Tech Line
Simplify Command Prompt Access with CMD Prompt Here
Use this handy Resource Kit tool to jump to the command prompt from Windows Explorer.
CMD Prompt Here is one of the often-overlooked Windows Resource Kit tools
and is still very useful today. If you're like most administrators, you
have probably on several occasions had to navigate to an installed application's
folder using Windows Explorer, find a diagnostic tool and then double-click
on it to launch it. However, once you double-click on the tool you see
that it must be run from the command shell. That usually means opening
the command prompt and using the
cd command to
navigate to the appropriate directory.
An easier way to jump to the command prompt from within Windows Explorer
is with the Resource Kit tool CMD Prompt Here. To use this tool, you will
first need to install it by following these steps:
- Download the Windows
Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools. Note that the Windows Server 2003
Resource Kit Tools can be installed on both Windows XP and Windows Server
2003 systems.
- Install the Resource Kit Tools using the default options.
- Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the Windows Server 2003 Resource
Kit Tools installation folder (default location is "C:\Program
Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools").
- Locate the cmdhere.inf file and then right-click on cmdhere.inf and
select Install.
Once you've installed cmdhere.inf, you will see a change in the Windows
Explorer power menu.
To test, open Windows Explorer and then right-click on any folder. You
should see a "CMD Prompt Here" option in the right-click power menu. If
you select "CMD Prompt Here," a command shell window will automatically
open with the path at the directory that was selected in Windows Explorer.
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I often use this tool when I'm using Windows Explorer to examine log
files when troubleshooting an application. Oftentimes, I then need to
run a command line tool provided by the application as part of the troubleshooting
or repair process.
With CMD Prompt Here installed, I can quickly open a command shell that
is automatically navigated to whatever directory I'm working with.