Question: How can I open a cmd window in a specific location without having to navigate all the way to the directory I want?

Answer: 
In Windows 8, you can click the address bar and type "cmd" (without quotes) and hit enter. This will open the cmd window in the current path.
If you use Total Commander there is a field in the bottom for this. It shows the active directory you are currently in and will run the entered command in that directory.

![Total Commander command line](https://i.stack.imgur.com/naGaS.png)