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I want know if it possible to install and boot windows 10 home in cli/tui like you would do in something like arch linux i know that windows before xp had dos mode because of 9x kernel but windows xp and forward is based on nt kernel i checked this question on superuser this But seems that its only possible to boot to cmd.exe instead of explorer.exe Even windows server have to install from gui and to login to windows 10 or any windows that its not server edition you will login from a gui and install windows from gui so is there something like dos mode or bare bones arch linux in windows 10 home?

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  • actually the whole Windows NT line including Windows 2000 don't have real DOS mode, and they've been there long before Windows XP
    – phuclv
    Commented Jun 8, 2022 at 9:26
  • What you are looking for is not available in Windows 10 Home edition.
    – fpmurphy
    Commented Jun 8, 2022 at 10:24
  • @JW0914 does that work in non-safe mode?
    – music2myear
    Commented Jun 9, 2022 at 5:57
  • @music2myear Yes, but I've never looked into how to do so, as the Windows Shell isn't required to be run and users can replace the Windows Shell as the UI. AFAIK, all Safe Mode with Command Prompt does is boot Windows but does not start the Windows Shell (the Microsoft Docs man page is here, but Wikipedia provides a better explanation)
    – JW0914
    Commented Jun 9, 2022 at 12:08
  • What the author wants, and describes as a feature of Windows if you could can even call it that, wasn’t a “CLI” mode it was literally MSDOS. That isn’t possible with the NT kernel. Something else I feel demeaning, is when someone else tell me, what I might be confused or have a misunderstanding about. I am not confused but I also don’t care if you think I am mistaken about this subject. QED
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 9, 2022 at 12:21

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Commentors have said this, but I'm making this an answer, and the answer is no, Windows desktop OSes cannot boot to command-line only mode in any way.

There are not work arounds. There are not tricks. You cannot boot Windows 10 Home or any of the other current Windows desktop OSes (11, professional, etc) into a cli mode.

The Windows server lines support such a mode, but these are quite different from the desktop OS and you cannot modify the desktop versions to behave like the server either.

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  • This answer is factually inaccurate - simplest method to demonstrate, Safe Mode with Command Prompt. More complex: Windows uses the default Windows Shell (Wikipedia) as the UI users interact with and a different shell can be used. In Safe Mode with Command Prompt, Windows loads, but not the Windows Shell, which is why only a terminal is shown, however if explorer.exe is executed within the terminal, the Windows Shell loads as normal.
    – JW0914
    Commented Jun 9, 2022 at 4:21
  • Feel free to demonstrate this by writing an answer showing how to make a Windows desktop OS load the CLI in normal mode, as the question asks.
    – music2myear
    Commented Jun 9, 2022 at 4:28
  • Whether I choose to write an answer or not has nothing to do with this answer's glaring factual inaccuracies. I've provided a simple way to demonstrate the inaccuracy - boot to Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Detailed explanations can be found by reading Microsoft Docs (previously linked to) on the Windows Shell to understand how and when it loads, as well as how to replace it.
    – JW0914
    Commented Jun 9, 2022 at 4:39

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