Essential Windows Run Commands You Must Know

Windows Run Commands

Instead of navigating through a hundred Windows and dialogs, you can start a number of Windows’ utilities from the Start > Run ([Windows] + [R]) dialog itself.

Utility                                                              Run Commands

1. Accessibility Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .access.cpl
2. Accessibility Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .accwiz
3. Add Hardware Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .hdwwiz.cpl
4. Add/Remove Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .wiz.cpl
5. Administrative Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control admintools
6. Adobe Acrobat (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .acrobat
7. Adobe Distiller (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .acrodist
8. Adobe Photoshop (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . .photoshop
9. Automatic Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .wuaucpl.cpl
10. Bluetooth Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fsquirt
11. Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .calc
12. Certificate Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .certmgr.msc
13. Character Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .charmap
14. Check Disk Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .chkdsk
15. Clipboard Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .clipbrd
16. Command Prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cmd
17. Component Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dcomcnfg
18. Computer Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .compmgmt.msc
19. Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control
20. Date and Time Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .timedate.cpl
21. DDE Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ddeshare
22. Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .devmgmt.msc
23. Direct X Control Panel (If Installed) . . . . . . . . .directx.cpl
24. Direct X Troubleshooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dxdiag
25. Disk Cleanup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cleanmgr
26. Disk Defragment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dfrg.msc
27. Disk Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .diskmgmt.msc
28. Disk Partition Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .diskpart
29. Display Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control desktop
30. OR desk.cpl
31. Display Properties (Appearance Tab) . . . . . . . .control color
32. Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility . . .drwtsn32
33. Driver Verifier Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .verifier
34. Event Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .eventvwr.msc
35. Files and Settings Transfer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . .migwiz
36. File Signature Verification Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . .sigverif
37. Findfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .findfast.cpl
38. Firefox (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .firefox
39. Folders Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control folders
40. Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control fonts
41. Fonts Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fonts
42. Free Cell Card Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .freecell
43. Game Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .joy.cpl
44. Group Policy Editor (XP Professional) . . . . . . .gpedit.msc
45. Hearts Card Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .mshearts
46. Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .helpctr
47. HyperTerminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .hypertrm
48. Iexpress Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iexpress
49. Indexing Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ciadv.msc
50. Internet Connection Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .icwconn1
51. Internet Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iexplore
52. Internet Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inetcpl.cpl
53. Internet Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inetwiz
54. Java Control Panel (If Installed) . . . . . . . . . . . .jpicpl32.cpl
55. Java Control Panel (If Installed) . . . . . . . . . . . .javaws
56. Keyboard Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control keyboard
57. Local Security Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .secpol.msc
58. Local Users and Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .lusrmgr.msc
59. Log Out Of Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .logoff
60. Malicious Software Removal Tool . . . . . . . . . . .mrt
61. Microsoft Access (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .access
62. Microsoft Chat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .winchat
63. Microsoft Excel (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .excel
64. Windows Movie Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .moviemk
65. Microsoft Paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .mspaint OR pbrush
66. Microsoft Powerpoint (if installed) . . . . . . . . . .powerpnt
67. Microsoft Word (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .winword
68. Microsoft Syncronization Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . .mobsync
69. Minesweeper Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .winmine
70. Mouse Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control mouse
71. Mouse Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .main.cpl
72. Nero (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .nero
73. Netmeeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .conf
74. Network Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control
75. netconnections
76. Network Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ncpa.cpl
77. Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .netsetup.cpl
78. Notepad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .notepad
79. Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed) . . . . . . .nvtuicpl.cpl
80. Object Packager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .packager
81. On Screen Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .osk
82. Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ac3filter.cpl
83. Outlook Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .msimn
84. Password Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .password.cpl
85. Performance Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .perfmon
86. Phone and Modem Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .telephon.cpl
87. Phone Dialer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialer
88. Pinball Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pinball
89. Power Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .powercfg.cpl
90. Printers and Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control printers
91. Printers Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .printers
92. Private Character Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .eudcedit
93. (to create your own fonts)
94. Quicktime (If Installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .QuickTime.cpl
95. Quicktime Player (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .quicktimeplayer
96. Real Player (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .realplay
97. Regional Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .intl.cpl
98. Registry Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .regedit
99. Remote Access Phonebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rasphone
100. Remote Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .mstsc
101. Removable Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ntmsmgr.msc
102. Removable Storage Operator Requests . . . . . .ntmsoprq.msc
103. Resultant Set of Policy (XP Professional) . . . . .rsop.msc
104. Scanners and Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .sticpl.cpl
105. Scheduled Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .control schedtasks
106. Security Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .wscui.cpl
107. Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .services.msc
108. Shared Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fsmgmt.msc
109. Shuts Down Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .shutdown
110. Sounds and Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .mmsys.cpl
111. Spider Solitare Card Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .spider
112. SQL Client Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cliconfg
113. System Configuration Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .sysedit
114. System Configuration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .msconfig
115. System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .msinfo32
116. System Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .sysdm.cpl
117. Task Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .taskmgr
118. TCP Tester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .tcptest
119. Tweak UI (if installed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .tweakui
120. User Account Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .nusrmgr.cpl
121. Utility Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .utilman
122. Windows Address Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .wab
123. Windows Address Book Import Utility . . . . . . .wabmig
124. Windows Backup Utility (if installed) . . . . . . . .ntbackup
125. Windows Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .explorer
126. Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .firewall.cpl
127. Windows Magnifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .magnify
128. Windows Management Infrastructure . . . . . . .wmimgmt.msc
129. Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .wmplayer
130. Windows Messenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .msmsgs
131. Windows Picture Import Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . .wiaacmgr
132. (camera connected)
133. Windows System Security Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . .syskey
134. Windows Update Launches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .wupdmgr
135. Windows Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .winver
136. Windows XP Tour Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .tourstart
137. Wordpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .write

And if this isn’t enough, you can create your own Windows Run command with incredible ease, too. First, create a shortcut for the program in question. Move this shortcut to C:\Windows and give it a short, simple name. You’ll now be able to run the program by hitting [Windows] + [R] and typing the name of this shortcut.