PowerShell as Default Command Prompt in Win10-1803

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How to change the Command Prompt default to PowerShell

By Mark Kaelin | Not dated

 
With the general release of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, power users can now personalize the Command Prompt default settings in the Start Menu. This how-to tutorial shows you how to switch the default command-line interface in Windows 10 to the more robust PowerShell interface.
…
Simplifying access to this powerful tool by changing a default setting in Windows 10 will save power users time and more than a few mouse clicks.

 
Read the full article here

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Elly, BobbyB

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Another interesting article as usual Kirsty. Just last few weeks getting to grips here with the “mind boggling” Power Shell, as I suppose its the coming thing and certainly handy for removing the superfluous “fluff” from Win 10, well most anyway;

As you see you can switch between CMD Prompt and back again by typing, strangely, “PowerShell” and “exit” to return to CMD Prompt, handy for novice such as I. As you can see it doesnt quite do everything yet as Cortana refuses to Die errm go, but an empiric victory nonetheless. Better than switching Windows every ten minutes 🙂

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Kirsty

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Wow, there IS a person that is using Groove ;).

Fractal Design Pop Air * Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W * ASUS TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS * Intel Core i9-11900K * 4 x 8 GB G.Skill Aegis DDR4 3600 MHz CL16 * ASRock RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC * XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE 1TB * SanDisk Ultra 3D 1TB * Samsung EVO 840 250GB * DVD RW Lite-ON iHAS 124 * Windows 10 Pro 22H2 64-bit Insider * Windows 11 Pro Beta Insider

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BobbyB

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lmao yes and it actually works too for Win10!! although you have to retag most of your Music Collection to display the Album art, so I can confirm you probably found the sole user 🙂

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I’m still using Windows Media Player for radio streaming and Spotify for anything else music related. For films the obvious choice is VLC. Removed Groove (via PowerShell) the minute W10 finished installing :).

Fractal Design Pop Air * Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W * ASUS TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS * Intel Core i9-11900K * 4 x 8 GB G.Skill Aegis DDR4 3600 MHz CL16 * ASRock RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC * XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE 1TB * SanDisk Ultra 3D 1TB * Samsung EVO 840 250GB * DVD RW Lite-ON iHAS 124 * Windows 10 Pro 22H2 64-bit Insider * Windows 11 Pro Beta Insider

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Kirsty wrote:

How to change the Command Prompt default to PowerShell

By Mark Kaelin | Not dated

With the general release of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, power users can now personalize the Command Prompt default settings in the Start Menu. This how-to tutorial shows you how to switch the default command-line interface in Windows 10 to the more robust PowerShell interface.
…
Simplifying access to this powerful tool by changing a default setting in Windows 10 will save power users time and more than a few mouse clicks.

Read the full article here

PowerShell became the default in new builds of Windows 10 nearly two years ago:

PowerShell in the Shell: In an effort to bring the best command line experiences to the forefront for all power users, PowerShell is now the defacto command shell from File Explorer. It replaces Command Prompt (aka, “cmd.exe”) in the WIN + X menu, in File Explorer’s File menu, and in the context menu that appears when you shift-right-click the whitespace in File Explorer. Typing “cmd” (or “powershell”) in File Explorer’s address bar will remain a quick way to launch the command shell at that location. For those who prefer to use Command Prompt, you can opt out of the WIN + X change by opening Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, and turning “Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the Start button or press Windows key+X” to “Off”.
What’s new in Build 14971

PowerShell has been the default for non-Insider Windows 10 users since version 1703 Creators Update:

Command Prompt has been replaced with PowerShell in the Win + X menu by default
Windows 10 version 1703 10.0.15063 · Redstone 2 · Creators Update

So a tip about how to switch between PowerShell and the Command Prompt is only relevant for someone who wants to get Command Prompt back on the menus:

How to add Command Prompt back to the Power User menu on Windows 10

But you can reach Command Prompt by entering “cmd” in PowerShell.

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Woody posted about PowerShell in a beta feature 2 years ago, and I was sure many users would be aware of this feature already.

It was possible some people may not have been aware of the setting options though.

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Elly

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Kirsty wrote:

Woody posted about PowerShell in a beta feature 2 years ago, and I was sure many users would be aware of this feature already.

OK, but “Simplifying access to this powerful tool by changing a default setting in Windows 10 will save power users time and more than a few mouse clicks.” in your post above is fake news; as is the suggestion that anything changed this year with respect to the default or setting.

Kirsty wrote:

It was possible some people may not have been aware of the setting options though.

Particularly because Woody labeled the change as “a real snore” when it first arrived?

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b wrote:

Particularly because Woody labeled the change as “a real snore” when it first arrived?

Er, no. Look at the context.

Woody’s comment on the PowerShell change: “PowerShell – the big change here is that PowerShell is now the default where the DOS-style command line used to show up. The right-click X menu now has PowerShell, although you can change it back to CMD (Start > Settings > Personalization > Task Bar, slide “Replace command prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the Start button or press Windows key+X” to off).”

The big snore: “Latest Win10 beta, build 14971, a real snore”.

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Elly, Kirsty, PKCano

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satrow wrote:

Er, no. Look at the context.

I did. (Please assume that my reading skills are at least as good as yours.)

satrow wrote:

The big snore: “Latest Win10 beta, build 14971, a real snore”.

Yep, that was the Topic Title. That’s why I said, “labeled”.

When this change reached the masses via 1703, Woody chose to not mention “Simplifying access to this powerful tool” or the switch to the “more robust PowerShell interface”:

If you really want to draw 3D stickmen, run your HoloLens, marginally speed up games, chat while using your Xbox, or slide tabs in Edge, then knock yourself out—the Creators Update should be right up your alley.
Ready, set, block! Windows 10 Creators Update arrives

So mentioning it here 17 months after the event may not be a bad idea, if the information is accurate as to the default (which now applies to 97% of Windows 10 users).

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b wrote:

satrow wrote:

Er, no. Look at the context.

I did. (Please assume that my reading skills are at least as good as yours.)

satrow wrote:

The big snore: “Latest Win10 beta, build 14971, a real snore”.

Yep, that was the Topic Title. That’s why I said, “labeled”.

Reading skills are one thing, comprehension is another; you took the ‘snore’ reference as originally applied to Woody’s comments on the changes made in Build 14971 and applied it to one change, that of PowerShell becoming the default.

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Elly

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b wrote:

you can reach Command Prompt by entering “cmd” in PowerShell.

I didn’t know there was any other way to get a Command Prompt!

But the question arises, do I still need Command Prompt for anything? It appears that I can run all of the Command Prompt commands in Power Shell, as well as mark and copy a rectangular block of text, just like I can in Command Prompt.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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I think it’s most rather than all, as many are aliases (enter Get-Alias for a list).

Some have duplicates and some have different parameters:

Are all CMD commands available within PowerShell?

Using Windows PowerShell to run old command line tools (and their weirdest parameters)

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Sueska

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Appreciate that you brought up the topic Kirsty. Even though I knew the default changed to Powershell and that it could be changed easily, I learned quite a bit from you bringing up the topic. As a casual user of powershell, I still occasionally want to use cmd prompt. To do so I would search for cmd. Learning how to use command in powershell was very useful and a time saver me. Part of the reason I read Woody’s is for these enlightening tidbits. They are often brought out in discussions (and sometimes even in disagreements). It is hard keeping up with all the changes and difficult keeping straight what is different or new in each version of Windows 10. Everytime you learn a time saving or hassel reducing tip is a win.

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Elly, Kirsty

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