How to restore Command Prompt in Start button right-click menu on Windows 10

Yes, you can restore the Command Prompt entries in the Power User menu to replace PowerShell, and in this guide, you will learn how.

Start right-click menu with CMD
Start right-click menu with CMD / Image: Mauro Huculak
  • To bring back Command Prompt to the Windows 10 Start right-click menu, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, and turn off the “Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the start button or press Windows key + X” toggle switch

On Windows 10, you can restore the “Command Prompt” entries in the Power User menu when right-clicking the Start button, and in this guide, I will teach you how to complete this configuration. In the past, when you opened the Power User menu (Windows key + X), you were able to choose the option to launch Command Prompt as a standard or administrator user. However, since the release of the Creator Update, Microsoft replaced these entries with PowerShell. 

PowerShell is similar to Command Prompt because they both use command lines, and you can accomplish the same tasks. However, PowerShell is a more advanced tool typically used for scripting, and it may not be for everyone.

If you don’t use PowerShell, it’s possible to bring back Command Prompt to the Power User menu. You just need to know where to find the settings.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to bring back “Command Prompt” and “Command Prompt (Admin)” to the Power User menu on Windows 10.

Show Command Prompt entries in Power User menu

To restore the Command Prompt entries in the Power User menu when right-clicking the Start button, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.

  2. Click on Personalization.

  3. Click on Taskbar.

  4. Turn off the “Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the start button or press Windows key + X” toggle switch.

    Windows 10 Power User menu with Command Prompt

Once you complete the steps, when right-clicking the Start button or using the keyboard shortcut, the Power User menu will display the options to open “Command Prompt” again.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.