A compact guide explaining how to open the Console, Output, and Terminal windows — and how to keep the console from closing right away.
Viewing the Console Window When Running a Console App
When you build a Console Application (C#, C++, VB.NET, etc.), Visual Studio launches the console in a separate system window when you run your program.
- Run normally: Press F5 or Debug → Start Debugging. The console window opens automatically.
Console Window Closing Immediately? Here’s Why
If the console appears only briefly, it’s because your program finished executing right away. Use one of these simple fixes to pause it:
Fix: Pause the Console
Add this line at the end of your Main method in C#:
Console.ReadLine();Or use Start Without Debugging
Press Ctrl + F5 (Debug → Start Without Debugging). This runs your program and keeps the console open after execution finishes.
Visual Studio’s Built-In Windows You Should Know
Sometimes what you need is one of Visual Studio’s internal panels rather than the external console window. Two important ones:
The Output Window
Shows build messages, compiler warnings, debug messages, and other diagnostics.
Open it: Ctrl + Alt + O or View → Output.
Note: The Output window does not show Console.WriteLine() output unless you redirect output into it.
The Terminal Window
Use this for running scripts, PowerShell/Command Prompt, dotnet CLI commands, and Git operations.
Open it: Ctrl + ` (backtick) or View → Terminal. You can run your program manually here to view console output inside Visual Studio.
Quick Reference
| Task | Shortcut | Menu Path | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run console app | F5 | Debug → Start Debugging | Shows console in separate window |
| Run without debugging | Ctrl + F5 | Debug → Start Without Debugging | Keeps console open |
| Open Output window | Ctrl + Alt + O | View → Output | Build & debug logs |
| Open Terminal | Ctrl + ` | View → Terminal | Integrated shell inside VS |
