In Windows' Run command line, how to open "My computer"?

if I do run (Winkey + R) and type "C:\", explorer shows up in "C:\".

I'd like to know how to do the same for the My Computer folder in Windows Vista / 7.

devoured elysium

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 1 050

I've found this when I was searching run prompt history. Try ' file: ' without quotes. :) – Gangadhar Jannu – 2016-06-16T06:24:08.897

Answers

You could just press WIN+E and skip the run prompt all together.

ubiquibacon

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 7 287

1This don't answer the question. The question ask "from cmd line". – Meds – 2016-04-19T15:34:53.987

Nope, it gives an alternative solution that the OP may not have known about, and since it is the accepted answer and the answer with the must up votes I would conclude the OP and at least 41 others found it helpful. – ubiquibacon – 2016-04-21T17:57:09.647

2I'd agree with this one – hyperperforator – 2011-01-04T10:45:28.237

I was just about to say this... then I realized you beat me to it by 3 years! – Austin ''Danger'' Powers – 2014-02-10T08:49:12.300

The easiest way is to type shell:mycomputerfolder or Win+E

Here is a list of other locations.

paradroid

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 20 970

Note that running command shell:mycomputerfolder will not start mycomputerfolder if it's already open. On the other hand pressing win+e will open mycomputerfolder as many times as you press it. – IGRACH – 2016-09-19T10:41:20.780

Works for me on Windows 10 1809. I saw that, in a command prompt, start shell:mycomputerfolder raises an existing File Explorer window showing "This PC" as @IGRACH suggested. But both explorer shell:mycomputerfolder and start explorer shell:mycomputerfolder open a new window even if "This PC" is already open. – john v kumpf – 2019-08-01T17:42:58.337

Try :

explorer.exe /e,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

harrymc

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 306 093

oh so wonderfull thanks!! and all the comments good as well!! – Mike Socha III – 2015-11-03T19:57:04.167

This is the best way to do it. Because it allows you to create a desktop shortcut to "My Computer" on Windows 10. – sebastian nielsen – 2015-11-29T02:29:57.090

1It'd be useful to know how you worked that one out – barlop – 2011-01-04T10:29:11.033

2@barlop: Google is my friend. – harrymc – 2011-01-04T10:53:44.500

1@harrymc if you found it via google then the exact link would've been useful in your answer. But i'll have a look – barlop – 2011-01-04T11:32:26.847

@harrymc you may have hit on something that is generically useful.. in launching anything obscure. And all one needs is the GUID.. just have to find the GUID somehow. Only thing is it's a bit inefficient, as it is. – barlop – 2011-01-04T11:33:37.893

9@barlop: There are hundreds of class-names describing places, as Explorer is the main user interface for Windows. The one above comes from HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} (look at the sub-keys). For the grand-daddy of them all, use Explorer to create a folder called ControlPanel.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, then look inside. – harrymc – 2011-01-04T11:45:53.120

there anyway to disable something like this? like, you know something someone might do to ruin a computer and prevent competent people from retrieving data before a wipe? – Jasen – 2011-01-04T13:38:08.717

@Jasen: I don't believe this can be disabled, except maybe by destroying the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT entries in the registry, which might in turn cause an unknown number of problems. Or to disable Explorer except for the desktop (which I don't know how to). – harrymc – 2011-01-04T14:10:20.990

@harrymc that could be done by rewriting explorer, and replacing it on a reboot. but itd take an awful lot of space, and incredible user stupidity to get through. hmmm. im very glad i read this. and yeah destroying that part of the registry would basically make the system a brick. – Jasen – 2011-01-04T14:13:42.130

@Jasen: I didn't mean all of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, just the entries for these user-interfaces. But that would disable them for everybody. – harrymc – 2011-01-04T14:20:14.893

@harrymc Ah yeah, it would. that's the best and worst thing about windows registry. it does exactly what you tell it to. – Jasen – 2011-01-04T19:26:02.097

@harrymc I just tried, using explorer, in windows xp, to create a folder ControlPanel.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} And it won't open. It says windows cannot open this file. – barlop – 2011-07-10T18:44:51.210

You can just use ::CLSID part. That is ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} – Anubis – 2012-11-08T04:10:59.150

The closest I can think of is typing the below into the run dialog;

...

But I believe that only brings up your home folder.

hyperperforator

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 550

Actually, I believe Windows special-cases any sequence of N>2 . to mean "N minus 1 levels up". So .. means "one level up", ... means "two levels up", .... means "three levels up", and so on, from the current working directory. Don't know if this is actually documented somewhere, though, so might not be something you want to rely on. – a CVn – 2015-09-01T09:40:28.770

1Yes, this only brings up the user's home folder. – SgtOJ – 2011-01-04T10:29:26.780

3It brings up "my computer" for me! Where did you hear of that one? try adding more dots if it doesn't work. e.g. start run (dot) <ENTER> gets to %userprofile%, then .. would go up one level, and ... up 2 levels which should be c:\ but if for some reason it wasn't (why?!) then you could add more dots (adding to what I just wrote) it brings up "my computer" in XP. I can't comment on windows vista – barlop – 2011-01-04T10:32:28.317

2. always means the current directory, and .. its parent. Three or more dots has no special meaning; however, since Windows API normally strips off the trailing dots from a filename (foo.bar. automatically becomes foo.bar), some programs treat ... the same way as .., and others strip off all dots resulting in empty path. – user1686 – 2011-01-04T13:38:55.037

@grawity +1 seems about right- I see "cd ..." in cmd is just nothing But start run ... Does start "my computer" in xp. Whereas start run .. does not. start run ........\ just goes to C:\ (which is understandable) and doesn't start "my computer". So I guess perhaps ... is just a start run thing. I'd not seen ... listed in the few start run shortcut lists i've seen. – barlop – 2011-01-04T14:18:30.310

1In XP it opens My Computer but in Win7 it opens my home folder. – glenneroo – 2011-01-20T06:43:32.510

Didn't knew that. Interesting. – Soham Dasgupta – 2013-10-29T10:33:30.097

The easiest way:

Write: explorer = and My Computer window will pop up
Write: explorer c: and the C drive window will open.

This is working fine on Windows 7.

nikhil thakur

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 161

explorer = seriously?? I love it haha – daVe – 2018-03-16T12:01:05.970

Works on my Windows 10 1809. Opens "This PC". Prepend with "start" also does the same thing: start explorer = – john v kumpf – 2019-08-01T17:37:53.257

This one

explorer /root,

Yes, the comma is important

pratnala

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 1 866

That one is just cool. – dgo – 2013-07-19T16:17:02.117

Fancy, but doesn't work on Windows Vista. – user2428118 – 2013-09-19T12:16:06.850

I wanted this too, but I've just gotten in the habit of opening the C: drive through the Run dialog then pressing backspace to go up a folder into My Computer.

It's not really the "right" answer but it gets me there in just one additional keystroke so I'm happy with it. Much better than memorizing any GUIDs, anyway.

Stephen Jennings

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 21 788

Try this:

runas /noprofile /user:domain\username explorer

It works for all other command line options as far as I know.

Ezra

Posted 2011-01-04T09:50:34.880

Reputation: 11

1... starts Explorer with "Libraries" open, not "My Computer" under Windows 7. – Jonas Heidelberg – 2011-08-31T19:52:27.390