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Once you've learned how to navigate directories on Windows 10, the next footstep is learning how to detect and open files using the Control Prompt. It'south just equally easy as navigating through and opening a file in File Explorer. Here's how information technology's done.

First, open up the Command Prompt on your PC by typing "cmd" in the Windows Search bar and then selecting "Command Prompt" from the search results.

Command prompt app in windows search

With the Command Prompt opened, you're ready to detect and open your file.

Find Files Using Command Prompt

Possibly yous already know the file path to the item yous desire to open–maybe not. If not, you don't need to search through File Explorer just to come back to the Control Prompt later. You tin use this command instead:

dir "\search term*" /s

Just supplant "search term" with, of course, the bodily search term. So, if nosotros wanted to locate our file called "Example File," nosotros'd use this command:

dir "\example file*" /s

Command Prompt will now search and find all instances of the search term you entered. It volition (1) prove you the file path, and (ii) give you the file name and extension.

Find a file in the folder with dir command

Now that we've found our file, allow's open up information technology.

RELATED: How to Use File Explorer Without a Mouse on Windows 10

Open Files Using Command Prompt

To open the file, yous need to navigate to the directory in the Command Prompt that contains the file you would like to open up. In this example, nosotros've created an "Instance" folder in our "Documents" folder, so we'll head there.

In Command Prompt, employ the Alter Directories command ( cd <folder> ) to navigate through your folders. Because we're currently at the top level of the computer'south file system, we'll demand to get to "Documents" first and so "Case." So, nosotros'll utilize this command:

cd Documents\Example

Note that you must navigate to the firsthand file construction. In this case, nosotros can't skip "Documents" and bound directly to "Example."

Use the cd command to navigate folders

Once you lot have inputted your control, press the Enter key. Yous'll now be in that folder.

Command Prompt showing the user which folder they are currently in

Information technology'south now time to open the file within that binder. Our file is named "Example File."

To open the file, enter the file name and extension in quotations. In this instance:

"example file.docx"

enter file name and extension in command prompt to open file

The file will now open.

To make things a bit quicker, you can actually navigate to the correct folder and open the file in a single command. Bold we are back at the top level, we would run this command:

"Documents\Case\example file.docx"

Enter file open command in one command

The only deviation is you don't add the cd control and the unabridged path is in quotations.

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