How to Run an EXE File at the Windows Command Prompt

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Do you need to open a program on Windows without clicking its icon or menu item? Running programs from the Windows Command Prompt, or CMD, is easy, thanks to the "start" command. This wikiHow article will teach you how to launch executable (exe) files in Windows from the command line using Command Prompt .

Steps

PDF download Download Article
  1. Find the file path of the folder containing your exe program. Open the folder containing your program in a File Explorer window, and copy or note the file path from the address bar at the top of the window.
  2. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of your desktop to open your Start menu. [1]
    Advertisement
  3. Command Prompt should show up at the top of the search results.
  4. This will open a new Command Prompt window. [2]
    • For example, if you're trying to run Mozilla Firefox , the exe file you want to run may be located in a folder called Mozilla Firefox in Program Files on your C drive.
    • In this case, your file path is C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox .
  5. Replace [filepath] with the actual path to folder that contains the EXE program you want to run. [3]
    • For example, if you're trying to run Mozilla Firefox, your command here may look like cd C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox .
  6. This will navigate you into the selected file path in Command Prompt. [4]
  7. Replace [filename.exe] with your program's name. This should exactly match your exe program's file name in the folder. [5]
    • For example, if you're running Mozilla Firefox, the program file should be named firefox.exe by default.
    • In this case, your command will look like start firefox.exe .
  8. This will run the selected program on your computer.
    9. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I make a exe file safe?
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Be sure to scan the exe file with your antivirus program first—sometimes, the program can open up that package and see malicious things that are inside. Still, you should only ever open an exe file when you know exactly what it is, as these files can be very dangerous.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 8
  • Question
    How can I run the exe as an executable if I know the file extension is not exe? For example, if the file is compiled on Linux and transferred to Windows, how would I run the file without an extension?
    Community Answer
    Edit the file's name (press F2 or right click and rename), then add an .exe to run the file as executable in Windows.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 87 Helpful 13
  • Question
    How can you open an exe file on raspbian using a command prompt?
    Community Answer
    Raspbian is a version of Linux, not Windows. Only Windows can run exe files, you'll need to get a Linux version of the program you're trying to use.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 7
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • An alternative way to open Command Prompt would be using Windows' Run feature. You can open the Run window by pressing ⊞ Win + R on your keyboard, type cmd here, and click the Run button to open Command Prompt.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Navigate to a Different Folder in the Command Prompt
      How to
      Format a USB Using CMD (Command Prompt)
      How to
      Change a Windows Password Using Command Prompt
      How to
      Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows
      How to
      Use Windows Command Prompt to Run a Python File
      How to
      Run a Windows Batch File from the Command Line (CMD)
      How to
      Open a Folder in Command Prompt (CMD)
      How to
      Add Users from CMD
      3 Ways to Open Command Prompt with Keyboard on Windows
      5 Simple Ways to Open the Command Prompt in Windows
      How to
      Watch Star Wars via Telnet: Windows CMD & Mac Terminal
      How to
      Copy Files in Command Prompt
      How to
      Use Net Send
      How to
      Merge Multiple Text Files in Command Prompt, Notepad, & More
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-open-the-command-prompt-in-windows-10/
      2. ↑ https://grok.lsu.edu/article.aspx?articleid=13578
      3. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/cd
      4. ↑ https://www.digitalcitizen.life/command-prompt-how-use-basic-commands/
      5. ↑ https://www.digitalcitizen.life/command-prompt-how-use-basic-commands/

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,417,232 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement