Windows PowerShell: Frequently Asked Questions

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Windows PowerShell is a new command line shell and task-based scripting technology that provides information technology (IT) administrators comprehensive control and automation of system administration tasks, increasing administrator productivity. Windows PowerShell includes numerous system administration utilities, consistent syntax and naming conventions, and improved navigation of common management data such as the registry, certificate store, or Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). Windows PowerShell also includes an intuitive scripting language specifically designed for IT administration.

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Yes, this product was previously known by these code names.

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Windows PowerShell 1.0 is released and available on the Download Center as a free download.

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Windows PowerShell is supported on Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008.

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Windows PowerShell is supported on x86, x64, and IA64.

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No. However, Windows PowerShell will run on both. The plan is to include Windows PowerShell in a future version of the Windows operating system.

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Windows PowerShell will be available as a free download from the Web. There are no plans to charge for Windows PowerShell. Eventually, Windows PowerShell will be included as part of the Windows operating system.

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Windows PowerShell will be licensed as a Windows component.

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Windows PowerShell requires the .NET Framework version 2.0. It is available on both the Microsoft Download Center as a redistributable package and through the Windows Update and Microsoft Update services.

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By default, a security feature in PowerShell, called the “Execution Policy,” prevents scripts from running. To understand the different execution policies available to you, type get-help about_signing in the Windows PowerShell prompt. After selecting an execution policy, use the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet to set it. For instance, type Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned in the Windows PowerShell prompt.

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Yes, at microsoft.public.windows.powershell.

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Yes, at http://blogs.msdn.com/powershell.

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Yes. The Windows PowerShell page on the TechNet Script Center has a number of sample scripts.

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Yes. Please refer to the Windows PowerShell blog for more information.

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Yes. The following publishers have books available:

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Microsoft has over ten Admin Framework MVPs who answer questions related to Windows PowerShell and other Windows management technologies such as Microsoft Management Console. Additionally, the Windows PowerShell MVPs have a number of non-Microsoft Web sites, including http://thePowerShellGuy.com, http://www.reskit.net/powershell/index.htm, and http://keithhill.spaces.msn.com.