PowerShell Cheat Sheet

PowerShell pipes objects between commands, not text. Commands follow a Verb-Noun pattern. Works on Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7+ (pwsh).

71 entries
11 sections
Updated 5 Oct 2026
Reviewed 5 Oct 2026
Click a command to see all its options

F

71 entries

On this page

Getting Help #

Command	Action
	Show examples for a command
	Find commands by name
	Show the properties and methods of the output
	See what an alias points to
	Download help files (admin only in Windows PowerShell 5.1)

Common Aliases #

Alias	Real command
,	( only on Windows)


	(Windows only)
/ /	/ / (Windows only)


/	/ (Windows only)

Files & Folders #

Command	Action
	List, including hidden files
	Find files recursively
	Create a file
	Create a folder ( also works)
	Delete a folder and its contents (permanent, no Recycle Bin, no prompt)
	Copy a folder
	Rename
	Follow a log file (like )
	Write (overwrite)
	Append
	Check whether a path exists
	Search text in files (like grep)
	Create a zip
	Extract a zip
	File checksum
	Open the current folder in Explorer ()

Pipeline #

Command	Action
	Filter (`$_` = current item)
	Pick properties / first N
	Sort
	Group and count
	Count, sum, average
	Run code for each item
	Table output
	Show all properties
	Interactive, filterable window (Windows)
	Save as CSV
	Read a CSV as objects
/	JSON conversion

Comparison Operators #

Operator	Meaning
`-eq` `-ne`	Equal / not equal
`-gt` `-ge` `-lt` `-le`	Greater / less than (or equal)
`-like "*.txt"`	Wildcard match
`-match "^\d+$"`	Regex match
`-contains` / `-in`	Collection contains a value
`-and` `-or` `-not`	Logic

Processes & Services #

Command	Action
	Top CPU processes
	Kill a process by name
	Start as administrator
	Running services
	Restart a service

Network #

Command	Action
	Ping
	Test whether a port is open
	DNS lookup
	IP configuration
	Download a file
	Call an API (parses JSON automatically)

Variables & Environment #

Syntax	Meaning
`$name = "Milan"`	Set a variable
`"Hello $name"`	Variables expand in double quotes (not in single quotes)
`$env:PATH`	Read an environment variable
`$env:API_KEY = "x"`	Set it for this session
`$PROFILE`	Path to your profile script (runs at startup)
`$?` / `$LASTEXITCODE`	Did the last command succeed? / exit code of the last program
`$null`, `$true`, `$false`	Built-in values

Script Basics #

function Get-Greeting([string]$Name = "World") {
    "Hello, $Name!"
}

foreach ($file in Get-ChildItem *.txt) {
    if ($file.Length -gt 1KB) { Write-Host "$($file.Name) is big" }
}

try { Get-Item missing.txt -ErrorAction Stop }
catch { Write-Warning $_.Exception.Message }

Keyboard (PSReadLine) #

Key	Action
`Tab` / `Shift + Tab`	Cycle completions
`Ctrl + Space`	Show all completions as a menu
`Ctrl + R`	Search history
`F2`	Toggle inline / list prediction view (PSReadLine 2.2+, built into PS 7.3+)
`→`	Accept inline suggestion
`Ctrl + C`	Stop the command

Tips #

Scripts blocked? Run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned.
Line continuation: end the line with a backtick ` or with a pipe |.
Install PowerShell 7: winget install Microsoft.PowerShell.

Parameter	What it does
`-Examples`	Only the examples
`-Detailed`	Description of every parameter
`-Full`	Everything
`-Online`	Open the web page
`-Parameter Path`	Help for one parameter
`-ShowWindow`	Help in a searchable window (Windows only, also PowerShell 7)
`Get-Help process`	Search help topics
`Get-Help about_*`	Conceptual topics (`about_Operators`, `about_If`…)

Parameter	What it does
`service`	Wildcard search by name
`-Verb Get`	All commands with a verb
`-Noun Process`	All commands about a noun
`-Module NetTCPIP`	Commands from one module
`-CommandType Cmdlet`	Only cmdlets (`Alias`, `Function`, `Application`)
`-Syntax`	Show the syntax
`gcm git`	Where an external program is (like `which`)

Parameter	What it does
`chrome`	By name (wildcards OK)
`-Id 1234`	By process ID
`-IncludeUserName`	Show the owner (admin)
`-FileVersionInfo`	Version of the program file
`-Module`	Loaded DLLs
`ps \| sort CPU -Desc \| select -First 10`	Top CPU users

Usage / parameter	What it does
`Get-Alias`	All aliases
`Get-Alias ls`	What `ls` points to
`-Definition Get-ChildItem`	All aliases of a command
`Set-Alias np notepad`	Create an alias (put it in `$PROFILE` to keep it)

Parameter	What it does
`-UICulture en-US`	Language of the help
`-Module Microsoft.PowerShell.*`	Only some modules
`-Force`	Update even if done today
`-ErrorAction SilentlyContinue`	Ignore modules without online help

Parameter	What it does
`-Force`	Include hidden and system items
`-Recurse`	Include all subfolders
`-Depth 2`	Recurse at most 2 levels
`-Filter *.log`	Fast filter by name
`-Include .jpg, .png`	Several patterns (use with `-Recurse` or a `\*` path)
`-Exclude *.tmp`	Skip patterns
`-File` / `-Directory`	Files only / folders only
`-Hidden`	Only hidden items
`-Name`	Names only (strings)
`-Attributes ReadOnly`	Filter by attribute
`-FollowSymlink`	Follow links while recursing

Usage / parameter	What it does
`cd C:\dev`	Go to a folder (drive changes automatically)
`cd ..` / `cd ~`	Up one / home folder
`cd -` / `cd +`	Back / forward in the location history (PowerShell 6.2+)
`-LiteralPath`	Path with `[` `]` characters, no wildcards
`-PassThru`	Output the new location
`Push-Location` / `Pop-Location`	Remember a folder and come back (`pushd` / `popd`)

Usage	What it does
`pwd`	Show the current location
`(Get-Location).Path`	As a plain string
`$PWD`	Automatic variable with the same value
`-Stack`	Locations saved with `Push-Location`

Parameter	What it does
`-Tail 20`	Last 20 lines
`-TotalCount 20` (`-Head`)	First 20 lines
`-Wait`	Keep reading new lines (like `tail -f`)
`-Raw`	Whole file as one string (not an array of lines)
`-Encoding utf8`	Choose the encoding
`-Delimiter ","`	Split on a delimiter instead of new lines
`-AsByteStream`	Raw bytes (PowerShell 7; Windows PowerShell: `-Encoding Byte`)