Guide
Your profile and modules
Make shortcuts that load every time, and add commands others have written.
Your profile
Your profile is a script that runs every time you open PowerShell. It is where personal aliases, functions, and settings go.
See where it lives, and whether it exists yet:
$PROFILE
Test-Path -Path $PROFILE
Create it and open it in Notepad:
if (-not (Test-Path -Path $PROFILE)) { New-Item -Path $PROFILE -ItemType File -Force }
notepad $PROFILE
Things people put in a profile:
# Jump to a folder you use all the time
function work { Set-Location -Path "$HOME\Documents\Work" }
# A shorter name for a command you type often
Set-Alias -Name np -Value notepad
# Start in your home folder
Set-Location -Path $HOME
Save, then open a new window. Running scripts must be allowed for the profile to load; see Execution policy.
Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7 have separate profiles. Run $PROFILE in each to see both paths.
Modules
A module is a package of extra commands. Many come with Windows. More are on the PowerShell Gallery.
Get-Module -ListAvailable
Get-Command -Module Microsoft.PowerShell.Archive
Install one for your user, with no administrator prompt:
Find-Module -Name ImportExcel
Install-Module -Name ImportExcel -Scope CurrentUser
Modules load automatically the first time you use one of their commands. A module is code that runs as you, so install only ones you trust. See Install-Module.