Very often, users of computers and laptops who are running any of the well-known modifications of Windows face a very serious problem, namely, to change important settings and quick access to some system tools, you need to use the Run console with certain commands and abbreviations. But how to call this menu? Where is the "Run" hotkey, which can be used to access the console directly from the keyboard without using the graphical interface? Alas, no matter who says, there is only one key for this. At least two of them. Next, we will figure out how to use all kinds of combinations, but for a complete understanding of the actions you need to do a little digression into the theory. In the future, this will give the necessary result, since it will immediately become clear how and what commands can be used to perform a specific procedure or access the necessary system or user settings.
What is the Run console used for?
As already clear, the console itself is a tool for accelerated access to some functions of the operating system. In a sense, this is somewhat reminiscent of working with the command line, which will be discussed separately. Roughly speaking, the user writes out the desired command or its reduction, after which it is executed with the call to the requested function or tool, among which you can use system applets and user programs (if you know how to configure their launch in the console).
Some differences in executable commands
Not to mention the “Run” hot keys for now, let us briefly dwell on which commands can be executed by using this console. Here you need to make a clear difference between the tools used. Initially, the console is designed to run system applets, which are presented as executable files in the System32 directory. Sometimes, when using additional attributes or specifying absolute paths to files, you can run duplicate applets from the SysWOW64 directory, which have a 64-bit architecture, any other programs, or set the documents to be opened by their default application. But in most cases this is not required.
However, if we talk about executable files, they may not always have the EXE format, which is the most common (regedit.exe, taskmgr.exe, control.exe, etc.), but when using the console to call system tools, add this extension to the specified The user command is optional.
Quite often, system tools are launched from files with the extension MSC or CPL. For example, the “Device Manager” (devmgmt.msc), the services configuration section (services.msc), the policy editor (gpedit.msc), disk management (diskmgmt.msc), the network connection adjuster (ncpa.cpl), etc. work like this. d. Sometimes in the same way you can run some applets of other formats.
On the other hand, quite often you can find combinations that have no relation to file objects.
So, for example, for quick access to the settings for the requirement to enter a user password when entering the system or when leaving sleep mode, the combination control userpasswords2 is used. Likewise, you can simply call up some command-line tools and the PowerShell console.
PowerShell command line and console compatibility
In general, the Run menu is associated with these two components much stronger than it might seem at first glance. As mentioned above, many of their tools can be used directly in the Run menu and vice versa. But the most important thing is that it is with the help of the Run console that these tools are called up most quickly. For the command line, the abbreviation cmd is used, and for the PowerShell console, one name command is used (capital letters in the run menu are optional).
Differences between the Run menu in the seventh, eighth, and tenth versions of Windows
Finally, it is worth paying attention to one more important aspect.
The fact is that if you use the hot keys in Windows 7 to call the Run menu, the console that appears immediately contains the option to launch the command you enter or shorten as administrator, which is often a prerequisite for the correct launch of the system applet. But in the eighth and tenth modifications of the system, the developers for some reason decided to abandon it.
Run Shortcuts in Windows 10 and Below
Now we will directly pass to the used combinations. By and large, there is nothing to describe here, since to call the Run console using hot keys on Windows 7 & raquo; or in any other version of the system, a single combination is used - Win + R.
This is the fastest way. But sometimes you can use other methods that also do not involve manipulators, but are performed directly from the keyboard panel. Especially often they can come in handy if the user needs to set the execution of the command in the eighth and tenth versions of the system exclusively on behalf of the administrator, or when the desired item is missing in the seventh modification console.
Run commands as administrator: what hotkeys perform these actions?
So, what can be done to start an executable applet or command with administrator or superuser privileges if you want (not to be confused with a regular computer administrator account).
To do this, use the "Task Manager", which can be launched through the usual three-finger combination Ctrl + Alt + Del or using the combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc. However, it is much simpler to use the Run console itself (hot keys in Windows 10 or in any other version of the OS - Win + R), in which you must enter the abbreviation taskmgr. In the console that appears, use the Alt key to select the file menu, then press Enter, select the start point for the new task, press Enter again (the start of the new task is the first in the list), then the desired command is entered, the Tab key goes to the administrator start point, and a space item is activated. After that, without going to the “OK” button, you can confirm the operation by pressing the enter key.
Calling the Run console through the Start menu from the keyboard
There is another technique in which hotkeys can also be used. Run the described console, consists in its usual launch through the Start menu, since this applet is present in the Windows Utilities subsection. In this case, of course, the actions performed with the mouse look much simpler than similar operations on the keyboard, but are not as complicated as the actions in the Explorer.
So, we need to run the Run console. The hot key for invoking the main menu of the Start button is Win.
In the menu that opens, with a click of the arrow, we move to the utility program section, by opening it, and pressing Enter again, we launch the desired console, since it is the first in the list and is highlighted automatically when the section is expanded. Again, in this way the console starts without the point of administrator privileges for the executable command. For the option to start a new task, which was described above, you just need to select the next launch item of the "Task Manager" and repeat the steps specified for it.
Using hotkeys to call the console from Explorer
With "Explorer" the situation is somewhat more complicated, because starting the console from an executable file in Windows is not provided at all. You can find it only in the section responsible for the contents of the main menu. To call the file manager built into Windows for the subsequent launch of the “Run” command, use the Win + E hot keys, to move through disks and folders, use the Tab key and arrows, to activate the selected item or open folders, Enter.
The shortcut for the required applet must be searched in the user directory using the transition to the AppData and Roaming directories, as shown in the image above. This solution looks somewhat cumbersome. But then hot keys are not used to call the Run console. Why might you need such a technique? Yes, at least in order to start the execution of some command, if the same “R” key on the keyboard does not work.
Epilogue
As you can see, the hot keys for the Run command in Windows 7 and about all previous or subsequent modifications do not differ from each other. The main problem concerns only the presence or absence of a job execution point for a specific command at the administrator level. As for the methods of launching the console itself, some of them were given for informational purposes only, because they look irrational. It goes without saying that using a mouse or buttons on the touchpad of a laptop, many actions are performed easier (for example, launching the PCM menu of the Start button, where the Run menu, by the way, is also available). But direct calling the console directly with Win + R keys is the most reasonable solution. As for the execution of commands with administrator privileges, in the eighth and tenth versions of Windows you can’t do without the “Task Manager” (unless the necessary applet is presented as a file that can be launched in the “Explorer” using the corresponding item in the PCM menu on the highlighted object).