Guide to Installing and Using PowerShell

If Windows PowerShell is already installed on your computer, you'll find it on the Start menu under All Programs, usually under Accessories and Windows PowerShell. Note that on 64-bit systems you'll have an x86 32-bit version of the shell as well. It's important that you launch the right one. When you start getting extensions for the shell, those will come in 32 or 64-bit versions, and the shell can only load snap-ins for the same architecture. In other words, if you have a 64-bit snap-in, you can't load it into the 32-bit or x86 shell. For the most part, you should be running the 64-bit versions, which don't have anything in parentheses after them, unless you know you need a 32-bit extension or snap-in of some kind. Now, if PowerShell isn't already installed on your computer, then you're going to want to download it. Here's the URL to do that, support.microsoft.com slash kb slash 968 929. Now that's the entire Windows Management Framework, which includes Windows PowerShell version 2, Windows Remote Management, and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Now again, it's important that you make sure you download the right architecture as well as the right operating system. So here we can see one for Windows Server 2008 RTM, and then there's a 64-bit version if you're running that architecture. Now in server operating systems, Windows PowerShell is installed by default on Windows Server 2008 R2 and later, but only the text console, the graphical console or integrated scripting environment or ISE is not installed by default, and you may want to use that. So to get it, start by launching Server Manager. Hop down into the features section and as soon as Server Manager finishes collecting all of its information. Click Add Features, and then scroll down until you find Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment, or ISE. So, if you want to use that on the server operating system, here's where you would go find that and install it. Once PowerShell is installed, you can launch either the console, the text console, or the ISE, and begin using it.

In other words, if you have a 64-bit snap-in, you can't load it into the 32-bit or x86 shell. For the most part, you should be running the 64-bit versions, which don't have anything in parentheses after them, unless you know you need a 32-bit extension or snap-in of some kind. Now, if PowerShell isn't already installed on your computer, then you're going to want to download it. Here's the URL to do that, support.microsoft.com slash kb slash 968 929. Now that's the entire Windows Management Framework, which includes Windows PowerShell version 2, Windows Remote Management, and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Now again, it's important that you make sure you download the right architecture as well as the right operating system.

So here we can see one for Windows Server 2008 RTM, and then there's a 64-bit version if you're running that architecture. Now in server operating systems, Windows PowerShell is installed by default on Windows Server 2008 R2 and later, but only the text console, the graphical console or integrated scripting environment or ISE is not installed by default, and you may want to use that. So to get it, start by launching Server Manager.

Hop down into the features section and as soon as Server Manager finishes collecting all of its information. Click Add Features, and then scroll down until you find Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment, or ISE. So, if you want to use that on the server operating system, here's where you would go find that and install it. Once PowerShell is installed, you can launch either the console, the text console, or the ISE, and begin using it.

Transcript for:Guide to Installing and Using PowerShell

Transcript for:
Guide to Installing and Using PowerShell