Open Visual Studio Developer Shell Here for File Explorer

If you're a developer working with Visual Studio, you might find yourself frequently needing to access developer shells and command prompts directly from your file explorer. That's where the Open Visual Studio Developer Shell Here for File Explorer program comes in handy. Created by Hereafter2, this Windows utility falls into the system tuning and file management category and offers a free trial version for users to test out.

Getting started with this tool is pretty straightforward. First, you'll need to navigate to your Visual Studio installation folder. Once there, expand the VS directory and launch the VS command prompt. From there, simply type the command "open visual studio developer shell here for file explorer" and voilà a file explorer window pops up showing your Visual Studio console. If you're missing Visual C++, don't worry you can install it right in the same folder without any hassle.

Before you can use these developer tools, you'll need to have Visual Studio properly installed on your system. For the Developer Command Prompt, it's as simple as typing the path to your target folder. If you're looking to use the more powerful Developer PowerShell, you'll need either VS 2017 or Visual Studio 2019 installed. Many developers prefer PowerShell over the standard command prompt because it lets you chain commands together passing one command's output directly to another, which can really streamline your workflow.

One thing to keep in mind: if you want to use Developer PowerShell, you'll need a Microsoft account and either Visual CS2017 or Visual CS2019 installed. While this might seem like a bit of setup, most developers find the enhanced functionality well worth the initial configuration time.

What makes Open Visual Studio Developer Shell Here for File Explorer particularly useful is how it integrates directly with your file explorer, saving you from navigating through multiple menus or remembering complex paths. It's one of those quality of life tools that doesn't get much attention but can significantly improve your daily development routine, especially if you frequently switch between coding and command line tasks.