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I want know if it possible to install and boot windows 10 home in cli/tui like you would do in something like arch linux i know that windows before xp had dos mode because of 9x kernel but windows xp and forward is based on nt kernel i checked this question on superuser this But seems that its only possible to boot to cmd.exe instead of explorer.exe Even windows server have to install from gui and to login to windows 10 or any windows that its not server edition you will login from a gui and install windows from gui so is there something like dos mode or bare bones arch linux in windows 10 home?

  • actually the whole Windows NT line including Windows 2000 don't have real DOS mode, and they've been there long before Windows XP – phuclv Jun 08 '22 at 09:26
  • What you are looking for is not available in Windows 10 Home edition. – fpmurphy Jun 08 '22 at 10:24
  • @JW0914 does that work in non-safe mode? – music2myear Jun 09 '22 at 05:57
  • @music2myear Yes, but I've never looked into how to do so, as the Windows Shell isn't required to be run and users can replace the Windows Shell as the UI. AFAIK, all Safe Mode with Command Prompt does is boot Windows but does not start the Windows Shell (the Microsoft Docs man page is here, but Wikipedia provides a better explanation) – JW0914 Jun 09 '22 at 12:08
  • What the author wants, and describes as a feature of Windows if you could can even call it that, wasn’t a “CLI” mode it was literally MSDOS. That isn’t possible with the NT kernel. Something else I feel demeaning, is when someone else tell me, what I might be confused or have a misunderstanding about. I am not confused but I also don’t care if you think I am mistaken about this subject. QED – Ramhound Jun 09 '22 at 12:21
  • @Ramhound It would be beneficial to read the two previous links I've provided on the Windows Shell as you have a fundamental misunderstanding. Again, the UI of Windows is the Windows Shell and it isn't required to be run to use Windows - Windows can be booted to just a terminal (Safe Mode with Command Prompt demonstrates this very thing), with the Windows Shell not loaded, and the Windows Shell can be replaced. Please do due dilligence (I consider this conversation concluded). – JW0914 Jun 09 '22 at 12:29
  • @Ramhound "You're correlating two completely different things - the Windows Shell and File Explorer (File Explorer is a component of the Windows Shell Experience Host Interface to browse the shell namespace). explorer.exe serves two separate functions, the first instance starts the Windows Shell and all subsequent invocations open File Explorer (this can be easiest seen by killing the explorer.exe background process tree, opening Task Manager via Ctrl+Alt+Del, then running explorer.exe as a new task: the Windows Shell starts, but File Explorer does not launch)" – JW0914 Jun 09 '22 at 12:38
  • @Mohab13 While I don't have the time to write an answer, and won't for some time, to do what you want you need to configure Windows to not start the Windows Shell [explorer.exe] at log in (explorer.exe serves two separate functions, the first instance starts the Windows Shell and all subsequent invocations open File Explorer), instead, it needs to only start the PowerShell executable (either the default version included with Windows [powershell.exe] or pwsh.exe) after log in (best to start PowerShell since cmd can be loaded via cmd) – JW0914 Jun 18 '22 at 13:39
  • @Mohab13 "is there a way to login without gui, or to be more specific winlogin.exe?" As in have Windows present a cli login GUI like BSD/other command line OSes? That I don't know, but my hunch is no from the machine itself (OpenSSH could be configured, but that's pointless for the machine itself). Because you're looking for a very specific use case, your best resource is going to be digging through Microsoft Docs, starting with the Windows Shell man page. I know it's possible after login, but unsure about before login. – JW0914 Jun 19 '22 at 12:39
  • @Mohab13 (Cont'd...) The Windows Shell man page may not even show how to not load it, but it's likely there will be links somewhere on one of its Microsoft Docs pages that will lead to how to do so (this is why I won't have time to write an answer for some time, as this will require time spent researching how to do so since it's not a normal use case for Windows even though Windows does support it). – JW0914 Jun 19 '22 at 12:41
  • @Mohab13 When I have time to do the research required to write an in-depth answer, I will, but it probably won't be until August-ish. While this is a very specific use case, it is the second time I've come across someone looking to not use the Windows Shell and for mere factual accuracy, would like to explain how to do so. – JW0914 Jun 19 '22 at 13:13

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Commentors have said this, but I'm making this an answer, and the answer is no, Windows desktop OSes cannot boot to command-line only mode in any way.

There are not work arounds. There are not tricks. You cannot boot Windows 10 Home or any of the other current Windows desktop OSes (11, professional, etc) into a cli mode.

The Windows server lines support such a mode, but these are quite different from the desktop OS and you cannot modify the desktop versions to behave like the server either.

music2myear
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  • This answer is factually inaccurate - simplest method to demonstrate, Safe Mode with Command Prompt. More complex: Windows uses the default Windows Shell (Wikipedia) as the UI users interact with and a different shell can be used. In Safe Mode with Command Prompt, Windows loads, but not the Windows Shell, which is why only a terminal is shown, however if explorer.exe is executed within the terminal, the Windows Shell loads as normal. – JW0914 Jun 09 '22 at 04:21
  • Feel free to demonstrate this by writing an answer showing how to make a Windows desktop OS load the CLI in normal mode, as the question asks. – music2myear Jun 09 '22 at 04:28
  • Whether I choose to write an answer or not has nothing to do with this answer's glaring factual inaccuracies. I've provided a simple way to demonstrate the inaccuracy - boot to Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Detailed explanations can be found by reading Microsoft Docs (previously linked to) on the Windows Shell to understand how and when it loads, as well as how to replace it. – JW0914 Jun 09 '22 at 04:39