This article shows a convenient list of PowerShell Commands for your quick reference. This contains major Cmdlets, Descriptions, and Examples. Please refer to Microsoft Web Page to get more detailed information per each Cmdlet.
Table of Contents
File or Directory Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| New-Item Copy-Item Get-ChildItem Move-Item Remove-Item Rename-Item | Create a new item Copy an item from a specific location to another Gets the items and child items in the location Move an item from one location to a different one Removes files and folders Rename an item | New-Item -Path “c:\” -Name “logfiles” -ItemType “directory” Copy-Item -Path “C:\Logfiles\*” -Destination “C:\Drawings” -Recurse Get-ChildItem -Path “.\*.txt” -Recurse | Move-Item -Destination “C:\TextFiles” Get-ChildItem * -Include *.csv -Recurse | Remove-Item Get-ChildItem *.txt | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name -replace ‘.txt’,’.log’ } |
Write Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Write-Output Write-Host Write-Information Write-Progress Write-Verbose Write-Warning Write-Error | Writes the specified objects to the pipeline Writes output to console Specifies how PowerShell handles information data for a command Displays a progress bar within a PS command window Write more verbose than Normal Writes a warning message Writes an error message | $P = Get-Process Write-Output $P Write-Host “no newline test ” -NoNewline Write-Information -MessageData “Processes starting with ‘P'” -InformationAction Continue Write-Progress -Activity “Search in Progress” -Status “$i% Complete:” -PercentComplete $i Write-Error -Message “Error: Too many input values.” -Category InvalidArgument |
Read and Out Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
Read-Host Out-File Out-String Out-GridView Out-Printer | Reads a line of input from the console Sends output to a file Outputs input objects as a string Sends output to an interactive table Sends output to a printer | $pwd_string = Read-Host “Enter a Password” -MaskInput Get-Process | Out-File -FilePath .\Process.txt Out-String -InputObject $C -Width 100 Get-Process | Out-GridView Write-Progress -Activity “Search in Progress” -Status “$i% Complete:” -PercentComplete $i |
Object Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| ForEach-Object Compare-Object New-Object Select-Object Sort-Object Where-Object | Performs an operation against each item in a collection Compare two objects Creates an instance of a .NET Framework or COM object. Select objects as well as their properties Sorts objects by property values Selects objects from a collection based on their property values. | 1..3 | ForEach-Object -Parallel { Write-Error “Error: $_” } $objects = @{ ReferenceObject = (Get-Content -Path C:\Test\Testfile1.txt) DifferenceObject = (Get-Content -Path C:\Test\Testfile2.txt) } Compare-Object @objects -ExcludeDifferent $Objshell = New-Object -COMObject “Shell.Application” Get-Process | Select-Object -Property ProcessName, Id, WS Get-ChildItem -Path C:\Test -File | Sort-Object -Property Length Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -Match “^p.*”} |
Location Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Get-Location Set-Location Pop-Location Push-Location | Fetches information about your current location Set your current working location to a specified location Set to the location that was pushed to the stack most recently Appends the current location to the top of a location stack Writes a warning message | Set-Location C:\Windows Push-Location ~ -StackName Stack2 Pop-Location -StackName Stack2 |
Registry Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| New-ItemProperty Get-ItemProperty Set-ItemProperty Copy-ItemPropery Move-ItemProperty Rename-ItemProperty Remove-ItemProperty Clear-ItemProperty | Adds a new registry entry Fetches the properties of the item Creates or changes the value Copies a property and value Move a property from A to B Rename an item’s property Delete a property and its value Clears the value | Get-Item -Path “HKLM:\Software\MyCompany” | New-ItemProperty -Name NoOfLocations -Value 3 Get-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\Software\Test” Set-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\Software\Test” -Name “Employee” -Value 823 Copy-ItemProperty -Path “MyApplication” -Destination “HKLM:\Software\MyApplicationRev2” -Name “MyProperty” Move-ItemProperty “HKLM:\Software\MyCompany\MyApp” -Name “Version” -Destination “HKLM:\Software\MyCompany\NewApp” Clear-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\Software\MyCompany\MyApp” -Name “Options” |
Process Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Get-Process Start-Process Stop-Process Wait-Process | Fetches a list of processes that are running Launches one or more local processes Stop one or more running processes Waits for the processes to be stopped | Get-Process explorer | Format-List * Start-Process -FilePath “$env:comspec” -ArgumentList “/c dir” Stop-Process -Name “notepad” Wait-Process -Name notepad -Timeout 30 |
