Windows Terminal is the default terminal application in Windows 11. Here are different easy ways to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11.
Unlike in Windows 10, the new Windows Terminal is the default terminal application in Windows 11. You no longer need to install it manually. It is included by default. Compared to the other terminal applications, Windows Terminal is modern, fast, and powerful. If you’ve seen Windows Terminal, you know that it provides a unified user interface to access all the Windows shells in a central location with tabbed UI. Thanks to the profiles option, you can create multiple profiles with different shell configurations. Add to that; Windows Terminal has many new options to make it look and feel the way you want. Not to mention, support for advanced features like GPU rendering, panes, etc., is a blessing.
Of course, you can still open and use individual shells like Command Prompt and PowerShell by searching for them in the Start menu. But for the most part, Windows Terminal is the way to go in Windows 11.
Since this is Windows, there are multiple ways to open a program; Windows Terminal is nothing different.
This quick and straightforward Windows 11 guide lets me show you the different ways to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11.
How to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11
Below are the detailed steps on how to open the Windows Terminal in various ways.
- Open Windows Terminal from Win + X menu
- Run command to open Windows Terminal
- Search for Windows Terminal in the Start menu
- Open Windows Terminal from File Explorer
Open Windows Terminal from Win + X menu
The most used Windows tools are always available in the Win + X menu, also known as the Power User menu. Previously, Windows PowerShell is available in the Win + X menu. In Windows 11, that option got replaced with Windows Terminal.
First, press the “Windows key + X” keyboard shortcut or right-click on the Start menu. From the flyout menu, select the “Windows Terminal” option. If you want to open Windows Terminal with admin rights, select the “Windows Terminal (Admin)” option.
Run command to open Windows Terminal
Like with Command Prompt or PowerShell, you can also open Windows Terminal using the Run command. Here is how.
First, open the Run command window by pressing the “Windows key + R” shortcut or searching for “Run” in the Start menu. In the Run dialog box, type “wt” and press Enter or click the “Ok” button.
As soon as you do that, Windows Terminal will open instantly with its default profile.
Search for Windows Terminal in the Start menu
The age-old way of opening any program in Windows is to search for it in the Start menu. Windows Terminal is no different.
First, open the Start menu by pressing the “Start” key or “Windows” key. Next, type “Windows Terminal” to start the search. This action will show the Windows Terminal result at the top; either click on it or press the Enter button to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11.
Alternatively, you can also open it from the “All Apps” screen. To do that, open the Start menu, click on the “All Apps” button on the top right corner, scroll down the list to find the “Windows Terminal” entry, and click on it.
Open Windows Terminal from File Explorer
Did you know that you can open Windows Terminal directly from File Explorer? The best thing about this method is that it will open Windows Terminal directly in the folder of your choice rather than in the default home folder or system32 folder. This is very helpful if you don’t want to navigate a folder after opening the Windows Terminal manually.
To open Windows Terminal from File Explorer, press the “Windows key + E” to open the File Explorer and go to the folder of your choice. Next, right-click on the empty space in the folder and select the “Open in Windows Terminal” option.
As soon as you do that, Windows Terminal will open in that folder.
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That is it. It is that simple to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11. If you think I missed any other practical ways to open the application, do let me know in the comments.
I hope that helps.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
