Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell for Microsoft Windows that is used for system administration. It uses cmdlets (commandlets) that are .NET classes to perform administrative tasks, and can access COM and WMI for local and remote administration. PowerShell can also be embedded within applications to make use of its abilities. PowerShell originated in 2006 when Monad (Microsoft Shell) was renamed to Windows PowerShell.
The picture above is an example of PowerShell running in Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium.
How to open PowerShell?
To open PowerShell in Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11, follow the steps below.
The latest versions of PowerShell require Windows 7 or later. For earlier versions of Windows, such as Windows XP and Windows Vista, you need to use PowerShell 1.0 and 1.0 RC2.
- Click Start.
- Type powershell and press Enter.
CamelCase, Command line, MS-DOS, Operating system terms, PS, Windows Terminal
Earlier versions of Windows don’t have PowerShell. Instead use the Windows command line.
Related information
- Powershell help and command listing.
