How to Change the Default Directory in Windows Terminal Apr 16, 2021, 9:30 am EDT | 3 min read Windows Terminal uses your current user directory as the default directory when you open it. However, you can change this to any directory on your Windows PC. We’ll show you how to change the default working directory for PowerShell, Command Prompt, and Ubuntu shell. Change PowerShell’s Default Directory in Windows Terminal PowerShell is the default shell that opens when you launch Windows Terminal. Like other shells, this one uses your current user directory as the default. You can change this default directory by adding a single line of code in the Windows Terminal’s settings file.