PowerShell allows you to control or manage systems using the command line or run automated operations via Powershell scripts.

What is PowerShell?

PowerShell is a cross-platform command-line console and scripting language that can be used to manage systems, configure them, or automate tasks. Simply described, PowerShell consists of an input window in which specific commands can be executed via text input. The commands can be combined and started for automatic processes from a text file. When commands or functions are started from a text file, it is called a PowerShell script.

What can PowerShell be used for?

PowerShell is predominantly used by administrators in Microsoft Windows or Azure. In addition to administrative tasks, PowerShell can also be used for automatic operations in the form of custom commands (cmdlets) or by creating PowerShell scripts. Its use is not limited to Microsoft Windows, but is also possible in a Linux distribution.

What is the difference between Command Prompt and PowerShell?

PowerShell is considered the successor of the Command Prompt and thus of Windows Batch. Even scripts that were originally written in VBScript are now mostly implemented in PowerShell. In contrast to its predecessors, PowerShell is object-oriented, works with pipes and filters and provides new possibilities thanks to its modular structure. Basically, the way PowerShell works is similar to the command prompt: enter command and start with ENTER. Commands that work in the command prompt can mostly also be called in PowerShell. In PowerShell, it does not matter whether the commands are in upper or lower case. The commands in Power Shell are called cmdlets. For some MS-DOS commands (command prompt) there are aliases to the Windows PowerShell cmdlets. For example, if the command "dir" is called, PowerShell starts the following command: Get-ChildItem. Thus, Get-ChildItem also listens for the name dir. Aliases can be invoked with the Get-Alias command. The name of PowerShell commands is composed of the combination "verb" - "noun", i.e. "action" and the "name" for what the action should be executed, as an example: Get-Help for fetch-help. An overview of the commands is given in thefollowing article: PowerShell Commands Overview. All available commands can be listed using get-command and help can be called using get-help CommandName, see: PowerShell Help Get-Help.

How can the PowerShell console be started?

The PowerShell console can be started by a simple search for the term "PowerShell".

For certain commands, especially for adjusting operating system settings, Windows PowerShell must be started as administrator:

 If you start PowerShell more often, you can pin it to the taskbar:

read next: PowerShell Help | Get-Help