Enable colors in Windows CMD and Powershell

Intro

On Windows the CMD and Powershell command prompt windows by defalt does not handle the virtual terminal sequences that can be used to define colors and other effects to the text that is printed.

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Opening Registry Database

To enable the feature, we need to add a new key to the Registry Database.

Starting Registry Database program:

• Right click on the start button.
• Choose Run.
• In the run window that opened type regedit.
• Press enter.

The Registry Databsae Window should now open.

On the left side of the window you will have the hirachy of database. And on the right side of the window is the keys under that group.

Enabling feature

In the opened Registry Database.

• Navigate to the following group in the left side panel HKEY_CURRENT_USER / Console.
• Then mouse right click on empty space on the right panel.
• Under the New menu click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Write the name VirtualTerminalLevel.
• Double click on the new VirtualTerminalLevel item.
• In the window that opens write 1 in the Value data: field.
• Click OK

Now the handling of virtual terminal sequences is enabled for all CMD and Powershell command prompts.

If any prompts are currently open, then you need to restart them for the feature to activate.