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Windows PowerShell

[This topic is pre-release documentation and is subject to change in future releases. Blank topics are included as placeholders.]

Windows PowerShell® is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed especially for system administration. Built on the .NET Framework, Windows PowerShell® helps IT professionals and power users control and automate the administration of the Windows operating system and applications that run on Windows.

The documents published here are written primarily for cmdlet, provider, and host application developers who require reference information about the APIs provided by Windows PowerShell. However, system administrators might also find the information provided by these documents useful.

Windows PowerShell Documents on MSDN

Getting Started with Windows PowerShell
Provides the basics needed to start using Windows PowerShell.

Writing a Windows PowerShell Module
Provides information for administrators, script developers, and cmdlet developers who need to package and distribute their Windows PowerShell solutions.

Writing a Windows PowerShell Cmdlet
Provides information for designing and implementing cmdlets.

Writing a Windows PowerShell Provider
Provides information for designing and implementing Windows PowerShell providers. It will help you understand how Windows PowerShell providers work, and it provides sample code that you can use to start designing or writing your own providers.

Writing a Windows PowerShell Host Application
Provides information that can be used by program managers who are designing host applications and by developers who are implementing them. The host application can, define the runspace where commands are run, open sessions on a local or remote computer, and invoke the commands either synchronously or asynchronously based on the needs of the application.

Writing a Windows PowerShell Formatting File
Provides information for the authoring of formatting files, which control the display format for the objects that are returned by commands (cmdlets, functions, and scripts).

Windows PowerShell SDK
Provides reference content for the APIs used in writing cmdlets, providers, and host applications, as well as other supporting APIs.



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regarding the powershell
Somehow yesterday i must have clicked something in my directory and launched the powershell and i was browsing the cmdlets of powershell after it launched because there were some admin issues i could not perform with out being admin. but when i loged on as admin permision was denied and there was some reference to it somehwere being in the powershel or having to do with ACL which define user group priveleges. I typed 'set-acl' at a prompt and when i saw a path [0]: come up i typed exit expecting to back out of powershel altogether. Well it seems to me like it wants me to write some commands on each path cuz path [1]: came up after the 'exit' i typed, and i havent touched it since. Ive tried to get suport help and nobody knows how i am suposed to get out of powershel and i dont just want to x out cuz i don't know if this wil comit my 'exit' as some kind of comand on path[0]. I need to reboot my system tho to see if some things i was advised to do are gonna help improve some problems i was having but i have been on freeze frame ever since the powershell and not exiting. Can you help, or does anyone know how i can undo or back out of the exit i typed and leave powershell completely with out any changes to the system?$0 Thanks so much $0 Marne`
@Marne
Ctrl+C will cancel the operation. Or you can just hit the "X" and close the PowerShell console. I realize you've most likely already solved this, but if anyone else is facing the same question..
C++ Interface?
I have a large existing project written in C++ and am currently using a pipe (_popen) to get some useful system information across a network to other Win7 local area machines by sending powershell commands through the pipe.  It is not elegant, and less than desirable, but it works.  I have only seen examples of using PowerShell using C# not C++.  Is C++ simply not supported?  PowerShell provides some very useful functionality (something as simple as a programmatic ping for example) but is a pain at best using it via _popen.
Clueless in Canada

Hey Zontor - i'm a novice and noticed my Vista system slowed to "Snails Pace" after dL the "Powershell" and another combined software as a  MS "Recommended" dL..

1) Any thoughts on where i can find a "Read Me" pdf to see if this is relatable to slowing of my new system...

My system was only used maybe 5 times b4 this dL and perplexed on where my "highspeed" has been lost..??  Or maybe it was the other software that was dL w/ it..??  I also play the games on FB's Social Network, but no reason as to why my game speed has been effected (Frontierville and Farmville)..

2) Nervous about the "Remote Assistance" aspect of this dL, shud i be.. I normally have mine "Disabled" until i actually choose to use it for IT support..

Thank you for your time...

I am with you
A hundred years ago when DOS 5.0 was new I received a really nice book.  Man that book was handy, friends would call me to look up syntax, etc. because they didn't get a really nice book.

Now that Windows 7 is making my life easier I have to use another PC to view the online documentation when working with making some simple changes. Like change the Windows 7 start up sound.  Ooh wee what up wit dat?

I think Windows 7 is a definet  improvement over every Windows to date.  But a comprehensive online document would be great.  Huge but great for those of us who live in the dark ages when people used to read a paragraph longer than 140 characters including spaces and assimilate what they have read.
Where's the (printable) documentation
Call me "old fashined" - I just dont get this online "documentation" thing.
We have to click on links that take us to a single paragraph or maybe two  - After wading through the waffled, we then we have to do one of two things.
A. Navigate back to the menu because there is no link to the next item. (and the menu has closed to relveal only the current page)  . . . OR
B. Click on one of a number of links to see information about that "thing" - If we dont right-click and open in another tab, we soon find ourselves down the warren hole and next thing we know - we pop-up in china or timbuktoo, with no idea how we got there.

How can online documentation possibly be deemed to be efficient or constructive?
Can you PLEASE drop a document somewhere in a format that is printable in a single print job.
(ie that we DONT have to print a gazilliion pages from a web-site and then figure out how it clips together.)

At worst - add a "Click here to download the site" button.

P.S. - I do a ALL of my reading away from work - (not connected to the internet) where I can find 5 seconds to concentrate on technical content without being interrupted.

Am I the only person who experiences this?
Are there any videos to get started?