Service Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Get-Service Start-Service Stop-Service | Lists all the services Start one or more stopped services Stops one or more running services | Get-Service -Name “iisadmin” | Stop-Service -Force Start-Service -DisplayName *remote* -WhatIf |
Job Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Get-Job Receive-Job Remove-Job Resume-Job Start-Job Stop-Job Wait-Job | Retrieves a list of all the background jobs that are running in your session Fetches the results of current session background jobs Delete a Windows PowerShell background job Restart a job that was suspended Starts a background job Stops a PowerShell background job Waits until PowerShell jobs running in the session | $job = Start-Job { $PSVersionTable.PSVersion } -PSVersion 5.1 Receive-Job $job $j = Invoke-Command -ComputerName Server01 -ScriptBlock {Get-EventLog System} -AsJob $j | Stop-Job -PassThru Wait-Job -Name “DailyLog” -Timeout 120 |
Event Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Get-Event New-Event Remove-Event Wait-Event | Gets the events in the event queue Create a new event Deletes events from the event queue Waits until a particular event is raised before continuing to run | New-Event -SourceIdentifier Timer -Sender windows.timer -MessageData “Test” Remove-Event -SourceIdentifier “ProcessStarted” Wait-Event -SourceIdentifier “ProcessStarted” |
Execute Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Invoke-Command Invoke-Expression Invoke-Item | Runs the command on local and remote computers. Runs commands or expressions Performs the default action on a specified item | Invoke-Command -ComputerName Server02 -ScriptBlock {$p = Get-Process PowerShell} $Command = ‘Get-Process | where {$_.cpu -gt 1000}’ Invoke-Expression $Command Invoke-Item “C:\Test\aliasApr04.doc” |
Web Access Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Invoke-RestMethod Invoke-WebRequest | Sends either an HTTP/HTTPS request to a RESTful web service Retrieves content from a webpage on the Internet | Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $uri -Method Post -Headers $headers -Body $body $Response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri “www.microsoft.com/unkownhost” |
File Content Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Add-Content Get-Content Set-Content Clear-Content | Appends content to a file. Displays the contents of a file Allows you to replace a file’s contents with contents that you specify Clears the contents of an item without deleting the actual item | Add-Content -Path .\1.txt -Value (Get-Content -Path .\2.txt) (Get-Content -Path .\Notice.txt) | ForEach-Object {$_ -Replace ‘Warning’, ‘Caution’} | Set-Content -Path .\Notice.txt |
Session Connection Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| New-PSSession Get-PSSession New-PSSessionConfigurationFile Receive-PSSession Remove-PSSession Disconnect-PSSession | Establishes a persistent connection Retrieves a list of PS sessions Creates a session configuration file Retrieves results from disconnected sessions Close Windows PowerShell sessions Disconnects you from the current session | $s = New-PSSession -ComputerName (Get-Content Servers.txt) -Credential Domain01\Admin01 New-PSSessionConfigurationFile -Path .\NoLanguage.pssc -LanguageMode NoLanguage Receive-PSSession -ComputerName Server01 -Name ITTask $r = Get-PSSession -ComputerName Serv* $r | Remove-PSSession |
Import Export File Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Export-Csv Import-Csv Export-Clixml Import-Clixml | Convert objects into multiple CSV strings and export the strings to a CSV document Build table-like custom objects using all the items in a CSV file Creates an XML-based representation of objects and stores it in a file Import XML to Object | Get-Process | Export-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv -NoTypeInformation $Credential | Export-Clixml ./cred2.xm |
Module Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
| Import-Module Get-Module Install-Module New-Module | Import modules to your current session List the modules imported in the current session Downloads module from a repository, and installs them Creates a new dynamic module that exists in memory | Import-Module -Name PSDiagnostics Get-Module -ListAvailable Install-Module -Name PowerShellGet |
Format Cmdlets
| Cmdlet | Description | Example |
Format-List Format-Table Format-Hex Format-Wide Format-Custom | Format the output as a properties list format the output as a table Displays an input as a hexadecimal Format objects as wide tables where only one property Use a customized view in order to format the output | Get-Process | Format-List -Property name, basepriority Get-Process | Format-Table -GroupBy BasePriority -Wrap Format-Hex -Path .\File.t7f Get-ChildItem | Format-Wide -Column 3 Get-Process | Export-Csv -Path .\Processes.csv -NoTypeInformation Get-Date | Format-Custom DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -DisplayError |
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