🖥️ Windows Terminal (Modern Command Line Interface)

Category: Microsoft Official Tools

Author: jmarket (PCHF Founder)

Verified by: PCHF Staff • October 2025

Overview

Windows Terminal is Microsoft’s modern command-line application designed for developers, system administrators, and power users.
It unifies access to PowerShell, Command Prompt, Azure Cloud Shell, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) under a sleek, tabbed interface with full GPU-accelerated text rendering.

Terminal supports multiple profiles, Unicode and UTF-8 character sets, ligatures, and extensive customization via a JSON-based configuration file.
It is completely open-source, actively maintained by Microsoft, and available both through the Microsoft Store and GitHub releases.

Key Features

• Tabbed Interface: Open multiple shells in one window for efficient multitasking.


• GPU Text Rendering: Leverages DirectWrite and DirectX for smooth, high-performance text output.


• Profiles: Create independent configurations for PowerShell, CMD, and WSL environments.


• Custom Themes & Fonts: Fully supports color schemes, transparency, and Cascadia Code or custom fonts.


• JSON Configuration: Fine-tune behavior and appearance directly via the settings.json file.


• Unicode & Emoji Support: Render complex characters and symbols with precision.


• Open Source: Source code hosted and maintained publicly on GitHub.

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) or Windows 11


• Architecture: x64 or ARM64


• Administrator privileges for installation (if deployed system-wide)


• DirectX 11-capable GPU recommended for best performance

Installation

1. From Microsoft Store:
   
   Search for Windows Terminal and click Install.


2. From GitHub:
   
   Visit the official repository:
   https://github.com/microsoft/terminal
   
   Download the latest .msixbundle from the Releases section and install manually.


3. After installation, launch Terminal from the Start Menu or press Win + X → Windows Terminal.

Basic Usage

• Open new tabs using the + button or Ctrl + Shift + T.


• Switch between tabs with Ctrl + Tab.


• Access settings via Ctrl + , or by editing settings.json directly.

Configuration Example

The Terminal configuration is stored in JSON format and allows complete customization of the interface, color scheme, and behavior:

	
Code:
	
{
"profiles": {
"defaults": {
"fontFace": "Cascadia Code",
"fontSize": 10,
"useAcrylic": true,
"acrylicOpacity": 0.8
}
}
}

Command-Line Installation (Winget)

Install or update Windows Terminal quickly using the Windows Package Manager:

	
Code:
	
winget install --id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal -e
winget upgrade --id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal -e

Notes

• Windows Terminal is completely open-source and maintained on GitHub by Microsoft.


• Supports both dark and light themes, as well as full color customization.


• Integrates seamlessly with PowerShell, CMD, and WSL.


• Available through the Microsoft Store, GitHub, and Winget for flexibility.

Policy

PCHF links only to official Microsoft sources.
Third-party builds or modified versions of Windows Terminal are not permitted for download or redistribution.
Users should obtain the latest release directly from Microsoft’s official channels.

Download

Official Microsoft Terminal GitHub Releases Page

Technical Information

• Publisher: Microsoft Corporation


• Version: 1.21 or latest


• Release Date: October 2025


• License: Open Source (MIT License)

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• DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool)


• Windows 11 Media Creation Tool (Official Microsoft Utility)

All content © 2025 PC Help Forum. Windows Terminal is developed and maintained by Microsoft Corporation and distributed through the Microsoft Store and GitHub.
All binaries are digitally signed by Microsoft. Redistribution or modification of executables is prohibited.