To start MySQL Workbench on Windows, select Start, Programs, MySQL, then select MySQL Workbench. This executes the MySQLWorkbench.exe file on your system.

Alternatively, start MySQL Workbench from the command line. To view the available command-line options, issue the command MySQLWorkbench -help from the MySQL Workbench installation directory. You will see the following output:

MySQLWorkbench.exe [<options>] [<name of a model file or sql script>]

Options:
  -swrendering           Force the diagram canvas to use software rendering instead of OpenGL
  -query [<connection>|<connection string>]
                         Open a query tab and ask for connection if nothing is specified. 
                         If named connection is specified it will be opened, else connection 
                         will be created based on the given connection string, which should 
                         be in form <user>@<host>:<port>
  -admin <instance>      Open a administration tab to the named instance
  -upgrade-mysql-dbs     Open a migration wizard tab
  -model <model file>    Open the given EER model file
  -script <sql file>     Open the given SQL file in an connection, best in conjunction with 
                         a query parameter
  -run-script <file>     Execute Python code from a file
  -run <code>            Execute the given Python code
  -run-python <code>     Execute the given Python code
  -migration             Open the Migration Wizard tab
  -quit-when-done        Quit Workbench when the script is done
  -log-to-stderr         Also log to stderr
  -help, -h              Show command line options and exit
  -log-level=<level>     Valid levels are: error, warning, info, debug1, debug2, debug3
  -verbose, -v           Enable diagnostics output
  -version               Show Workbench version number and exit
  -open <file>           Open the given file at startup (deprecated, use script, model etc.)

Use the -swrendering option if your video card does not support OpenGL 1.5. The -version option can be used to display the MySQL Workbench version number. The other options are self-explanatory.

MySQL Workbench may also be started from MySQL Notifier by choosing SQL Editor or Configure Instance from the Notifier context menu. For additional information, see MySQL Notifier.