Windows PowerShell: Meaning, Download, Install, Update, Activate, and Use on Windows

Windows PowerShell is a tool built into the Windows operating system that helps you automate everyday tasks and make managing your computer easier. With PowerShell, you can quickly perform basic actions like managing files and folders, checking system information, and automating simple processes. This makes it especially useful for beginners who want to save time on routine tasks, like moving or copying files, getting a list of running programs, or viewing system details.

Microsoft Windows PowerShell, available since around 2006, has largely replaced the old cmd.exe (Command Prompt) as the command shell for Windows File Explorer due to the flexibility that it offers. 

While the Command Prompt gives text-based output, PowerShell gives object-based output. This means that instead of just returning plain lines of text, PowerShell returns data as structured objects that have properties and methods you can work with. For example, when you run a command to get a list of files, each file is returned as an object, making it easy to filter, sort, or access specific details. The Command Prompt uses batch scripting, while PowerShell uses Full .NET and JSON, and PowerShell in Windows is much faster than the Command Prompt.

The best thing about Windows PowerShell is that it is cross-platform. While you do not download PowerShell on Windows, as it comes pre-installed on the Windows operating system, there are installation guides available on the web for other operating systems. 

In this tutorial, we explain the basics of PowerShell in Windows, including how to open or activate Windows PowerShell, use it, and update it. Let’s get started. 

What Is Windows PowerShell

Windows PowerShell is a framework for task automation and configuration management. It is an integration of a scripting language and a command-line shell for system administration and automation to manage the needs of Windows environments. 

It blends the scripting language features with the command line interface, helping you automate tasks, manage system resource handling, and troubleshoot Windows settings. 

Since it comes pre-installed in your Windows computer, you do not need to download and install PowerShell; you only need to open it. Let’s explain how in the next section. 

How to Open Windows PowerShell

The easiest way to launch or activate Windows PowerShell is by using the search functionality on your Windows computer. For beginners, this is the recommended method because it is quick and straightforward. In addition to the search feature, you can also use the Start menu, the WinX menu, the Task Manager, or even open PowerShell from CMD. Below, we explain each of these methods step-by-step.

Method 1: Activate Windows PowerShell from the search functionality

The easiest way to access PowerShell on Windows is through the search feature. Here is how to do it. 

• First, use the Win+S shortcut to access the Search functionality.
• Type Windows PowerShell in the search bar.
• Lastly, click the first search result to launch Windows PowerShell. If you wish to activate the administrative PowerShell, i.e., PowerShell with administrator rights, choose the “Run as administrator” option from the right pane of the search results.

Also know: How to Update Windows Security Signatures Manually Windows 11/10

Method 2: Open Windows PowerShell through the Start menu

Another way to access PowerShell on your computer is from the Start menu. Here are the steps to do it. 

• First, click the Start button.
• Choose All apps from the available options.
• Next, browse through all the applications to find and click Windows PowerShell. To open it as an administrator, right-click Windows PowerShell, choose “More,” and then click “Run as administrator.”

Method 3: Open Windows PowerShell with the Task Manager

You can also access the PowerShell utility through the Task Manager. Here is how. 

• First, use the Ctrl+Shift+Esc shortcut to open the Task Manager.
• If the Task Manager launches in compact mode, click More details.
• Click the File tab and choose Run new task from the available options.
• Lastly, type PowerShell in the Create New Task window and press Enter. If you want to activate Windows PowerShell as an administrator, click “Create this task with administrative privileges” and then click “OK.”

Method 4: Use the WinX menu to activate the Windows PowerShell

The Quick Access or WinX menu is another place where you can find PowerShell on your computer. Here is how to access it from there. 

• In the first step, use the Win+X shortcut to open the Quick Access menu.
• From the Quick Access menu that appears, choose Windows PowerShell or Windows PowerShell (Admin) depending on your requirements. Please note that some versions of Windows 11 replace Windows PowerShell with Windows Terminal; only the name changes, everything else remains the same.

Method 5: Open Windows PowerShell from CMD

The Command Prompt in Windows also lets you open PowerShell. Here is how to use it. 

• To begin with, click the Start button and type cmd in the search box that appears.
• Click the first search result to open Command Prompt.
• In the Command Prompt window, type start powershell and press Enter.

Note 1: To activate the Administrator Windows PowerShell, you need to enter the “start powershell” command in the Administrator Command Prompt window. To open Administrator Command Prompt, search cmd, right-click Command Prompt in the search results, and then click “Run as administrator.”

Note 2: For easy access, you can create a Windows PowerShell shortcut. To create the shortcut, right-click the desktop, choose “New” from the on-screen menu, click “Shortcut” in the New menu, type “PowerShell” in the “Type the location of the item” box, click “Next,” name the shortcut, and click “Finish.” You can double-click the created shortcut on the desktop to activate Windows PowerShell. 

After activating Windows PowerShell, you can use it for multiple purposes. 

Also know: How to Activate and Use Windows Security on Windows 11 and 10

How to Use PowerShell in Windows

After launching Windows PowerShell, you can use it for help and documentation, file system navigation, displaying text in various formats, and even performing more advanced tasks like automating repetitive processes or managing system services. First, let’s look at some basic PowerShell commands that come in handy.

• GetHelp: Displays help for Windows PowerShell commands
• Get-Command: Lists all available PowerShell cmdlets (Commands)
• Get-Process: Displays the current processes
• Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned: Allows script execution
• Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned: Allows script execution. Changing the execution policy can affect your computer’s security. Only set the execution policy if you understand the risks, and make sure to run scripts from trusted sources.

You can also fix various Windows problems with PowerShell. Here are a few common Windows PowerShell commands to troubleshoot problems on your computer. 

Windows PowerShell commands to troubleshoot common problems

• Check disk health: Get-PhysicalDisk | Where-Object {$_.HealthStatus -ne ‘Healthy’}. It helps you identify the unhealthy disk that slows down your computer.
• Test system performance: Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending (it identifies processes that use the most CPU). Get-Process | Sort-Object WorkingSet -Descending (it detects memory-heavy processes).
• Check network connectivity: Get-NetAdapter -Name “Ethernet”. With this command, you get detailed information about your network adapter.
• Check system event logs: Get-EventLog -LogName System -Newest 10 (with this command, you get the information about the last 10 system events). Get-EventLog -LogName Application -EntryType Error -Newest 10 (this command filters the events by errors).

You can also update PowerShell in Windows to access new commands, improved security features, and enhanced compatibility with modern tools and scripts. 

How to Update Windows PowerShell

You can update PowerShell in Windows through the Microsoft Store and Command Prompt. Here is how. 

Method 1: Update PowerShell through the Microsoft Store

Here are the steps you need to follow to get PowerShell updated through the Microsoft Store. 

• First, search for and open the Microsoft Store through the Start menu.
• Next, search for PowerShell in the Microsoft Store.
• Lastly, click Get to update PowerShell to the latest version.

Method 2: Use Command Prompt to update PowerShell

Below are the steps to get PowerShell updated with the Command Prompt. 

• First, click the Start button, type cmd in the search, and then click the first search result to open the Command Prompt.
• In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following command and press Enter to update PowerShell to the latest version.

iex “& { $(irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/master/tools/install-powershell.ps1 -UseBasicP) }”

With that, we conclude our Microsoft Windows PowerShell guide. We hope it helps you unleash the complete power of Windows with automation and solve various problems on your computer. If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a comment.