Clear CMD on Windows 11: Quick and Easy Guide

Ever found yourself staring at a cluttered Command Prompt screen and wished you could clear it up quickly? You’re not alone. Let’s dive into some straightforward methods to clear the CMD screen and make your command line experience smoother.

How to Clear the Windows Command Prompt Screen?​

1. Use the CLS Command​

• Open Command Prompt by pressing Windows + R, typing cmd, and hitting Enter.
  
• Once in the Command Prompt, type cls and press Enter.
  
• The screen will now clear.

This command clears everything on the Command Prompt screen, giving you a fresh start.

2. Reopen Command Prompt​

• Close Command Prompt: Click the X button at the top-right corner or type exit and press Enter.
• Reopen Command Prompt: Click on the Start button, type "cmd", and press Enter.

Reopening Command Prompt also clears the screen. This is helpful if you encounter issues with the cls command.

3. Clear Current Line​

• Press Esc Key: If you want to clear only the current line of text you are typing, press the Esc key.

Pressing Esc removes the text from the active line and places your cursor back at the start.

4. Delete Characters or Words​

• Delete Characters: Press the Backspace key to delete one character to the left of your cursor.
• Delete Words: Press Ctrl + Backspace to delete one word to the left of your cursor.

These shortcuts help you quickly edit commands without clearing the entire screen.

5. Stop Current Command​

• Press Ctrl + C: Pressing Ctrl + C stops the current command line and moves to a new prompt.

This shortcut is useful for halting processes or commands that you no longer want to run.

6. Use AutoHotkey Script for Keyboard Shortcut​

• Install AutoHotkey: Download and install AutoHotkey from https://www.autohotkey.com/.
• Create a New Script: Right-click on your desktop, select New > AutoHotkey Script.
• Edit the Script: Add the following lines to your script:; Ctrl + L to clear screen
  #IfWinActive ahk_class ConsoleWindowClass
  ^L::SendInput cls{Enter}
  
  
• Save and Run the Script: Save the script and double-click it to run.

This script allows you to clear the Command Prompt screen using the Ctrl + L shortcut.

7. Use PowerShell​

• Open Command Prompt: Click on the Start button, type "cmd", and press Enter.
• Switch to PowerShell: Type powershell and press Enter.
• Clear Screen: Press Ctrl + L.

Switching to PowerShell enables you to use the Ctrl + L shortcut to clear the screen. You can switch back to Command Prompt by typing exit.

8. Define a DOSKEY Macro​

• Open Command Prompt: Click on the Start button, type "cmd", and press Enter.
• Define Macro: Type doskey 1=cls and press Enter.
• Use Macro: Type 1 and press Enter to clear the screen.

This macro allows you to clear the screen by typing a single character.

By following these methods, you can easily clear the Command Prompt screen on your Windows PC. Each method provides a different way to achieve a clean workspace, catering to various preferences and situations.

This command clears everything on the Command Prompt screen, giving you a fresh start.

2. Reopen Command Prompt​

• Close Command Prompt: Click the X button at the top-right corner or type exit and press Enter.
• Reopen Command Prompt: Click on the Start button, type "cmd", and press Enter.

Reopening Command Prompt also clears the screen. This is helpful if you encounter issues with the cls command.

3. Clear Current Line​

• Press Esc Key: If you want to clear only the current line of text you are typing, press the Esc key.

Pressing Esc removes the text from the active line and places your cursor back at the start.

4. Delete Characters or Words​

• Delete Characters: Press the Backspace key to delete one character to the left of your cursor.
• Delete Words: Press Ctrl + Backspace to delete one word to the left of your cursor.

These shortcuts help you quickly edit commands without clearing the entire screen.

5. Stop Current Command​

• Press Ctrl + C: Pressing Ctrl + C stops the current command line and moves to a new prompt.

This shortcut is useful for halting processes or commands that you no longer want to run.

6. Use AutoHotkey Script for Keyboard Shortcut​

• Install AutoHotkey: Download and install AutoHotkey from https://www.autohotkey.com/.
• Create a New Script: Right-click on your desktop, select New > AutoHotkey Script.
• Edit the Script: Add the following lines to your script:; Ctrl + L to clear screen
  #IfWinActive ahk_class ConsoleWindowClass
  ^L::SendInput cls{Enter}
  
  
• Save and Run the Script: Save the script and double-click it to run.

This script allows you to clear the Command Prompt screen using the Ctrl + L shortcut.

7. Use PowerShell​

• Open Command Prompt: Click on the Start button, type "cmd", and press Enter.
• Switch to PowerShell: Type powershell and press Enter.
• Clear Screen: Press Ctrl + L.

Switching to PowerShell enables you to use the Ctrl + L shortcut to clear the screen. You can switch back to Command Prompt by typing exit.

8. Define a DOSKEY Macro​

• Open Command Prompt: Click on the Start button, type "cmd", and press Enter.
• Define Macro: Type doskey 1=cls and press Enter.
• Use Macro: Type 1 and press Enter to clear the screen.

This macro allows you to clear the screen by typing a single character.

By following these methods, you can easily clear the Command Prompt screen on your Windows PC. Each method provides a different way to achieve a clean workspace, catering to various preferences and situations.