Keyboard Shortcuts for Command Prompt in Windows 10 and Windows 11

The Command Prompt in Windows 10 and Windows 11 offers a set of keyboard shortcuts designed to speed up workflows and make standard operations easier. Below are essential shortcuts that are useful for both beginners and advanced users.

Navigation Shortcuts

  • Up Arrow – scroll through previously entered commands.
  • Down Arrow – move forward to more recent commands.
  • Ctrl + Left Arrow – move the cursor to the beginning of the current word in the line.
  • Ctrl + Right Arrow – move the cursor to the start of the next word.
  • Home – move to the start of the line.
  • End – jump to the end of the line.

Editing Shortcuts

  • Ctrl + C – stop the current command.
  • Ctrl + V – paste copied text into the Command Prompt.
  • Ctrl + M – enter mark mode to select text.
  • Ctrl + A – select the entire line (even with existing text).
  • Ctrl + Backspace – delete the previous word.
  • Ctrl + Delete – delete from the cursor to the end of the word.

Window Management Shortcuts

  • Alt + Enter – toggle between windowed and full-screen mode.
  • Ctrl + Shift + Plus (+) – increase text size in the Command Prompt.
  • Ctrl + Minus (-) – decrease text size in the Command Prompt.

Command History Shortcuts

  • F7 – open a list of previously entered commands.
  • F8 – cycle through the command history that starts with the text you've entered.
  • F9 – execute a command by its history number (after entering the number).

Additional Useful Shortcuts

  • Tab – auto-complete file or folder names.
  • Esc – clear the current line.
  • Ctrl + L – clear the screen, similar to the cls command.

These keyboard shortcuts can help you work more efficiently with the Command Prompt in Windows 10 and Windows 11, speeding up routine tasks and simplifying window and command management.