Shell Commands for Windows 10: Navigating Common Folders in Windows

Mar 11, 2020 by Kyle Haas

Those of us that have been using Windows since the early days are likely still very familiar with navigating the OS without a mouse—and no touchscreen, either! Lots of folks still know how to navigate through command line as well, but this isn’t always helpful or expedient depending on where you need to go. As with all things Microsoft, we are given plenty of ways to get where we need to go, so long as we know the tricks: shell commands. Shell commands have a few functions, but primarily they are used like shortcuts to specific folders.

For example, we could run “shell:downloads” and this would open a new Explorer window showing the current user’s Downloads folder. Likewise, we could run “shell:windows” and this would open a new window showing the C:\Windows\ folder. Depending on your preference, you may find this is easier to remember than “%WinDir%”, which would also take you to the same folder.

Shell commands can be run multiple ways. They can simply be typed in at a Run Prompt (Win + R) and they can be typed into the address bar of Windows Explorer. If you love CMD and PowerShell, you can run them there, too. If you’re in either console, simply preface your shell command with “explorer”, for example: “explorer shell:RecycleBinFolder”.

Aside from navigating, some of these commands have real practical purpose. For example, “shell:common desktop” or “shell:common startup” will take you to the public desktop and public startup folders, respectively. Anything you place in the desktop folder will show on every user’s desktop, and everything you place in the startup folder will run when any user logs into the system.

Want to try a next-level shell command? Try the following “cheat code” for the Windows Master Control Panel, or as it is known online, “God Mode”:

shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

This will open a window with many Control Panel items in a list view and organized by their categories. It’s a very nice way to see nearly every option that is available.

You can also create a shortcut to the Windows Master Control Panel, by simply creating a folder on your desktop and naming it “GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}”.

I am not going to go into every single shell command and their use cases, but I recommend that every Windows aficionado try to learn and memorize some of these. They will save you time, especially if you’re doing a lot of navigating in Explorer. See the following list of all shell commands:

If you have more questions, we can help. If “shell:Mirazon Help” doesn’t work, you can always send us an email at info@mirazon.com or give us a call at 502-240-0404!