The 10 Basic PowerShell Commands You Need to Know

If you've ever worked on the command line or had to manage Windows systems, chances are you've heard of windows powershell commands. PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administration, automation, and management of Windows operating systems. It was developed by Microsoft's Samuel Ogunleke in 2006 with the aim of providing a more powerful and flexible tool for managing Windows systems.

If you're new to PowerShell code or have been using it for a while but feel stuck worrying about where to start learning, this tutorial is perfect for you. In this article, we'll be discussing the basics of knowing basic PowerShell commands or cmdlets that will help you automate administrative tasks and make your life easier as an IT administrator. Whether you're a complete beginner looking to get started with PowerShell or someone with some PowerShell experience looking to expand your knowledge, this tutorial has something for everyone. So let's dive in!

If you're running code in a command-line environment, it's essential to know how to write code effectively. The get-help cmdlet is your go-to guide for understanding PowerShell commands. Let's start by understanding how the get-help cmdlet works.

The get-help cmdlet offers all the guides needed to execute PowerShell commands effectively. If you want to open PowerShell and view detailed information about a command, use the "get-help" command, followed by the name of the command you need help with. To view full information about a command, add the "-full" parameter after the get-help command. Using this method will help avoid errors in your written code.

To take things further, if you're unsure of how to use a specific cmdlet, use the "-examples" parameter after the get-help command to view examples of how to use that particular cmdlet. For example, if we wanted help with the "get-process" cmdlet and view examples of how it works, we would run "get-help get-process -examples." With these tips in mind, utilizing the get-help cmdlet will improve your ability to write and execute PowerShell commands effectively.

Do you want to explore the vast world of PowerShell commands? Well, the Get-Command cmdlet is here to help! The Get-Command cmdlet basically lists all available PowerShell commands on your system. By default, it shows cmdlets, functions, aliases selectively. You can filter out specific command types using the -CommandType parameter.

For example, if you want to see only alias cmdlets, you can use the get-command command with the -CommandType parameter set to Alias. Similarly, if you want to see only cmdlets -commandtype cmdlet, set the -CommandType parameter value to Cmdlet. The get-command output is displayed in a table format where column names represent different aspects of the powershell commands such as name, version, module name and commands definition property.

The object returned by Get-Command can be further refined for better readability by using another PowerShell command called Select-Object. This command lets you choose which properties of an object to display and in what order. For example: Select-object cmdlet with property definition will show only commands definition property select-object -property definition. With previous examples in mind and a little bit of experimentation on your own, discovering new Powershell commands has never been easier!

If you're working with Windows PowerShell, it's important to know how to quickly access your recent commands. The good news is that the Get-History cmdlet returns a list of all the recently executed commands in your current PowerShell session. This means that you don't have to waste time trying to remember all the commands you've used in the past.

The commands history is an essential feature for anyone who uses PowerShell regularly. With the help of the Get-History cmdlet, you can easily view specific commands that were executed during your current session. You can also use the id number provided by this cmdlet to run specific commands again without having to retype them.

Another useful feature of the Get-History cmdlet is its ability to add history automatically to your current session. By using the -id parameter, you can specify which command you want to run again. For example, if you want to run get-history -id 2, this will execute the second most recent command in your history list. Overall, knowing how to use Get-History effectively will make your work with PowerShell much more efficient and productive.

If you've ever opened the Windows Task Manager to find running processes, then you already have some familiarity with how computer processes work. Processes are essential for running services and applications on your computer, and knowing what's currently running can help identify any issues that might be causing system freezes or slow-downs. But did you know that there's a PowerShell command that can help you quickly find running processes on your computer? It's called the Get-Process cmdlet.

The Get-Process cmdlet is an essential cmdlet for anyone working with computers processes in PowerShell. With a simple command, you can retrieve all of the currently running processes on your system and display them in a table format. This makes it easy to quickly identify which processes may be causing your system to work slowly or stop responding altogether. Powershell's Get-Process cmdlet also provides other useful information such as process ID, CPU usage, and memory usage.

One of the most powerful features of the Get-Process cmdlet is its ability to stop individual processes using the Stop-Process cmdlet. The -Id parameter specifies exactly which process ID should be stopped, making it easy to terminate specific applications or services that may be causing problems on your system. So if you're experiencing any issues with your computer freezing up or slowing down, consider using PowerShell's Get-Process cmdlet to identify which processes may be causing the problem and take control by stopping them in their tracks!

If you're interested in viewing the services running on your computer screen, then you should try the Get-Service cmdlet in Windows PowerShell. This command automatically controls the services on your machine and helps you view adding or stopped services. In simple words, Get-Service displays a list of all the system services that are currently running on your computer.

The best thing about using Get-Service is that it presents the results in table format, making it easy for users to read and understand. You can use the get-process cmdlet PowerShell command to stop or start any service by simply typing its name along with a specific character. For example, if you want to stop a database server, type "Stop-Service MSSQL$" in PowerShell.

Furthermore, if you're looking for a specific service but don't remember its full name, then you can use the wildcard character (*) to find it. The Get-Service command will display all matches for the text string entered after the wildcard character. This feature makes it easier to search for a particular service when there are several similar ones running in your system. Overall, Get-Service is an excellent tool for managing and monitoring services on windows machines efficiently.

Do you ever find yourself needing to change directories to a specific location in Windows PowerShell? Luckily, the "set-location" cmdlet makes it easy to do just that. The "set-location" cmdlet sets the current working directory to a specified path.

By setting the working directory, you can navigate through different folders on your computer without having to type out the full path every time. This saves time and makes it easier for users to access files and programs quickly. Plus, if you're working with multiple user accounts on a single computer, setting the working directory can help distinguish between each user's files by showing their username in the prompt.

To use the "set-location" cmdlet, simply type "set-location" followed by the path of the directory you want to set as your working directory. You can also use relative paths (e.g., "..\folder") or environment variables (e.g., $env:USERPROFILE) as arguments for this command. Overall, changing directories with PowerShell is simple and efficient using the "set-location" cmdlet.