Windows: Find the path to an executable program

If you are a user of Windows, you may have come across situations where you need to find the path to an executable program. For example, you may want to run a program from the command prompt or create a shortcut to launch it. But how do you know where the program is located on your system?

There are several methods to find the path to an executable program in Windows, depending on your preferences and needs. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most common and useful ways to do this.

Method 1: Use Task Manager

One of the easiest ways to find the path to an executable program is to use Task Manager. This is especially useful if the program is already running on your system. To use this method, follow these steps:

– Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard and select Task Manager from the menu that appears.

– In the Task Manager window, click on the Processes tab and locate the program whose path you want to find. You can use the search box or sort the list by name, CPU, memory, disk, or network usage.

– Right click on the program and select Open file location from the context menu. This will open a File Explorer window with the folder containing the executable highlighted.

– In the File Explorer window, you can see the full path to the executable in the address bar. You can also copy it by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Address as Text.

Method 2: Use the search function

Another way to find the path to an executable program is to use the search function in Windows. This is useful if you know the name of the program, but not its location. To use this method, follow these steps:

– Click the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard and type the name of the program whose path you want to find. You can also use Cortana or Windows Search if you have them enabled.

– In the search results, right-click the program and select Open file location from the context menu. This will open a File Explorer window with the folder containing the executable highlighted.

– In the File Explorer window, you can see the full path to the executable in the address bar. You can also copy it by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Address as Text.

Method 3: Use PowerShell or Command Prompt

A third way to find the path to an executable program is to use PowerShell or the command prompt. This is suitable for advanced users who are comfortable using command line tools. To use this method, follow these steps:

– Open PowerShell or Command Prompt by typing powershell or cmd in the search function and selecting Run as administrator from the context menu.

– In the PowerShell or Command Prompt window, type where followed by a space and then the name of the program whose path you want to find. For example, where notepad.

– Press Enter and you will see one or more lines of output showing the full paths to all instances of that program on your system. You can copy them by selecting them with the mouse and pressing Ctrl+C.

Conclusion

Finding the path to an executable program in Windows can be done in several ways, depending on your preferences and needs. In this blog post, we cover three of them: using Task Manager, using the search function, and using PowerShell or the Command Prompt. We hope this post has been useful and informative for you. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below.

`

One of the tricks hackers use to infect computers with malware is to disguise their malicious programs as legitimate system files. This way, they can avoid detection by antivirus software and users. However, you can detect these impostors using a simple command-line tool that comes with Windows: Where.exe.

In this blog post, I will show you how to use Where.exe to find out the location of any program file on your computer. This can help you identify and remove any malware that pretends to be a system file.

The first step is to open the command prompt. You can do this by typing cmd in the taskbar search box and clicking “Command Prompt.” Alternatively, you can press Windows + R and type cmd in the Run dialog box.

Once you have the command prompt open, you can use the where command to locate any program file. For example, if you want to check the file location of the Windows Notepad program, you can type where Notepad and press Enter. You will see a list of all the files called notepad on your computer, along with their full paths.

You may notice that there is more than one file called notepad on your computer. This is because Windows has different versions of Notepad for different architectures (32-bit or 64-bit) and compatibility modes. However, you can easily tell which one is the actual Notepad by looking at the folder name. The actual Notepad should be located in C:\Windows\System32 or C:\Windows\SysWOW64, depending on the system type.

If you see a file called Notepad in any other folder, especially a temporary or user folder, it could be a sign of malware. You should delete it immediately and scan your computer with an antivirus program.

To open a specific file from the list, you can use Explorer to navigate to the folder and double-click the file. Alternatively, you can copy and paste the full file path into the command prompt and press Enter.

If you prefer to use Powershell instead of the command prompt, you can use the same command, but with a slight modification. You need to add .exe after where, like this: wherenotepad.exe. This will give you the same results as the command prompt.

Using Where.exe is a simple and effective way to find out the location of any program file on your computer. It can help you detect and remove any malware that masquerades as a system file. I hope you found this blog post useful and informative.