How to Replace PowerShell with Command Prompt in the Windows 10 Win+X Menu (Historical)

Historical Windows 10 article: This guide documents a Windows 10 taskbar setting that was available when the article was published. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and Windows 11 uses Windows Terminal in the Win+X menu instead. Do not apply these steps to Windows 11.

Some Windows 10 releases replaced the Command Prompt entries in the Windows + X power-user menu with Windows PowerShell. Windows 10 provided a taskbar option that could switch those menu entries back to Command Prompt.

Change the Windows 10 Win+X menu

1. Open Settings.

2. Go to Personalization > Taskbar.

3. Find the setting labeled similar to:

   Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the Start button or press Windows key + X

4. Turn that setting Off.

5. Press Windows + X again to check the menu.

On the Windows 10 versions that exposed this option, the PowerShell entries were replaced by Command Prompt and Command Prompt (Admin).

If the setting is not present

Windows interface details vary by release. If the toggle is missing, do not use unrelated registry hacks just to recreate it. You can still open Command Prompt directly:

1. Open Start/Search.
2. Type cmd or Command Prompt.
3. Select Run as administrator when elevation is required.

Windows 11 is different

Current Windows 11 uses Windows Terminal as the default command-line host in the Win+X menu. Windows Terminal can host Command Prompt, PowerShell, and other shells in tabs, so replacing PowerShell with Command Prompt in Win+X is no longer the relevant workflow.

Historical verification

Microsoft-hosted community guidance from the Windows 10 period documented the same Settings > Personalization > Taskbar toggle. This article is intentionally preserved as historical Windows 10 guidance rather than being relabeled as Windows 11 instructions.