Guide

Open PowerShell

Windows Terminal, pwsh, and the old Windows PowerShell 5.1 host.

Windows 10 and 11

The good default is Windows Terminal. Install it from Microsoft if it is missing. In Terminal, the profile named PowerShell is usually PowerShell 7 (pwsh). Windows PowerShell (powershell.exe) is the 5.1 host that still ships with Windows.

Either one can run the commands on this site. Notes in the catalog call out cmdlets that are Windows-only or 7-only.

How to launch it

Start menu: type pwsh or PowerShell
File Explorer: Alt+D, type pwsh, Enter (opens in that folder)
VS Code / Cursor: Terminal panel, then pick a PowerShell profile
Run (Win+R): pwsh or powershell

Which one am I in?

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

Major 7 is PowerShell 7. Major 5 is Windows PowerShell 5.1.

Execution policy is not a lock

If a script will not run, read Execution policy. Do not set it to Unrestricted because a blog said so.

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