Command Prompt Disabled – 4 Ways to Fix

To change the settings of the Windows operating system, many users use the command line (application – CMD) to use this tool to perform the necessary tasks on the computer. The command line is a built-in system tool available to all PC users.

In some cases, when trying to use the Windows Command Prompt, users see a message stating that the command prompt has been disabled by the administrator. This means that the user will not be able to access the command line due to a limitation on the computer.

The computer administrator has disabled this feature for this user, even though the user may have both administrative and normal rights. This situation arises for various reasons.

Access to the command line can be blocked in the following cases:

• This feature has been disabled by the system administrator on a computer on the corporate network.
• CMD.exe is blocked by parental control.
• The console cannot be accessed due to malware.
• As a result of the work of third-party programs to optimize and configure Windows.

Another user has disabled access to the command line for one reason or another. Viruses often disable many system functions so that malicious software cannot be detected or neutralized. Incorrect application of parameters in system optimizer programs leads to the disabling of some system tools.

As a result, a message appears on the PC screen after launching the command prompt with normal or administrator rights: “The command prompt has been disabled by your administrator.”

You are prompted to press any key on the keyboard to exit the command line interpreter window.

What to do if the command line prompt is disabled? There are several ways you can fix this situation so that you can access the command prompt again: using the built-in Windows tools or using third-party software. The instructions in this article can be used on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 operating systems.

Gaining access to the command line using the registry editor

Let’s try to solve the problem with opening the console by making changes to the Windows system registry. The Registry Editor will help us with this – a tool with which you can edit and change system settings.

To unlock the command line, do the following:

1. Open the registry editor on your computer. If this application is also blocked, you need to access it using several methods, which you can read about in the link below.
2. In the “Registry Editor” window, follow the path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

3. In the “System” section there is a “DisableCMD” parameter that needs to be changed.
4. Right click on the “DisableCMD” option.
5. In the context menu, select the “Edit …” item.
6. In the “Change DWORD (32-bit) Value” window, in the “Value:” field, enter – “0”.
7. Click on the “OK” button.
8. Close Registry Editor.
9. To be sure, restart your computer for the applied changes to take effect immediately.

Command Prompt Disabled: How to Fix in Group Policy Editor

You can access the Windows Command Prompt using another system tool, the Local Group Policy Editor. This tool is available to users of older versions of Windows – Enterprise. Professional, Educational and Ultimate.

This feature is not supported on home systems, but there is a way for the user to change this situation.

Go through the following steps:

1. Launch the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows.
2. Skip to section:

User Configuration → Administrative Templates → System

3. Locate the “Prohibit use of the command line” policy setting.
4. Right-click on it, select “Edit” from the menu that opens.
5. In the “Prohibit the use of the command line” window, set the option to “Not configured” or “Disabled”.
6. Click on the “OK” button, restart your PC.

Command Prompt Unlock in Windows PowerShell

In some cases, we cannot create and use a registry .reg file or batch BAT file to make the necessary changes to the system registry because such files are blocked from running on this computer along with using the command line.

But, we have access to Windows PowerShell (powershell.exe) – another application that solves CMD-like tasks on a computer. There is a possibility that, depending on the situation on a given device, PowerShell will not be blocked on the PC, like the Windows command line.

Do the following:

1. Run Windows PowerShell on the computer as an administrator.
2. In the “Administrator: Windows PowerShell” window, type the command, and then press the “Enter” key:

REG add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System /v DisableCMD /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

3. Close the PowerShell window, reboot the system.

How to enable disabled command line in FixWin

FixWin is a free application for solving problems and fixing errors in the Windows operating system. The program does not require installation on a computer because it is a portable application launched from a folder.

This program has several separate versions to be used on certain operating systems:

• Windows 10;
• Windows 8.1 and Windows 8;
• Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

Go through the steps:

1. Go to the official application page at https://www.thewindowsclub.com/fixwin-for-windows-10 . Download links appropriate for your operating system are located at the bottom of this web page.
2. Unpack the downloaded ZIP archive on your computer.
3. Launch the application from the folder.
4. In the FixWin window, open the System Tools tab.
5. Find a tool called “”Command Prompt has been disabled by your administrator” and can’t run any cmd or batch file”.
6. Click on the “Fix” button.
7. Close the program, restart Windows.

Article Conclusions

The command line is used in the Windows operating system to change settings or solve various problems with the computer. In some situations, the user may encounter problems when running this system tool.

An entry appears in the command prompt window stating that the command prompt has been disabled by your administrator. To solve this problem, the user can use the built-in Windows system tools or third-party programs.