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CMD is Not Working in Windows 11: How to Safely Fix it

Use the System Restore or tweak the Environmental Variable to fix the problem

5 min. read

Updated onMarch 29, 2024

updated onMarch 29, 2024

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Key notes

Using a command prompt or CMD, developers test their codes, and a regular user runs various commands,such as SFC Scan,Disk Management, etc. However, many users have reported that on their Windows 11 PC, the CMD is not working.

CMD fails to work for different reasons, which we will discuss in this guide. Also, we will share with you many practical solutions to help you resolve the CMD not working in Windows 11 problem. So let us check it out.

What are the different ways to access the command prompt?

Here are the different ways you can use to open the command prompt:

How can I fix CMD not working in Windows 11 problem?

1. Disable Antivirus or Firewall

Often having aggressive Firewall settings can lead to the blockage of important functions on your PC. We have shown the methods for the Windows Defender Firewall, but you can dothe same with your antivirus software.

2. Use a specialized tool

Since CMD is not working in Windows 11, you can use the dedicatedrepair and optimization tool. This kind of tool will help you scan your PC and repair the missing or corrupt system files. You can also use it to fix damaged DLLs, fix BSOD errors, remove spyware or malware, fix system crashes, and more.

3. Edit the environment variable

The environmental variable is a dynamic named value that affects how the processes work on your PC. Often you can tweak it and fix the problem associated with CMD.

4. Scan your PC for virus

Chances are that your PC is infected with a virus or malware that might have disabled the CMD, so you cannot run high commands and fix the issue.

You can follow the above steps, scan your PC for viruses, and remove it to fix the CMD not working in the Windows 11 problem.

5. Run SFC Scan using PowerShell

While you can use a specialized tool to fix corrupt or missing system files, you can also run the in-built SFC Scan commandusing Windows PowerShell.

This command helps fix the various issues related to system files automatically. It replaces the corrupt or missing system file with the new one without much input. Try running the command and see if this fixes the CMD not working in Windows 11.

6. Run CMD in safe mode

This could be helpful in ways when you want to run the command prompt urgently, and CMD is not working on your Windows 11 PC. Booting in safe mode will stop all the unnecessary background apps from running and give you a clean environment to work on.

Also, if the command prompt is working without any issues in safe mode, then there are some malware or virus-related issues with your PC.

We have a guide to help you understand the different ways toaccess Safe Mode on your Windows 11 PC.

7. Use system restore

If nothing works, then we would suggest you perform a system restore. This will help you go back to a time in your PC when everything was working fine.

However, note that the system restore will only work when you create a system restore point. For that, we have a dedicated guide to help you makea restore point on your Windows 11 PC.

That is it from us in this guide. Next, check out our guide to help resolve theCMD not running as an administrator in7 easy steps.

In the comments below, let us know which of the above solutions helped you fix the CMD not working in the Windows 11 issue.

CMD is Not Working in Windows 11: How to Safely Fix it#

What are the different ways to access the command prompt?#

How can I fix CMD not working in Windows 11 problem?#

1. Disable Antivirus or Firewall#

2. Use a specialized tool#

3. Edit the environment variable#

4. Scan your PC for virus#

5. Run SFC Scan using PowerShell#

6. Run CMD in safe mode#

7. Use system restore#