A Chat Box for Your Computer
Every computer has a hidden chat box called the terminal.
You type a command (a short instruction), press Enter, and the computer answers. That’s it. Text in, text out.
The terminal is a chat with your computer. You type, it answers.
It looks scary: a dark window and a blinking cursor. But nothing in it can hurt you as long as you only type what you understand. And in this course, you’ll only type a handful of commands. Claude runs the rest.
Opening It
On Windows 11:
- Press the Windows key.
- Type Terminal.
- Press Enter.
A window opens with a line that starts with PS, followed by a folder name and a >.
- PS stands for PowerShell (the language the Windows terminal speaks).
- The folder name tells you where you’re standing right now. More on that in a couple of notes.
Try your first command. Type this and press Enter:
The computer just answered you with the date. Congratulations, you’ve used the terminal.
winget: The Better Way to Install Programs
Here’s the old way to install a program:
- Search the web for it.
- Find the real download page (not an ad pretending to be one).
- Download the installer, run it, click Next, Next, Next, Finish.
- Repeat for every single program.
Windows 11 comes with a better way built in: winget (short for “Windows package manager”). You type one line, and it finds the program, downloads it from the official source, and installs it.
| The old way | winget | |
|---|---|---|
| Finding it | Search and hope | It knows where the official version lives |
| Fake download buttons | A real risk | Not a problem |
| Installing | Click through a wizard | One typed line |
| Updating later | Visit every site again | winget upgrade --all |
winget is an app store you type into. One line per program, straight from the official source.
The first time you use it, winget may ask you to agree to its terms. Type Y and press Enter.
Keys That Work a Little Differently
The terminal has a few habits of its own. These are the ones you’ll actually use:
| Key or command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+V | Pastes text |
| Ctrl+C | Stops whatever is running (if no text is selected) |
| Up arrow | Brings back your last command, so you don’t retype it |
| Tab | Finishes a folder or file name for you |
explorer . | Opens the folder you’re standing in, in normal File Explorer |
cls | Clears the screen |
The one that surprises people is Ctrl+C. Everywhere else it means copy. Here it usually means stop.
Tip:
explorer .is your bridge between the two worlds. Whenever you’re lost, it shows you the same folder in the normal Windows view.
Try it
Open the terminal and run three commands:
Get-Dateto see the terminal answer you.winget --versionto check winget is there. It should print a version number.explorer .to open the folder you’re standing in.
See what you should see
Your version number will probably be different, and that’s fine. Any number means winget is ready. The explorer . line prints nothing, but a File Explorer window pops open.