Three Parts:Opening the Command PromptOpening a Program with the Command PromptMaking Program Files Visible to the Command PromptCommunity Q&A. In Windows, the command prompt lets you send instructions to the part of the operating system that underlies the graphical user interface. Running a program from the command prompt can be faster, because you don't have to find the program icon to run it. This article covers how to use the command prompt in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. 1. Click the Start menu, and then click Run.