In Windows 11, the “shell” commands refer to the system shortcuts designed for navigating common folders without typing the full path. For example, you would use the “Shell:Startup” shortcut to open the “Startup” folder in C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. The “Shell:AppData” shortcut to open the “AppData” folder in C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming, and so on to open the “Windows,” “Documents,” “Pictures,” and many of the available folders.
Shell commands can be helpful in many scenarios. However, they’re handy for network administrators and tech-savvy users to access the many different folders from the “Run” command dialog or File Explorer to complete a specific task, including troubleshooting and fixing problems on Windows 11.
You can type the shell command, or copy and paste, into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter to navigate to the shortcut’s folder path.

List of Shell Commands

Windows 11

This is a list of some of the available shell commands that you should find in Windows 11.