Earlier today, we reported that Microsoft released Windows Terminal v1.12.1098 for Windows 10, bringing with it a Windows 11 look. But aside from that, it is a powerful tool that pretty much replaces the separate Windows PowerShell and Command Prompt inbox apps, so much so that Microsoft will be making it the default inbox app in Windows 11 with the release of version 22H2. It already replaces Windows PowerShell in the Quick Links (WinX) menu (the right-click menu on the Start menu button) there, and today we will show you how to do this in Windows 10 too.
First of all, I want to give a shout out to Ten Forums, which helped me create this guide. Before we start, ensure you have Windows Terminal installed. You can grab it here on the Microsoft Store. You will also need hashlnk_0.2.0.0.zip file by Rafael Rivera on GitHub, this utility computes and applies a hash for "WinX" shortcuts.
Once you have it installed, lets make a shortcut to open Windows Terminal as an Administrator.
- Right click on the desktop select New > Shortcut
- In the location field paste:
%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe- Click Next and then give your shortcut a name like Terminal (Admin)
- Click Finish
- Right click the newly created Shortcut and select Properties
- Click Advanced and select the checkbox Run as administrator
- Click OK
Next, right click on the Start menu button and select Run, paste in the text field: %LocalAppdata%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group3 and Click OK
Here you can select both Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell shortcuts and decide if you want to remove them from the menu or keep them. If you decide to remove them from the menu, I highly suggest that you do not delete the files, and instead, just move the shortcuts up one folder to the WinX directory. You can also move them to any other backup folder you choose. This lets you restore them at a later date if you choose to.
Drag the shortcut you made on the desktop for Terminal (Admin) into the Group3 folder, here you can also make a shortcut to start Terminal without Administrator privileges:
- Right click on the desktop select New > Shortcut
- In the location field paste:
%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe- Click Next and then give your shortcut a name like Terminal
- Click Finish
Now that you have decided which shortcuts should display in the Quick Links menu when right clicking on the Start button, you can restart File Explorer to see the changes.
- Right click anywhere on the Taskbar and select Task Manager;
- Look for Windows Explorer (it should be among the Apps processes);
- Right click on Windows Explorer and select Restart.
| Before (default) | After |
|---|---|
As you can see, I opted to remove both Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell from my Quick Links (WinX) menu. I also adjusted the Windows Terminal app settings to open PowerShell by default and then, by default, a new tab opens Command Prompt. This lets me quickly open a Command Prompt just by clicking on a new tab within Terminal if I need it.
Custom-made shortcuts appear to populate at the top, I am not sure how I can move them down a bit, so if you know how, leave a comment below.