Common Windows Terminal Issues on Windows 11 and How to Fix Them

Windows Terminal (WT) is a powerful tool introduced by Microsoft to unify several consoles like Command Prompt, PowerShell, Azure Cloud Shell, and WSL. However, like any software, users encounter various issues. This guide thoroughly details the most common problems on Windows 11 and provides step-by-step solutions.

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Issue 1: Windows Terminal Won’t Open or Crashes Immediately

Symptoms:

• Terminal crashes immediately upon launch.
• The app never opens.

Solutions:

Solution A: Reset or Repair via Settings

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Navigate to Apps → Installed apps.
3. Scroll down or type Windows Terminal in the search box.
4. Click the three-dot (...) button next to Windows Terminal, then click Advanced options.
5. Scroll down and click Repair. If issue persists, click Reset.

Solution B: Reinstall Windows Terminal via Microsoft Store

1. Open Microsoft Store.
2. Search for Windows Terminal.
3. Click Uninstall if installed.
4. Restart your PC.
5. Open the Microsoft Store again and reinstall Windows Terminal.

Solution C: Re-register Terminal using PowerShell

1. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).

2. Paste the following command and press Enter:
   powershell
   Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsTerminal | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

3. Once completed, restart your PC and attempt to reopen Terminal.

Solution D: Update Windows

• Outdated Windows versions can cause incompatibility issues.
• Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
• Download and install any critical updates.

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Issue 2: Windows Terminal Opens, but a Blank Screen or Doesn’t Show Command Line

Symptoms:

• Empty, completely blank window.
• Cursor blinking without command interface.

Solutions:

Solution A: Check Terminal Profile Settings

1. Launch Windows Terminal.
2. Open settings (Ctrl + ,).
3. Under Startup verify your profile is set properly (e.g., PowerShell or Command Prompt rather than some custom script).
4. Under "Profiles," confirm that your default profile points to a valid executable path such as:

   • CMD: cmd.exe
   • PowerShell: powershell.exe
   • WSL: wsl.exe

Solution B: Delete or Rename Settings File to Refresh Configuration

• Terminal configurations are stored in settings.json:

  1. Open File Explorer, navigate to:

     %LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState

  2. Rename settings.json to settings_old.json.
  3. Relaunch Windows Terminal; a new default settings.json will automatically appear.

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Issue 3: "The System Cannot Find the Path Specified" or Profile Launch Issues

Symptoms:

• Error "The system cannot find the path specified" appears.
• Profiles fail to load properly.

Solutions:

Solution A: Verify the Path Configuration

• Ensure each profile has valid paths in its "commandline" property of Terminal’s settings file.
• Press Ctrl + , to open settings and verify these paths:
  json
  "commandline": "powershell.exe"

or for Command Prompt:
json
"commandline": "cmd.exe"

• Validate any custom paths manually via file explorer or CMD.

Solution B: Check Environment Variables

• Press Win + R and type sysdm.cpl, click OK.
• Navigate to the Advanced tab → Environment Variables.
• Under System Variables, select Path → Edit.
• Verify standard system directories included (if missing, add them):

C:\Windows\System32
C:\Windows
C:\Windows\System32\Wbem
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\

• Click OK and restart Terminal.

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Issue 4: Terminal Font or Appearance Issues

Symptoms:

• Fonts rendered incorrectly.
• UI and appearance irregular.

Solutions:

Solution A: Verify Font Installation and Specified Properties

• Open Terminal settings (Ctrl+,).

• Under your selected profile’s "Appearance" settings, confirm font:
  json
  "fontFace": "Cascadia Mono",
  "fontSize": 12

• Ensure "Cascadia Mono" or your chosen font is installed properly. Download Cascadia Mono from official repository if missing:
  https://github.com/microsoft/cascadia-code/releases

Solution B: Disable Acrylic or Experimental Settings

• Within Terminal settings navigate to Appearance.
• Toggle Disable acrylic if graphic glitches occur.
• Set "experimental.rendering.engine" to "stable" if you’re using custom or preview settings:
  json
  "experimental.rendering.engine": "stable"

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Issue 5: Windows Terminal does not detect or load Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Symptoms:

• Error: "WSL not found" or WSL terminals missing.

Solutions:

Solution A: Ensure WSL Installation and Update

1. Open PowerShell with Administrator privileges.

2. Install or update WSL:
   powershell
   wsl –install

3. After WSL installed, reboot your system and relaunch Terminal.

Solution B: Configure WSL as Default Profile Manually

• In Windows Terminal settings, add WSL profile if not automatically detected:
  json
  {
  "name": "Ubuntu",
  "commandline": "wsl.exe",
  "icon": "%WINDIR%\System32\wsl.exe",
  "hidden": false
  }

• Restart Terminal.

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Issue 6: Shortcut Keys or Key Bindings Do Not Work Properly

Symptoms:

• Common shortcuts like Ctrl+Shift+C/V fail to copy/paste.
• Custom shortcuts not functioning as expected.

Solutions:

Solution A: Reset or Examine Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Open Terminal settings (Ctrl+,).
2. Navigate to Actions and verify or add missing shortcuts manually.

Solution B: Check Conflicting Applications

• Certain software (AutoHotkey, clipboard managers) may override shortcut keys.
• Exit any suspicious software temporarily to test Terminal’s shortcuts.

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General Recommendations to Prevent Issues:

• Regular Updates: Keep Windows, WT, and related components (WSL, PowerShell) updated.
• Regular Backups: Keep a backup of Terminal’s configuration (settings.json).
• Clean Up Profiles Regularly: Remove unused or problematic Terminal profiles.

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Conclusion:

Most Windows Terminal issues stem from problematic settings configurations, profile and path issues, and outdated or corrupted installations. Following these solutions thoroughly should resolve typical Windows Terminal issues on Windows 11.

If persistent issues occur and none of these steps help, consider reporting your issue to the official GitHub issues repository of Windows Terminal:
https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/issues

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This guide covers comprehensive troubleshooting, giving you a robust reference to fix common problems effectively and efficiently.