Windows 11’s Run dialog box gives you quick access to various system features and installed apps. Launching this dialog box is as easy as pressing a keyboard shortcut or selecting a menu item. I’ll show you the available options to launch this useful utility.
Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Open Run
The easiest and quickest way to launch Run on Windows 11 is by using a keyboard shortcut. This opens the dialog box in a second.
To do that, on your keyboard, press Windows+R.
Windows 11 will immediately open Run no matter where you are on your PC. You can then type in the name of the utility you want to launch.
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Another way to open Run is by using the Power User Menu. This method gives you access to Run from the Start Menu.
To use it, right-click the Start Menu icon on the Windows taskbar. Alternatively, press Windows+X. From the open menu, select “Run.”
Find and Launch Run With Windows Search
Windows Search lets you find any file, folder, app, and other item on your machine. You can use this feature to find and launch Run as well.
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To do that, bring up Windows Search by clicking the search box on the taskbar or pressing Windows+S. Then, type Run and select Run in the search results.
Open Run With Task Manager
Task Manager also lets you launch Run from its interface. This method should work when other methods fail. To use it, open Task Manager by right-clicking the Windows taskbar and choosing “Task Manager.” Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
On the Task Manager window, no matter what tab you are in, click “Run New Task” at the top.
You’ll see a Create New Task dialog box, which is the Run utility.
To open an item with admin rights from this dialog box, make sure to enable “Create This Task With Administrative Privileges” before clicking “OK” or pressing Enter.
Create a Desktop Shortcut That Opens Run
If you use Run often, create a desktop shortcut that gives you quick access to this dialog box. This lets you launch Run just like any other app from your desktop.
To make the shortcut, access the Windows desktop by pressing Windows+D. Right-click anywhere blank on the desktop and choose New > Shortcut. On the Create Shortcut window, click the “Type the Location of the Item” field and type the following. Then, choose “Next.”
explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
On the following screen, click the “Type a Name For This Shortcut” field and type any name you like. For example, you can type Run. Then, at the bottom, choose “Finish.”
Your desktop shortcut is now created. The next time you want to launch Run, simply double-click this shortcut.
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You’ll notice the shortcut’s default icon is that of a folder. To change it and make it the actual Run icon, right-click the shortcut and choose “Properties.” Open the “Shortcut” tab and select the “Change Icon” button. On the Change Icon window, click “Browse” and choose “shell32.dll.” Select the Run icon from the list and click “OK.” Choose “Apply” followed by “OK” on the Properties window.
Run a Command With Command Prompt to Launch Run
If you’re running commands and want to launch Run, use a command in Command Prompt to do that. If you haven’t already opened a CMD window, open Windows Search (press Windows+S), type Command Prompt, and select the utility in the search results.
On the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
Run will launch. You can then close the Command Prompt window.
Use a Cmdlet in PowerShell to Access Run
If you’re a PowerShell user, you can use a command (called a cmdlet) in this utility to launch Run. To do that, open Windows Search (press Windows+S), type PowerShell, and select the utility in the search results.
On the PowerShell window, type the following cmdlet and press Enter:
Start-Process explorer.exe "shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}"
PowerShell will launch Run. You can now close the PowerShell window if you want.
Pin Run to the Windows Taskbar
You can pin Run to the taskbar and launch the utility from there with a single click. To do that, access Windows Search (press Windows+S) and type Run. Right-click the utility in the search results and choose “Pin to Taskbar.”
You’ll see the Run icon on your taskbar. Click this icon to launch the utility. In the future, to remove the icon from the taskbar, right-click the icon and choose “Unpin From Taskbar.”
And that’s how you launch Run that helps you launch various other items using various ways on your Windows 11 PC. Learn some useful Run commands to get the most out of this built-in utility.
