# [SOLVED] Windows 7 Command Prompt - cmd.exe - INOP



## jimmyb1651 (Feb 4, 2010)

The same thing just started happening to me. Your screen shot looks exactly what I get. In my situation, it takes a while for the command window to come up, and pretty much everything in explorer is frozen until it does, then it crashed and closes and once closed explorer (not iexplore) works fine again. I even tried opening VS2008 command prompt with the same results. I have not yet tried simply writing a console app to see what happens there.


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

*Re: Windows 7 Command Prompt - cmd.exe - INOP*

Hi - 

I moved your post to a new thread.

Referenced thread --> http://www.techsupportforum.com/f217/cmd-exe-does-not-work-ever-win7-454463.html

Are you x64? If so, see if cmd.exe in \windows\syswow64 works.

Also, try SAFEMODE.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.


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## jimmyb1651 (Feb 4, 2010)

*Re: Windows 7 Command Prompt - cmd.exe - INOP*

I rebooted into safemode. I received the same result: :sigh:









I did check out the 32bit cmd.exe as you suggested and that command prompt launches fine. :smile: Perhaps my executable has bee corrupted. I can try and copy it from my other laptop. :4-dontkno


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## jimmyb1651 (Feb 4, 2010)

*Re: Windows 7 Command Prompt - cmd.exe - INOP*

OK. So I copied the System32\cmd.exe file from another computer and that worked fine. In order to replace the corrupt cmd.exe to the copied version, I had to modify permissions to take ownership of cmd.exe. I was then able to replace it with the new one. I then set the permissions on the new one to give ownership back to TrustedInstaller. It was a pain but only took around 15 minutes to get it figured out. Everything works as expected again!


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## DT Roberts (Jun 22, 2009)

*Re: Windows 7 Command Prompt - cmd.exe - INOP*



jimmyb1651 said:


> OK. So I copied the System32\cmd.exe file from another computer and that worked fine. In order to replace the corrupt cmd.exe to the copied version, I had to modify permissions to take ownership of cmd.exe. I was then able to replace it with the new one. I then set the permissions on the new one to give ownership back to TrustedInstaller. It was a pain but only took around 15 minutes to get it figured out. Everything works as expected again!


Well done! Thanks for posting your method of fixing it; this looks like it's going to be happening more often.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

*Re: Windows 7 Command Prompt - cmd.exe - INOP*

Hi, actually running sfc/scannow (note:- No need for space) would usually repair this. The file is located in C:\windows\winsxs and could just as easily be copied from it's location:-

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-commandprompt_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_88d604c11d71789b

So no need to copy from another computer.


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