How to use the command 'powershell' (with examples)

PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language designed especially for system administration. It provides a powerful and flexible way to automate administrative tasks in Windows environments. In this article, we will explore several use cases of the ‘powershell’ command.

Use case 1: Start an interactive shell session

Code:

powershell

Motivation:

Starting an interactive shell session allows you to directly interact with PowerShell and execute commands or scripts on the fly. This is useful when you need to perform ad-hoc administrative tasks or explore PowerShell’s capabilities.

Explanation:

The command “powershell” is used to start an interactive PowerShell session. Once you run this command, you will enter an interactive shell prompt where you can execute PowerShell commands.

Example output:

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\>

Use case 2: Start an interactive shell session without loading startup configs

Code:

powershell -NoProfile

Motivation:

When you start a PowerShell session, it automatically loads the user’s PowerShell profile, which contains customized settings and functions. In some cases, you may want to start a clean session without any customization from the profile.

Explanation:

By adding the “-NoProfile” argument to the “powershell” command, it prevents the loading of the user’s PowerShell profile. This ensures that you start with a clean session without any customizations.

Example output:

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\>

Use case 3: Execute specific commands

Code:

powershell -Command "echo 'powershell is executed'"

Motivation:

Sometimes, you may want to execute a specific PowerShell command from the command line without entering an interactive session. This can be useful for one-time tasks or as part of a larger script or automation workflow.

Explanation:

The “-Command” argument allows you to specify the PowerShell command that you want to execute. In the example above, we are using the “echo” cmdlet to print the text “powershell is executed” to the console.

Example output:

powershell is executed

Use case 4: Execute a specific script

Code:

powershell -File path/to/script.ps1

Motivation:

PowerShell scripts provide a way to automate complex tasks and execute them as a single unit. By using the “-File” argument, you can execute a specific PowerShell script directly from the command line.

Explanation:

The “-File” argument followed by the path to the script specifies the PowerShell script that you want to execute. Make sure to provide the complete path to the script file.

Example output:

Output generated by the script

Use case 5: Start a session with a specific version of PowerShell

Code:

powershell -Version version

Motivation:

In some cases, you may need to use a specific version of PowerShell to ensure compatibility with certain scripts or modules. The “-Version” argument allows you to start a PowerShell session using the specified version.

Explanation:

The “-Version” argument followed by the version number (e.g., 2.0, 3.0, 4.0) specifies the version of PowerShell you want to use. This can be helpful when transitioning between different versions or testing scripts across different environments.

Example output:

Windows PowerShell 2.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\>

Use case 6: Prevent a shell from exit after running startup commands

Code:

powershell -NoExit

Motivation:

By default, when you start a PowerShell session and run startup commands, the shell automatically exits once the commands finish executing. However, in some cases, you may want to keep the shell open even after running the startup commands for further interaction and exploration.

Explanation:

The “-NoExit” argument prevents the PowerShell session from exiting after running the startup commands. This allows you to continue using the shell interactively.

Example output:

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\>

Use case 7: Describe the format of data sent to PowerShell

Code:

powershell -InputFormat Text|XML

Motivation:

PowerShell can accept input data in different formats, such as plain text or XML. By specifying the input format, you ensure that PowerShell processes the data correctly.

Explanation:

The “-InputFormat” argument is used to describe the format of data that is sent to PowerShell. You can specify either “Text” or “XML”. If you don’t specify this argument, PowerShell uses the default format.

Example output:

No output will be shown as this argument is used to configure the input format.

Use case 8: Determine how an output from PowerShell is formatted

Code:

powershell -OutputFormat Text|XML

Motivation:

The output of PowerShell commands or scripts can be formatted in different ways, such as plain text or XML. By specifying the output format, you can control how the output is presented.

Explanation:

The “-OutputFormat” argument allows you to determine how the output from PowerShell is formatted. You can specify either “Text” or “XML”. If you don’t specify this argument, PowerShell uses the default format.

Example output:

No output will be shown as this argument is used to configure the output format.

Conclusion:

In this article, we explored various use cases of the ‘powershell’ command. We learned how to start an interactive shell session, execute specific commands and scripts, customize the session behavior, and configure input and output formats for PowerShell. These use cases provide great flexibility and control over PowerShell’s behavior, allowing you to efficiently manage and automate Windows systems.