How to Replace PowerShell with Command Prompt in the Windows 10 Creators Update

The Windows 10 Creators Update ditches Command Prompt as Windows 10’s default command shell and replaces it with Windows PowerShell. In an attempt to provide all Windows 10 users with the absolute best command line experience, Microsoft has replaced Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in both of its instances in the WinX Menu (the menu that pops up when you right-click on the Start button or press the Windows Logo key + X) and in the context menu that shows up when you right-click on a folder or drive in File Explorer.

The right-click context menu in question now has an option that reads “Open PowerShell window here” instead of one that reads “Open Command Prompt here”. On the bright side, Windows PowerShell is a much more advanced command shell as compared to Command Prompt and, according to Microsoft, is also much better, and users can execute the same commands that can be ran on Command Prompts on Windows PowerShell. However, some specific commands do require the “.exe” suffix at the end for Windows PowerShell to successfully recognize them (such as the SC command), and then there’s the nostalgia factor because of which most Windows users prefer Command Prompt over Windows PowerShell.

Thankfully for users who would much rather have Command Prompt as their de facto command shell, it is entirely possible (and actually pretty easy) to restore Command Prompt to its rightful place in the WinX Menu and the context menu in the Windows 10 Creators Update.

How to replace PowerShell with Command Prompt in the WinX Menu

Replacing both instances of Windows PowerShell in the WinX Menu with Command Prompt, like it used to be in all the previous Windows 10 builds, is pretty simple. All you need to do is:

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on Personalization.
4. In the left pane of the window, click on Taskbar.
5. Locate and disable the Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the start button or press Windows key+X by removing the checkmark from the box beside it.
6. Save your changes.

How to replace PowerShell with Command Prompt in the context menu

Replacing Windows PowerShell with Command Prompt in the folders and drives context menu, on the other hand, is a tad trickier as it requires a small registry edit. Here’s how to go about the process:

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Search for “notepad”.
3. Right-click on the search result titled Notepad and click on Run as administrator.
4. Paste the following text into the blank instance of Notepad:
5. Press the Windows Logo key + S.
6. Open the dropdown menu in front of Save as type: and click on All Files to select it.
7. Name the file anything you like, but remember to give it the .REG file extension. For example, naming it reg will work just fine.
8. Navigate to where you want the file to be saved, and then click on Save.
9. Navigate to where you saved the file, locate it and double-click on it to run it and have the required registry edit made. If required to confirm your action in a popup, do so.

Alternatively, you can achieve the same result by simply downloading this file and then performing step 9. Once the registry edit has been made, an option that reads “Open command window here” will be added to the folders and drives context menu, and this option will open a Command Prompt window in the specified drive or directory path when clicked on.