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Windows Terminal

ApplicationMicrosoft Corporation

Dem still dey call am wt, windows terminal, wt.exe

Microsoft CorporationSystem

Console host wey get tabs. Di process na WindowsTerminal.exe. E no be PowerShell itself and e no be conhost.exe.

Wetin you need know

Windows Terminal na di host wey get tabs. E no be powershell.exe.

Microsoft Windows Terminal na di tab UI. Get am from aka.ms/terminal. Di shell inside tab na cmd, powershell.exe, pwsh, or WSL. conhost.exe na di older console host.

Wetin e be?
Console host wey get tabs
E be PowerShell?
No. PowerShell na shell inside tab
Same as conhost?
No. conhost na di older console host
Feex tok say
If Windows Terminal na di row, na di frame I dey look. I dey read di tab profile wen I want di shell, and I no dey call dis process powershell.exe.

Wetin be Windows Terminal?

WindowsTerminal.exe dey draw tabs, panes, and settings. OpenConsole.exe dey host di buffer. powershell.exe na Windows PowerShell 5.1 inside tab if you pick dat profile. Na separate processes dem be.

If you never use am before

If you want tabs for cmd, PowerShell, and WSL, Windows Terminal na di Microsoft host. Install am from aka.ms/terminal or di Store. Di window na WindowsTerminal.exe. Di commands wey you type dey run inside powershell.exe, pwsh.exe, cmd.exe, or wsl.exe. E no be PowerShell itself, and e no be di old conhost.exe window.

Wetin dem dey use am for?

cmd, PowerShell, and WSL wey get tabs

Profiles dey pick di shell. Closing Terminal dey close di frame. Scheduled powershell.exe fit still run without dis window.

JSON settings and schemes

settings.json na Terminal. E no be your PowerShell profile script.

Quake mode and startup profiles

Dem be Terminal features. conhost.exe no dey do tabs like dis.

Na who e dey for?

  • People wey want tabs instead of many conhost windows
  • Anybody wey search "Terminal" and think say na PowerShell 7
  • Users wey still suppose install pwsh separately if dem want PowerShell 7

Current status

Windows Terminal (2019) na current console host from Microsoft Corporation. Di vendor still dey direct Windows users go https://aka.ms/terminal.

How old e be?

Windows Terminal launch for 2019. conhost.exe na di older console host. Windows PowerShell 5.1 (powershell.exe) roll out years earlier. Dis article na about di tabbed frame, no be di shell language.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers no dey all verified here.

Stable
Preview

System requirements

Values dey follow wetin di publisher release publicly. Workload still dey change di real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system Windows 10 1903+ for current Terminal, according to Microsoft. Everyday installs na Windows 10 2004+ or Windows 11
RAM E reach for Windows plus dis app. Heavy projects go want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand
UI plus anything wey di tabs dey run
RAM demand
Moderate for di frame, plus each shell
GPU demand
Terminal rendering fit use di GPU

Installed processes

Dese executables belong to dis product when e dey installed.

Installed processes
WindowsTerminal.exe Tabbed terminal UI
OpenConsole.exe Console buffer host
powershell.exe Shell wey fit run inside tab, no be dis UI

Startup components

You fit pin Terminal or add Startup shortcut. Dat one dey start dis UI, no be pwsh by imself except di profile talk so.

File locations

Common Windows Terminal locations
Typical install C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_*\

File formats

settings.jsonJSON fragments

Common wahala dem

Pipuru dey end pwsh to close Terminal and e go leave ghost window

Close dis UI process or di window. To kill one shell tab no dey always exit WindowsTerminal.exe.

GPU use wey dem blame on top shell only

Di frame dey render here. Di buffer host na OpenConsole. Check both of dem before you reset di GPU driver.

How to get unstuck

wt.exe or di Start item, den check Settings > Startup

Terminal window at logon na dis exe. PowerShell 7 task without window na pwsh, no be dis UI.

Reset Windows Terminal from Apps if di UI no gree open

Dat one dey repair Microsoft.WindowsTerminal. To replace conhost.exe no dey restore dis frame.

Install PowerShell 7 from Microsoft Learn if dem tell you make you use pwsh

Terminal fit host am. E no dey install pwsh by itself. powershell.exe na still 5.1.

Alternatives

conhost for classic console. Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7 na shells, no be hosts. Windows Terminal Preview na di next train.

Official help and downloads

Start with di vendor. Random exe sites no be support channel.

Official contacts
Download aka.ms/terminal Official installer or vendor page
Help learn.microsoft.com/windows/terminal/ Vendor support
Official site aka.ms/terminal Start here, no be random exe host

Related hardware

Terminal rendering fit use GPU. Di heavy work na whatever di tabs dey run.

Technical details

Technical details

Vendor version numbers dey change. Dis article no pin down any build.

Sources and verification

Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification. How we dey do research.

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