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How to Add Open Windows Terminal Here Option to Right-click Menu

Alongside PowerShell, you can also add Windows Terminal to right-click menu. Follow these steps to add ‘Open Windows Terminal Here’ option.

Windows Terminal is what the users have been asking for years. A new terminal application that is fully customizable all the while being powerful and flexible. Thanks to the new tabbed interface, you can open multiple consoles of different types at the same time and work with them as needed. In fact, I’ve been using it as my main console ever since it was released.

When working with directories, it is very useful to open the terminal in that specific directory. This eliminates the need to manually open the terminal and then navigate to that folder using multiple cd commands. Unfortunately, as of writing this, Windows Terminal has no such option. You are stuck with the old “Open PowerShell window here” option. Thankfully, you can add your own “Open Windows Terminal Here” option to the right-click menu in just a few steps.

Without ado, follow the below steps to add an open Windows Terminal here option to the right-click context menu in Windows 10.

Add Open Windows Terminal Here Option to Right-click Menu

1. First, we need to set the default directory in Windows Terminal. To do that, open Windows Terminal, click on the drop-down button on the title bar and select “Settings“. In the JSON file, add the below line to your default profile.

"startingDirectory": "."

If you are curious, we are adding this line because without it, when you open Windows Terminal from the right-click menu, it will open in your home directory rather than in the current directory.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-add-line-to-settings-file

2. Now, right-click on the desktop and select “New → Text Document” to create a new text file. Name the text file as “wt.reg“. This action converts the text file into the reg file.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-create-reg-file

3. Next, right-click on the newly created file and select “Edit“.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-select-edit

4. The above action will open the file in the default text editor. Here, copy and paste the below code in it. Don’t forget to replace “<Username>” with your actual Windows username. Save the file by pressing Ctrl + S or selecting “File → Save“.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\wt]
 @="Open Windows Terminal here"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\wt\command]
 @="C:\\Users\\<UserName>\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\wt.exe"
Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-add-reg-code-to-file

5. Now, close the file and double-click on it. You will be prompted whether you want to merge the reg file. Click on the “Yes” button and then the “Ok” button.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-click-yes
Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-click-ok

That is it. From now on, whenever you Shift + Right-click in a directory or folder, you will see the new “Open Windows Terminal here” option in the right-click menu.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-added-to-right-click

Selecting the option will open Windows Terminal in that directory.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-terminal

(Optional) Add Icon to the Option

If you are willing to go the extra mile, you can add a little icon right before the option in the right-click menu. This is just eye candy and you can ignore it if you are not interested.

1. Download this official Windows Terminal icon.

2. After downloading, open the Run dialog box by pressing Win + R shortcut. In the blank field, copy and paste the below path and press Enter.

%USERPROFILE%/AppData/Local/
Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-run-dialog-box

3. In this folder, right-click and select “New → Folder” to create a new folder. Name the folder as “WTerminal“.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-create-folder

4. Now, copy the icon to the newly created folder.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-copy-icon-to-folder

5. Next, open the “Registry Editor” by searching for it in the start menu. In the Registry Editor, go to the following folder.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\wt

6. Right-click on the right-panel and select the “New → String Value” option. Name the value as “Icon“.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-create-new-value

7. Double-click on the “Icon” value. In the value data field, copy and paste the below path and click on the “Ok” button.

%USERPROFILE%/AppData/Local/WTerminal/terminal.ico
Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-set-icon-path

That is it. Close the registry editor. From now on, you should also see the terminal icon right next to the “Open Windows Terminal here” option.

Open-windows-terminal-here-windows-icon-added-to-right-click

I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.

22 thoughts on “How to Add Open Windows Terminal Here Option to Right-click Menu”

  1. Avatar for Daniyal

    I do these steps. but after clicking open terminal here I get this error:
    “Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.”
    !

    1. Avatar for Juan

      Hi,

      in your “wt.reg” you should change the command. mine works with this.

      [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\wt\command]
      @=”%USERPROFILE%/AppData/Local/Microsoft/WindowsApps/wt.exe”

  2. Avatar for ErraticFox

    You should change the registry line to this, as Windows will fill in %USER% with the accounts username.
    @=”C:\\Users\\%USER%\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\wt.exe”

  3. Avatar for Kathy

    Thanks for sharing this. I wonder is it possible to open a particular shell profile this way? For example, if I wanted to open my Ubuntu shell from the context menu? Or does this only work for the default profile?

    1. Avatar for Kathy

      I figured it out!

      The registry key setup is mostly the same except for the command needs the –profile parameter after. This parameter must match up to a profile in the WIndows Terminal settings.json

      @=”C:\\Users\\<>\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\wt.exe -d . –profile=\”Ubuntu Ubuntu-18.04\””

      I also discovered that you can add a key here:
      HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell

      in order to right click on a directory and have the same “Open Ubuntu terminal here” context menu!

      Here is an export of my registry keys:
      https://gist.github.com/helgatheviking/d43e78eb4de08891b1fdc12b88345aba

      1. Avatar for Kathy

        Typo alert:
        @=”C:\\Users\\\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\wt.exe -d . –profile=\”Ubuntu Ubuntu-18.04\””

        should be

        @=”C:\\Users\\\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\wt.exe -d . –profile=\”Ubuntu-18.04\””

  4. Avatar for Lucas

    Hi!
    Thanks for the post!
    But mine is working even without pressing “shift” before click. How can i change this?

    1. Avatar for SirGouki

      You have to add a REG_SZ (regular string) to the wt key with the name Expanded with an empty value. I did this (after looking in cmd and powershell’s registry keys to see why they were different) by using regedit, manually going to where the keys go, and right clicking in the whitespace under the (Default) string, and clicking on New > String Value.
      It should then look kinda like this:
      Name | Type | Data
      (Default) | REG_SZ | Open Windows Terminal Here
      Extended | REG_SZ |

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