Fix Command Prompt Not Working on Windows 11 – Secrets Revealed

Command Prompt or CMD is an important command-line tool on Windows that allows you to execute and perform various commands and tasks. However, if one day you cannot open this tool or it does not work properly, it can be quite troublesome and frustrating for regular users, as they will not be able to perform tasks through CMD.

Many users have reported that they cannot start or use CMD on Windows. Fortunately, on Windows 10 or Windows 11, there are many ways to access Command Prompt. You can simply type cmd into the search box on the taskbar and then open Command Prompt. Additionally, you can also open CMD from File Explorer, the Task Manager, and even shortcuts on the desktop. However, if Command Prompt does not open, the solutions mentioned here will be very useful.

Reasons why Command Prompt is not working

Before going into troubleshooting, we need to know why Command Prompt is not opening or opening but not working. There can be several different reasons that can lead to this problem on Windows. There may be some corrupted system files that prevent them from being opened or used, and there may also be a recent system change that you have made on your computer. Some glitches or issues with the current user profile can be another reason for this problem.

So if you are experiencing a similar issue, here is a list of various solutions to help you resolve the problem.

How to fix Command Prompt not working on Windows 11

Below are different solutions you can try if Command Prompt is not working or not opening on Windows 11.

Launch Command Prompt from File Explorer

If you cannot open Command Prompt from the Start menu, you can try launching it from File Explorer. The steps are as follows.

Step 1: First, open File Explorer by pressing the shortcut keys Windows + E.

Step 2: From the displayed File Explorer window, navigate to the following folder location:

Step 3: From within the System32 folder, scroll down and find the cmd.exe file.

Step 4: Then, right-click on the cmd.exe file and select the Run as administrator option to launch Command Prompt with administrator privileges to see if you can open this tool from File Explorer or not.

Additionally, you can also create a shortcut to the Command Prompt application on the desktop and see if that shortcut works. In case Command Prompt still does not get activated, you can move on to the next solution.

Open Command Prompt from Task Manager

You can also try launching Command Prompt from the Task Manager. This will be the next solution if you cannot open Command Prompt using the above method.

Step 1: First, you can open Task Manager using the shortcut keys Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

Step 2: From the displayed Task Manager window, access the File > Run new task option from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Next, in the Open blank, type cmd.

Step 4: Then, click on the Create this task with administrative privileges option just below.

Step 5: Finally, press Enter to launch Command Prompt and see if it works properly.

Edit the System Environment Variable PATH

The next method you can perform to fix the issue is to edit the PATH System Environment Variable to allow Command Prompt to be opened on Windows. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: First, click the search icon on the taskbar and enter environ into the search box.

Step 2: From the displayed search results, click on the Edit the system environment variables option to launch the System Properties window.

Step 3: Next, click on the Advanced tab and click the Environment Variables button.

Step 4: Select the PATH entry under User variables for panki at the top, and then click the Edit button.

Step 5: Then, click the New button to create a new entry.

Step 7: Enter C:\Windows\SysWow64\ in the empty field and click the OK button.

Step 8: Finally, restart your computer and then check if you can start and use Command Prompt correctly. If the problem persists, try the next solution to resolve the issue.

Run an SFC Scan using PowerShell

It is possible that you cannot use Command Prompt because there are corrupted or damaged system files. So you can try fixing the problem by performing an SFC scan.

SFC or System File Checker is a command-line-based tool that comes with Windows. This integrated tool essentially scans and repairs corrupted system files. However, since you cannot open Command Prompt, you will have to use PowerShell as a replacement to run the SFC scan. Below are the steps to run an SFC scan using PowerShell on Windows PC:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu, type PowerShell into the search box at the top, and press the Run as administrator option from the right panel of the search results to launch PowerShell with administrator privileges.

Step 2: In the PowerShell window, enter the following command and press Enter:

The SFC scan command may take around 15-20 minutes to repair the corrupted system files, so let the command complete successfully.

Step 3: After completion, restart your computer and then try to launch Command Prompt again. Hopefully, Command Prompt will start functioning as you desire.

Disable Third-party Antivirus Software

If your computer is using third-party antivirus software, you can try temporarily disabling it to see if Command Prompt can be started. Third-party antivirus software installed on your computer can disrupt the normal operation of applications on Windows.

Therefore, you can try disabling the antivirus software temporarily on Windows to check if it can solve the problem.

Open Command Prompt in Safe Mode

You can also try starting your computer in Safe Mode and then launch the Command Prompt window. Safe Mode has the advantage of only running essential system applications and disabling all unnecessary services and processes.

If Command Prompt works in Safe Mode as well, it means that one of the softwares, applications, or background processes in your system is preventing Command Prompt from being activated and functioning. From there, you can choose a suitable solution to resolve the issue.

Create a New User Account

The problem may occur if there is an issue with your own user account or the current user profile is corrupted. Therefore, if possible, you can try creating a new user account and then check if the problem has been resolved. Below are the steps to create a new user account in Windows 11.

Step 1: Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows + I shortcut keys, then click on the Account option on the left side.

Step 2: In the right pane, click on Family & other users

Step 3: Next, click the Add account button, and on the next window, enter the email address for the new account.

Step 4: Then, click the Next button and follow the prompts and fill in the required information to complete the process of creating a new user account.

Step 5: Finally, sign out of your current Windows account, and then log in with the newly created account.

Perform System Restore

If none of the above solutions are effective, you can try performing a system restore. There may be some recent changes you have made to the system that have caused Command Prompt to not work properly on your computer.

In that case, System Restore will allow you to restore your computer to a point where the system is not affected by errors and Command Prompt works normally. So, perform a system restore using the following steps:

Step 1: First, click on the search tool (magnifying glass icon) on the taskbar and enter Create a Restore Point into the search box.

Step 2: Click on the Create a Restore Point option from the search results to open the System Restore window.

Step 3: Next, click the System Restore button and select the system restore point that you want to restore your computer to.

Step 4: Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Step 5: Finally, restart your computer and then try to launch Command Prompt again. Hopefully, Command Prompt will start working properly.

If Command Prompt has been activated but you cannot enter the necessary commands, check if your keyboard is connected correctly or use the on-screen keyboard to try. If the keyboard is working correctly, make sure Command Prompt is running with administrator privileges.

• Tips to fix Command Prompt continuously appearing on Windows 11
• Summary of quick and easy ways to open Command Prompt in Windows 10

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