What to Do If the Command Prompt Closes Immediately After Execution?

If you’re facing an issue where the Command Prompt closes right after executing a command, don’t worry; this is a common problem, especially on Windows. In this guide, we’ll explain why it happens and walk you through some effective solutions to keep the Command Prompt window open.

Why Does the Command Prompt Close Immediately After Running a Command?

The Command Prompt often closes automatically after running a command if it’s launched by double-clicking on a .bat or .cmd file. This behavior is designed to free up system resources once the command completes. However, this may be inconvenient if you need the window to stay open.

How to Fix the Problem?

1. Add a `pause` Command at the End of the Script

If you’re running a .bat or .cmd file and want the Command Prompt window to stay open, add a pause command at the end of your script. This will pause the command’s execution, keeping the window open until you press a key. Here’s how it should look:


echo Hello, World!
pause

When the script reaches the pause command, the Command Prompt will display "Press any key to continue..." and remain open until you take further action.

2. Run the Command via Command Prompt

Another way to prevent automatic closure is to run the file through the Command Prompt itself instead of double-clicking it. Here’s how:

Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
Use the cd command to navigate to the folder where your file is located (e.g., cd C:\path\to\folder).
Type the name of the file and press Enter.

This method will keep the Command Prompt open after the command completes.

3. Use Console Editors (PowerShell or Windows Terminal)