When working with Windows Command Prompt, developers often need to spawn new console windows while maintaining the original session. The naive approach of simply typing cmd creates a child process within the same window, which isn't always desirable for parallel operations.

The proper Windows command to launch programs in new windows is start:

start cmd /c "your_command_here"

This creates a completely separate console window that will:

• Run independently of the parent process
• Close automatically after command completion (due to /c flag)
• Maintain proper environment variable inheritance

For development scenarios, consider these practical implementations:

# Launch Python script in new window
start cmd /c "python myscript.py"

# Run multiple commands sequentially
start cmd /k "cd C:\projects & git pull & npm install"

# Persistent window for debugging
start cmd /k "echo Debug session started & node --inspect app.js"

You can control window behavior with these parameters:

# Minimized window
start /min cmd /c "long_running_task.exe"

# Maximized window
start /max cmd /k "build.bat"

# Specific window title
start "Build Console" cmd /c "msbuild solution.sln"

Developers often encounter these issues:

• Forgetting quotes around commands with spaces
• Mixing /c (close after) and /k (keep open) incorrectly
• Not properly escaping ampersands in command chains

This approach works consistently across:

• Windows 7 through Windows 11
• Both 32-bit and 64-bit environments
• Classic Command Prompt and Windows Terminal

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When working with the Windows Command Prompt, you might need to spawn a new cmd.exe window from an existing one. Simply typing cmd or cmd /c won't achieve this—it either reuses the current window or closes immediately after execution. Here's how to properly launch a detached console window.

start Command /h2>

The built-in start command is your best option. It creates a new window by default and can execute commands within it.

start cmd /k "echo Hello from new window & pause"

Key parameters:

• /k keeps the new window open after execution
• Multiple commands can be chained with &

Here are some practical scenarios with different requirements:

Run a Python Script in New Window

start cmd /k "python myscript.py"

Execute and Immediately Close

start cmd /c "dir C:\ > output.txt"

Change Directory First

start cmd /k "cd /d D:\projects & git status"

For more control, consider these approaches:

Using PowerShell

powershell -command "Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/k','echo PS-launched window'"

Via Batch File

Create launch_new.cmd:

@echo off
start "New Console" cmd /k %*

• Quoting becomes tricky with nested commands—use escape characters carefully
• Window titles may need explicit setting via start "title"
• Environment variables might not inherit as expected

You can control window properties through registry settings or with additional tools like mode con for size adjustment.