Windows: Opening Command Prompt on Troublesome System

Later versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 do not expose the New Task → Run command via the Task Manager, so this makes it awkward to deal with systems that are misbehaving and where only limited tools are available.

However, this can be worked around as follows:

1. Press Ctrl-Shift-Escape to open Task Manager.

   Or, if running in a Remote Desktop session, maximise the session to full screen and then press Ctrl-Shift-End. Then you can select Task Manager.

2. Navigate to the Users tab.

3. Right-click on a user and choose Manage User Accounts.

   This opens the User Accounts applet in Control Panel.

4. In the top bar next to the address, click ↑ until you navigate back to the desktop.

5. Under This PC, navigate to C: → Windows → System32 → Cmd.exe.

6. Double-click to open a command prompt, or right-click and choose Run As Administrator for an elevated prompt.