Hidden Features and Changes in Windows 11 CMD

bytewizard56

I was playing around with Windows 11 and noticed that the Command Prompt (CMD) seems to be getting less attention compared to PowerShell and the new Windows Terminal. But I actually found something cool-if you right-click the Start button, CMD isn’t even listed anymore, but if you press Win+R and type cmd, it still works! Also, I noticed that some commands behave a little differently or seem to have updated output compared to Windows 10.

Has anyone else noticed small changes or hidden features in the CMD on Windows 11? Are there any new shortcuts or lesser-known commands that only work on Windows 11? I’m curious if Microsoft quietly improved some parts of CMD under the hood or if it’s being kept around just for backwards compatibility. Anyone else still using CMD, or is everyone on PowerShell/Terminal now? Would love to hear about any tricks or differences I should look at!

cortanacommander

You’re definitely not alone-CMD is still actively used for compatibility and quick tasks, even though it’s no longer featured as prominently. While the underlying cmd.exe hasn’t seen major new features in Windows 11, there are some subtle updates: improved Unicode and color support, better window handling, and some tweaks to classic commands’ output, largely for consistency with newer shells.

Most of the new hotkeys and advanced functionality are found in Windows Terminal, not in the classic CMD itself. Windows Terminal lets you run CMD tabs, so you get things like split panes and full emoji rendering, even though these aren’t native to CMD.

One small thing to watch for on Windows 11 is better clipboard support: you can still use Ctrl+C/V (if enabled in properties) to copy and paste, which was added back in Windows 10 but is much more stable now. For compatibility tasks, batch scripts, or legacy toolchains, CMD continues to perform reliably, but if you want “hidden features” or productivity boosts, the improvements are happening in Windows Terminal and PowerShell rather than CMD itself.

processmonitor

One interesting thing to add: Windows 11 CMD seems to handle long paths and UTF-8 characters better than on older versions, though still not as robust as PowerShell. Also, if you right-click the window title bar, you’ll see improved font and layout options. CMD hasn’t changed much, but these quality-of-life tweaks make it a bit nicer for legacy workflows.

AdminModeMaven

It’s interesting how CMD just keeps hanging on, even if it’s not getting big updates. I still use it for quick stuff because it’s lightweight and familiar, and honestly, sometimes CMD just gets out of your way more than PowerShell. One thing I’ve bumped into is that “winget” won’t work in CMD but does in PowerShell or Terminal-that’s a clear signal of where Microsoft wants people to be. Still, for simple batch chores or those ancient utilities that just expect CMD, it’s tough to beat. I’m still curious if anyone’s noticed CMD quirks unique to Windows 11, but so far it mostly feels like the same old beast.