Links to PowerShell Websites, additional cmdlets, Utilities and Books

Download PowerShell:

From Windows Server 2016/Windows 10+ updates to PowerShell are provided via Windows Update.
You can also download MSIs and Zip files directly from the GitHub repo. The MSI install requires admin privilege to install.

PowerShell versions and OS compatibility:

PowerShell Version Windows 10 / 11/ 2016 / 2019 / 2022 Windows Nano / IOT Linux / OSX
PowerShell 7.x Supported Supported Supported
PowerShell Core 6.0 Not Supported DEFAULT  
PowerShell 5.0 / 5.1 DEFAULT    
PowerShell 4.0      
PowerShell 3.0      
PowerShell 2.0
(deprecated)
     

Use $PSVersionTable.PSVersion to display the currently installed version.
Not all cmdlets will be available on all OS's if they relate to a Windows feature which does not exist on that OS.

Additional Cmdlets:

Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)

Install all the available RSAT tools:
Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Add-WindowsCapability –Online

If running SCCM, you may need to specify the Windows ISO image (for Features On Demand) using the -source option:

Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Source "\\server\share\Windows 10 FOD ISO image file\"

Install an individual Component:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0 -LimitAccess -Source "\\server\share\Windows 10 FOD ISO image file\"

List the currently installed RSAT tools:
Get-WindowsCapability -Name RSAT* -Online | Select-Object -Property Name, State

RSAT includes cmdlets for managing: Active Directory, Bitlocker, Certificate services, DHCP, DNS, Failover Clusters, File Services, Group Policy, NLB, RAS, WSUS tools, all of these can also be installed individually.

Active Directory cmdlets (Import-Module ActiveDirectory)
PowerShell 5.1 cmdlets,
PowerShell 2.0/3.0 core cmdlets
MS Exchange PowerShell cmdlets.
Print Management Cmdlets (Import-Module PrintManagement) Windows 8.1, Server 2012 R2
Server Manager Cmdlets (Import-Module Servermanager) - Add/Remove Windows Features.
Server Backup Cmdlets (add-pssnapin windows.serverbackup)
SQL Server cmdlets and SQLPS (Import-Module SqlServer)
Windows Virtual Desktop Cmdlets - Get-DesktopName, Set-DesktopName, Move-Desktop.
Windows Server 2008 R2 cmdlets.

Console GuiTools - Add a Console UI to Your Script: Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleGuiTools module.
PSWindowsUpdate by Michal Gajda cmdlets to manage Windows Update Client.(Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate) an alternative to Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

Third party Cmdlets:

PowerShell Gallery - The central repository for sharing and acquiring PowerShell code.
PowerShell Community Extensions - Additional cmdlets, providers, aliases, filters, functions and scripts.
PSAlphaFS - Support file paths longer than 256 characters.
PS1C - a simple Zipfile Reader.

Scripts and examples:

PowerShell Documentation - docs.microsoft.com
PowerShell 101 and Getting Started with PowerShell 7.1 - docs.microsoft.com

PowerShellGallery - PowerShell Modules and scripts authored by Microsoft, and the community.
TechNet Script Gallery - Sample VBS and PowerShell scripts authored by Microsoft, and the community.
PowerShell.com - Tips from Idera.
AaronLocker - from Aaron Margosis [MSFT] PowerShell scripts that automate AppLocker Application safelisting (GitHub).
PowerShell Style Guide - by Don Jones, Matt Penny, Carlos Perez, Joel Bennett and the PowerShell Community.
ServerFault - PowerShell Q&A.
Rob van der Woude - PowerShell example scripts.
VBScript-to-PowerShell
PowerShell 3.0 quick reference guide - PDF Microsoft.

Blogs:

PowerShell Blog - PowerShell team.
Active Directory PowerShell Blog - MSDN.
Adam the Automator - PowerShell tutorials and more.
PoshoHolic - PowerShell blog.
Dmitry Sotnikov - Dmitry Sotnikov.
Otto Helweg - Management & Instrumentation.
Keith Hill - Keith Hill.

Search Microsoft Knowledge base

Recommended Books.

Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches - Biblio / Bookshop.org / Hive UK
by Dom Jones and Jeffery Hicks Move systematically through the techniques and features of PowerShell. Published 2022.

Windows PowerShell 3.0 Cookbook - Biblio / Bookshop.org / Hive UK
by Lee Holmes, (one of the PowerShell team developers) - Hundreds of tested scripts that you can use right away to get Microsoft's new tool working for you. Also checkout Lee's blog which has more handy tips. Sample scripts

PowerShell Pocket Reference -Biblio
by Lee Holmes

Windows PowerShell in Action - Biblio / Bookshop.org / Hive UK
by Bruce Payette, one of the founding members of the Windows PowerShell team, co-designer of the PowerShell language.
As several Amazon reviewers say "don't get this as your first PowerShell book" but it is the definitive how and why reference for everything PowerShell.

Windows PowerShell course book
by Frank Koch
- A free Windows PowerShell booklet available for download, translated from German.

PowerShell Software

Console 2 - Windows console emulator for CMD and/or PowerShell (review)
ConEmu-Maximus5 - Windows console emulator for CMD and/or PowerShell (review)
Chocolatey - A Package Manager - like an apt-get for Windows.
EchoArgs.exe - Testing Utility to display command line arguments (requires .Net 3.5).
PowerShell Plus - IDE + script library (free).
PowerShell Studio - SAPIEN scripting and tool-making environment.
PSScriptAnalyzer - Provides script analysis and checks for potential code defects.
Wasp - A PowerShell snapin for GUI Window Automation - select windows and send mouse/keyboard events.

Related

Windows cmd utilities & Books can be found on the Windows Links page
Usenet group- microsoft.public.windows.powershell
TechNet forum - WinServerPowerShell
SS64 - PowerShell Discussion Forum

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