Skip to content
Follow
Windows

How to Set Windows Terminal to Open with Command Prompt on Windows 11

Richard
Written by
Richard
Sep 14, 2021 Updated Oct 6, 2026 4 min read
How to Set Windows Terminal to Open with Command Prompt on Windows 11
How to Set Windows Terminal to Open with Command Prompt on Windows 11

Windows Terminal is an app in Windows 11 that brings command-line tools like Command Prompt and PowerShell together in one window with multiple tabs. By default, it opens a PowerShell tab when you launch it.

Advertisement

You can change the startup setting so Command Prompt opens automatically every time you start Windows Terminal. That saves you from opening a new Command Prompt tab by hand each time. The change takes a minute, needs no restart and works the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro.

⚡ Quick Answer

Open Windows Terminal, click the dropdown arrow next to the plus icon, select Settings, find Default profile on the Startup page, change it from Windows PowerShell to Command Prompt, and click Save. Windows Terminal now opens with Command Prompt automatically.

Advertisement

What happens when you are done?

After you make the change, Windows Terminal will launch straight into Command Prompt every time. It applies to new windows and new tabs you open from then on. Tabs that are already open keep the shell they started with.

Installation and Environment Setup

📝Good to KnowWindows Terminal is included with recent builds of Windows 11, so you may already have it.

To check, open the Start menu and type Terminal. If it appears in the results, you are ready to go.

If you don’t have Windows Terminal yet, grab it from the Microsoft Store or use the Windows Package Manager. Open a command-line window and run winget install Microsoft.WindowsTerminal to get the latest version. When the install finishes, search for Terminal in the Start menu to confirm it is there.

How to Set Windows Terminal to Open with Command Prompt

Setting Command Prompt as your default profile makes Windows Terminal open it automatically each time you launch the app, so you no longer have to leave PowerShell by hand. The setting lives in the app’s own Settings page. The steps below start with Windows Terminal open. If it is not open yet, search for Terminal in the Start menu and launch it.

Advertisement
  1. With the app open, click the downward-facing arrow next to the ( + ) icon in the top bar. A drop-down menu opens with your available profiles, such as Windows PowerShell and Command Prompt, plus a few other entries.
Searching for Windows Terminal in the Windows 11 Start menu
windows terminal search and open
  1. Select Settings from the drop-down menu. A Settings tab opens inside Windows Terminal, with a list of pages down the left side.
Accessing the Windows Terminal settings menu via the dropdown arrow
windows terminal settings
  1. Look for the Default profile option. On current versions it sits on the Startup page, which is usually the first page that opens.
  2. Click the box and change the selection from Windows PowerShell to Command Prompt. The box should now show Command Prompt.

If Command Prompt is missing from the list, it may have been hidden or removed from your profiles. Look for it on the profile pages in the left-hand list of the Settings tab.

  1. Click the Save button at the bottom right corner of the window to apply your changes. The button stays greyed out until you actually change something.

To check that it worked, close Windows Terminal completely and open it again. It should now start with a Command Prompt tab. To undo the change, go back to the same setting and select Windows PowerShell again.

Changing the default profile to Command Prompt in Windows Terminal settings
windows 11 windows terminal change to command prompt

Advanced Configuration with settings.json

The Windows Terminal settings.json file controls every preference in the app. It lets you customize color schemes, keyboard shortcuts and startup profiles beyond what the standard menu offers. Holding the Alt key while you click the Settings menu opens a configuration file directly in your default text editor. On current builds that can be the read-only defaults file, which is only a reference. To edit your own settings, open the Settings tab and click Open JSON file near the bottom left.

⚠️WarningMake a copy of the file before you edit it.

A small typo, such as a missing comma, can stop Terminal from reading your settings, and a backup lets you restore the file quickly.

Advertisement

Using the wt Command

You can also launch the terminal with the wt command. Press Win+R and type wt to open it. The same command works from Command Prompt, PowerShell or the Start menu's search box. You can also use command-line arguments to open specific folders. For example, use wt -d C:\Users\GenericUser\Documents to start in a specific directory.

A window started this way still uses your default profile unless you tell it to use another one. After the change above, it opens with Command Prompt.

Summary

Switching your default profile to Command Prompt means your preferred shell is ready the moment you open the app. You can make the change through the Settings page, as shown above, or by editing the settings.json file if you want more advanced customization. Either way, you can switch back to PowerShell at any time by changing the default profile again.

Advertisement
Tags: #Windows 11

Did this guide fix your problem?

Richard

About the Author

Richard

Tech Writer, IT Professional

Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.

Advertisement

54 Comments

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *