Launching CMD.EXE from the Explorer Bar

[Joe Caverly]

This is a new technique for me, so sharing it with others who also may not know.

So, I have navigated to E:\hb32 in Explorer in Windows 10.

I next type cmd.exe in the address bar;

This then launches cmd.exe in the E:\hb32 folder.

Joe

 

[Charles Dye]

Cool! And what's even cooler is, it works with TCC.EXE too!

 

[vefatica]

Cool! And what's even cooler is, it works with TCC.EXE too!

... and PowerShell.exe, and WSL.EXE, and NotePad.exe, and ...

 

[Joe Caverly]

Cool! And what's even cooler is, it works with TCC.EXE too!

Only if TCC.EXE is in your path, and only (in my case) if you start TCC.EXE with the /I option.

Joe

 

[Charles Dye]

Only if TCC.EXE is in your path, and only (in my case) if you start TCC.EXE with the /I option.

I use AppPaths, but yeah.

 

[AnrDaemon]

I use AppPaths

I second that emotion.
What can be used through AppPaths I use through AppPaths.

 

[dcantor]

I second that emotion.
What can be used through AppPaths I use through AppPaths.

Me too.

 

[w_krieger]

I launch tcc from a modified 'write.exe', that uses apppath to load tccu.exe, In turn the apppath launches tcc.exe. This overcomes a number of bugs in Windows.

 

[David Marcus]

You can do the reverse, i.e., launch explorer from TCC, via

*explorer /e,.

 

[vefatica]

You can do the reverse, i.e., launch explorer from TCC, via

*explorer /e,.

Or even easier with START .

I have known about the Explorer location bar for a long time, probably since @Joe Caverly first mentioned it. But never use it; it's a tad cumbersome. If you use the TCCHere mechanism (TCCHere.btm) you can right-click on the name of the current folder in Explorer's left-hand pane and choose "TCC prompt here". Even better (IMHO) if, in HKCR\Directory\Background, you mimick what TCCHere.btm does in HKCR\Directory, then you'll get "TCC prompt here" from a right-click on the background of an Explorer folder window (or a right-click on the desktop itself). That's the one I use quite often.

 

[Charles Dye]

I tend to do this kind of stuff through the Win-R dialog. TCC.EXE is registered in AppPaths, so typing tcc is enough to launch it.

That little dialog is actually a lot savvier that you might guess. It can expand environment variables; you can run %userprofile% or %temp% to open the desired directory. It even recognizes shell folders, e.g. shell:printersfolder to see your printers.

 

[vefatica]

I tend to do this kind of stuff through the Win-R dialog. TCC.EXE is registered in AppPaths, so typing tcc is enough to launch it.

That little dialog is actually a lot savvier that you might guess. It can expand environment variables; you can run %userprofile% or %temp% to open the desired directory. It even recognizes shell folders, e.g. shell:printersfolder to see your printers.

Yes, the Run dialog is very easy. But it doesn't give you any sort of "here" mechanism (does it?).

 

[Charles Dye]

Yes, the Run dialog is very easy. But it doesn't give you any sort of "here" mechanism (does it?).

No. The current directory defaults to the user's profile directory.

 

[David Marcus]

Or even easier with START .

That doesn't work from TCC or Take Command.

 

[vefatica]

That doesn't work from TCC or Take Command.

Does here. Do you have an old TCC?

 

[Joe Caverly]

That doesn't work from TCC or Take Command.

Works for me.

Joe

     _x64: 1
   _admin: 1
_elevated: 1

TCC  28.02.18 x64   Windows 10 [Version 10.0.19044.2130]
BuildNumber  Caption                   CSDVersion  OSArchitecture  Version
19044        Microsoft Windows 10 Pro              64-bit          10.0.19044

 

[David Marcus]

I had . aliased. If I unalias ., then it works.

 

[w_krieger]

Spiritpyre's shell extensions can open a lot of useful things, like Toggle fileextentions, toggle hidden, open command prompt, etc. It's a bit long in the tooth, but works well in Windows 7 (6.10 32-bit). You can add things to the menu too.