Core PowerShell commands grouped by category for automation, administration, and system management.
(Discovering commands and getting help)
| Command(s) | Explanation |
|---|---|
Get-Help <cmdlet> |
Shows help info about a command. -Detailed for more info, -Examples for usage examples. |
Get-Command |
Lists all available commands, cmdlets, functions, and scripts. |
Get-Alias |
Displays command aliases (e.g., ls = Get-ChildItem). |
$PSVersionTable |
Displays current PowerShell version and environment info. |
(Move around directories and manage files/folders)
| Command(s) | Explanation |
|---|---|
Get-Location (alias: pwd) |
Shows the current directory. |
Set-Location <path> (alias: cd, chdir) |
Changes the current directory. |
Get-ChildItem (alias: ls, dir, gci) |
Lists files and folders in the current directory. |
New-Item <name> |
Creates a new file or folder. |
Remove-Item <path> (alias: del, erase, rd, ri) |
Deletes files or folders. |
Copy-Item <src> <dest> (alias: cp, copy) |
Copies a file/folder to another location. |
Move-Item <src> <dest> (alias: mv, move) |
Moves a file/folder. |
Rename-Item <old> <new> (alias: ren, rni) |
Renames a file/folder. |
(View, edit, and manage file content)
| Command(s) | Explanation |
|---|---|
Get-Content <file> (alias: cat, gc, type) |
Reads content of a file. |
Set-Content <file> <text> |
Overwrites file content. |
Add-Content <file> <text> |
Appends text to a file. |
Clear-Content <file> |
Clears all content in a file but keeps the file. |
Out-File <file> |
Sends output to a file. |
Export-Csv <file> |
Exports data into CSV format. |
Import-Csv <file> |
Imports CSV data into objects. |
(Monitor and control processes and services)
| Command(s) | Explanation |
|---|---|
Get-Process (alias: gps, ps) |
Shows all running processes. |
Stop-Process -Name <name> (alias: kill, spps) |
Kills a process by name. |
Start-Process <program> |
Starts a new process/program. |
Get-Service |
Lists all Windows services and their status. |
Start-Service <name> |
Starts a stopped service. |
Stop-Service <name> |
Stops a running service. |
Restart-Service <name> |
Restarts a service. |
(Test connectivity and view network settings)
| Command(s) | Explanation |
|---|---|
Test-Connection <host> |
PowerShell version of ping. |
Resolve-DnsName <host> |
Resolves DNS for a hostname (like nslookup). |
Get-NetIPAddress |
Shows IP address configuration. |
Get-NetRoute |
Shows routing table. |
Get-NetTCPConnection |
Shows active TCP connections (like netstat). |
(Manage users, permissions, and access control)