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NOTE: This is NOT a question about opening a cmd prompt window instance in the current explorer folder path.

I've scoured the internet trying to find an answer to this, but have come up empty. So far, I know I can open new explorer windows under the same explorer process via cmd simply by entering the "explorer" command. But if I type in a folder path, either after the explorer command, or on its own, or after the "start" command, the window takes longer to open, and launches in a new explorer process.

My question is: how do I open a new window at a specific folder path in explorer via cmd prompt under the same process as the currently running explorer.exe instance - basically, the same way I would via ctrl+N from an open explorer window, then entering the path in the address bar, or right-clicking a folder in explorer and selecting "open in new window".

I really hope someone can answer this. I'm sure it's relatively simple, and I've been racking my brain trying to figure it out. Thanks in advance!

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  • If I type in a folder path it opens in the same Explorer window, which seems different from your experience. Perhaps the difference is in View > Options > Open each folder in the same window. Commented Apr 6, 2022 at 19:02
  • @harrymc no, you missed the part where I said I wanted to use command prompt to launch a new window in explorer, under the same explorer process - not by launching a new explorer process. Not the same as typing a path into the address bar in an explorer window. Commented Apr 6, 2022 at 23:28
  • Why would you want that? Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 7:27
  • Easy enough from PowerShell using the shell.application com object. What has you wedded to cmd.exe? Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 9:53
  • @harrymc TMI to explain here. Suffice it to say it would help relieve some major pains in my workflow. Commented Apr 8, 2022 at 23:12

2 Answers 2

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Here is one command that you may enter in Explorer that will open the folder C:\Temp in the same instance of explorer.exe:

powershell.exe -command Invoke-Item C:\Temp

For related reading:

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  • I'm not at the PC right now to try this, but could I add the same command on several lines (each specifying a different path, and separated by a ping command), and save it as a batch file that I could run to open several new explorer windows under the same process? BTW, nice OG Tron avatar, user! :) Commented Apr 10, 2022 at 23:56
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    Yes, according to my tests this will work for multiple folders and from a batch file. Commented Apr 11, 2022 at 7:11
  • I can confirm that entering this command in an explorer window will open a new window in the same process at c:\temp (if the folder exists). However, for my purposes, I finally found a solution that accomplishes the task I was originally seeking a solution for. Commented Aug 6, 2024 at 6:04
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Over 2 years later, I finally figured out how to do what I was originally attempting to do via cmd prompt: restart windows explorer with a default set of open windows, opened in the same order each time, and all under the same explorer instance/process!

Here's the solution, which uses two files (so that there are no cmd windows left open once the process completes), and one shortcut.

Save the following as RestartExplorer.bat on your desktop:

taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe ping -n 2 localhost>nul start "" cmd /c "%userprofile%\Desktop\RunExplorerDefaultWindows.bat"

Then save this as RunExplorerDefaultWindows.bat on your desktop:

%windir%\explorer.exe ping -n 3 localhost>nul start "" "%userprofile%\Documents" && ping -n 2 localhost>nul && start "" "%userprofile%\Downloads" && ping -n 2 localhost>nul && start "" "%userprofile%\Music" && ping -n 2 localhost>nul && start "" "%userprofile%\Pictures" && ping -n 2 localhost>nul && start "" "%userprofile%\Videos" exit

Last, make a shortcut to the RestartExplorer.bat file, and in the properties for the shortcut (alt+Enter), click Advanced, and check the Run as administrator box.

To run the process, just double-click on the RestartExplorer.bat shorctut!

I realized that having all of the commands on the same line, each separated by && , would result in each new window being opened under the same instance of explorer, rather than a new explorer instance/process being launched for each window (which happens when using a new line for each start command).

With this, anytime you reach a critical mass of open windows (the point where it becomes hard to find/switch to the one you want), you have a way of quickly reopening a default set of them, and they'll be in the same order on the taskbar every time, thus making it faster and easier to find/switch to the window you want.

And to customize which folders will be opened each time, you can simply change any of the "%userprofile%\folder" paths in the RunExplorerDefaultWindows.bat file to be whichever folder(s) you want for your default set.

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  • There is likely a simpler way to do this, possibly using only one .bat file, or without needing a shortcut to elevate the privileges of the command prompt when running the process. If anyone can simplify this answer to using just a single .bat file, please do so. Commented Aug 6, 2024 at 9:46
  • Why do your batch file have a ping line in them? I don't see any point to that waste of CPU cycles. Commented Jan 14 at 14:29

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