Windows command line utility, known as CMD or Command Prompt, is one of the most powerful tools that Microsoft offers to the Windows users. However, it is also one of the creepiest and not-so user friendly command line utilities you can find. You can’t even resize the command prompt window or change the fonts as per your requirements. If you have ever used a Linux or Unix command line utility (Terminal), you will know how useful it is to have a customizable command line utility.
Luckily, there are plenty of third party Windows command prompt alternatives and Console 2 is one of the best.
Console 2 – A Command Prompt Replacement
Console 2 is a free and highly recommended command prompt alternative for Windows with a whole lot of features and eye-candy. To start using it, just download Console 2 from its official website. There is installation required. Simply extract the zip file to your C drive and you are good to go.
Once installed, launch Console 2 by double-clicking on “console.exe”. Once launched, you will see that the Console looks much better than the regular old Windows command prompt. It also comes with useful features like tabs, layout changes, support for Windows clear type, keyboard shortcuts and many other features to increase your productivity. You can easily create multiple tabs with a single click on the tab button so that you can switch between different command prompts as per your requirement.
Other than tabs, you can also integrate your Windows Powershell with Console 2 so that you don’t have to open another window for your Powershell needs. To integrate Powershell with Console 2, go to “Edit -> Settings” in the menu bar and select “Tabs” in the left pane.
Here click on the “Add” button, rename it to Powershell and enter the following directory path into the shell blank. If you have a different version of Powershell, change the directory path accordingly.
Once you have made the changes, click on the OK button to save the changes.
With this change, you can start using Powershell by selecting Powershell from the “New Tab” dropdown menu. Along with Powershell, you can also integrate other shells like Cygwin, Git Bash, Visual Studio CDM, etc.., so that you will have a consistent user interface.
Another handy feature is the keyboard shortcuts. They are found under the “Hotkeys” section in Console 2 settings, and you can easily change them to your liking.
When it comes to the user interface, Console 2 is way better than the regular command prompt, not to mention that you can also tweak the appearance according to your needs. To tweak the appearance settings, navigate to “Edit -> Settings” and then select the “Appearance” tab on the left pane.
Here you will see a host of tweaks where you can change the type of font, Windows smoothing, window position, docking, custom window titles, etc.
If you want to set transparency to your command screen, you can do so by navigating to the “More” section under “Appearance.”
Conclusion
Console 2 delivers the same functionality as the regular Windows command prompt but does the task in a more appealing way. It adds several missing features in the Windows command prompt. If you are a regular Command Prompt user, do give Console 2 a try and see what you think.
What do you think of Console 2? Is it a better replacement for Windows command prompt? Do share you thoughts and experiences using the comment form below.
Vamsi is a tech and WordPress geek who enjoys writing how-to guides and messing with his computer and software in general. When not writing for MTE, he writes for he shares tips, tricks, and lifehacks on his own blog Stugon.
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