Microsoft has improved and brought many new features and functionality to Windows Console, the console hosts that supports all character-mode applications, such as the Command Prompt and the Windows PowerShell prompt.

The new capabilities added to Windows Console include:

  • Resize the console window by grabbing an edge with the mouse and dragging it.
  • Support word wrapping.
  • Support semi-transparent with a minimum transparency of 30%.
  • Full-screen mode.
  • New options for selecting text and lines, marking text, editing text and using the buffer history.
  • Find dialog.
  • Additional keyboard shortcuts.

The new functionality for Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell is enabled by default when you install or upgrade to Windows 10. If you want to use just a legacy console for Command Prompt and/or PowerShell, or if your Command Prompt and/or PowerShell do not seem to have new features enabled, the following guide shows you how to access the setting to enable the new features in Command Prompt or PowerShell console, or disable the new features to use only legacy console.

  1. Open Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell console (e.g. via Power Users menu).
  2. Right click on the top title bar (or click on the logo on the left of the title bar) to open the contextual menu.
  3. Select Properties on the context menu.

    Windows Console Properties

  4. Go to Options tab.
  5. To enable new console features – Uncheck the Use legacy console option.

    To disable new console features – Check the Use legacy console option.

    Turn On New Features for Command Prompt & PowerShell Console

Note
You can also use the following registry keys (all keys are DWORD (32-bit) Values unless specified otherwise under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console) to enable or disable the new or legacy console features, with more controls on individual features, as specified in TechNet:

Registry keyDescription
ForceV21 enables all new console features; 0 disables all new features.
LineSelection1 enables line selection; 0 to use block mode only.
FilterOnPaste1 enables new paste behavior.
LineWrap1 wraps text when you resize console windows.
CtrlKeyShortcutsDisabled0 enables new key shortcuts; 1 disables them.
ExtendedEdit Keys1 enables the full set of keyboard selection keys; 0 disables them.
TrimLeadingZeros1 trims leading zeroes in selections made by double-clicking; 0 keeps the leading zeros.
WindowsAlphaSets opacity value between 30% and 100%. Use 0x4C to 0xFF or 76 to 255 to specify value
WordDelimitersDefines the character that is used to skip to when selecting text a whole word at a time with CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW (the default is the space character). Set this REG_SZ value to contain all characters you want to be treated as delimiters.

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