it is free to try.

Vicky is a professional Windows technology author with many experience, focusing on computer technology. She’s very much enjoy helping people find solutions to their problems. Her knowledge and passion always drive her to discover everything about technology.

6 ways to open the Run command window in Windows

The Run command window allows you to launch programs, open files and folders, and access internet resources in Windows. Just type a path or a quick command into the Windows Run box, and then click OK or press Enter to use a Run command. Although the Run shortcut is not as easy to find in recent Windows versions, the tool still exists, and there are plenty of ways to access it. This tutorial illustrates how to open Run in Windows 10 and Windows 7:

1. Open the Run command window with a keyboard shortcut

The fastest way to access the Run command window is to use the keyboard shortcut Windows + R. On top of being very easy to remember, this method is universal for all versions of Windows. Hold down the Windows key and then press R on your keyboard.

The Run window is immediately displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen.

2. Use Search to open the Run command window

As always in Windows, Search is a great idea to find just about anything. If you are using Windows 10, first type the word “run” inside the Search bar.

Then, click or tap on the relevant search result or press Open from the pane on the right.

In Windows 7, click the Start button and type the word “run” in the Start Menu Search box. Then, click the appropriate result to launch the Run command window.

3. Open the Run command window from the Start Menu

The Start Menu is a reliable way to access features on your Windows computer or device, including the Run window. In Windows 10, access the Start Menu by clicking or tapping on the Windows logo in the lower-left corner or by pressing the Windows button on your keyboard. Then, scroll down to the letter W, open the Windows System folder, and press Run.

In Windows 7, open the Start Menu and then access “All Programs -> Accessories -> Run” to launch the window.

Alternatively, you can also customize your Windows 7 Start Menu to permanently display a Run shortcut in the right-hand pane. To learn how to do that, read The complete guide to the Windows 7 Start Menu.

4. Use the Command Prompt (CMD) to open the Run window

Some of my colleagues love the CMD, so we decided to put this in for other fans, even if it’s not as easy to remember as the other ways illustrated in this article. To open the Windows Run, you can also launch the Command Prompt and enter the following:

explorer.exe Shell.

This method works both in Windows 10 and Windows 7.

5. Open the Run command window with PowerShell

Wondering how to open Run from PowerShell in Windows 10 and Windows 7? First, start PowerShell. Then, copy/paste or type in the following command:

(New-Object -ComObject “Shell.Application”).FileRun()

Press Enter on your keyboard, and the Run command window is immediately opened in the bottom-left corner.

6. Use the WinX power user menu to open the Run window in Windows 10

Windows 10 has a hidden power user menu that includes a shortcut for the Run command window. There are many ways to access this menu, the easiest being to use the Windows + X keyboard shortcut. Then, click or tap on Run or press R on your keyboard to open the Run box in Windows 10.

If the WinX power user menu interests you, you can learn more by reading: What is the WinX menu and how to open it.

What do you want to access using the Run window?

The Run command window was first introduced by Microsoft in Windows 95 and has been with us ever since. Some of us access it pretty often, but plenty of people don’t realize its potential and usefulness yet. We’re happy this feature caught your eye, but we are curious what brought you here. Are you looking for new ways to open the Windows Run command window or are you trying something new on your computer? Let us know in the comments.