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about_PowerShell.exe



This is the built-in help made by Microsoft for the document 'about_PowerShell.exe', in PowerShell version 5 - as retrieved from Windows version 'Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard' PowerShell help files on 2016-06-24.

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about_PowerShell.exe
TOPIC
about_PowerShell.exe

SHORT DESCRIPTION
Explains how to use the PowerShell.exe command-line tool. Displays
the syntax and describes the command-line switches.

PowerShell.exe starts a Windows PowerShell session. You can use it
in Cmd.exe and in Windows PowerShell.

LONG DESCRIPTION
SYNTAX
PowerShell[.exe]
[-EncodedCommand <Base64EncodedCommand>]
[-ExecutionPolicy <ExecutionPolicy>]
[-InputFormat {Text | XML}]
[-Mta]
[-NoExit]
[-NoLogo]
[-NonInteractive]
[-NoProfile]
[-OutputFormat {Text | XML}]
[-PSConsoleFile <FilePath> | -Version <Windows PowerShell version>]
[-Sta]
[-WindowStyle <style>]
[-File <FilePath> [<Args>]]
[-Command { - | <script-block> [-args <arg-array>]
| <string> [<CommandParameters>] } ]
PowerShell[.exe] -Help | -? | /?

PARAMETERS

-EncodedCommand <Base64EncodedCommand>
Accepts a base-64-encoded string version of a command.
Use this parameter to submit commands to Windows PowerShell
that require complex quotation marks or curly braces.

-ExecutionPolicy <ExecutionPolicy>
Sets the default execution policy for the current session
and saves it in the $env:PSExecutionPolicyPreference environment
variable. This parameter does not change the Windows PowerShell
execution policy that is set in the registry. For information
about Windows PowerShell execution policies, including a list
of valid values, see about_Execution_Policies
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170).

-File <FilePath> [<Parameters>]
Runs the specified script in the local scope ("dot-sourced"),
so that the functions and variables that the script creates
are available in the current session. Enter the script file
path and any parameters. File must be the last parameter in
the command, because all characters typed after the File
parameter name are interpreted as the script file path followed
by the script parameters.

You can include the parameters of a script, and parameter
values, in the value of the File parameter. For example:
-File .\Get-Script.ps1 -Domain Central

Typically, the switch parameters of a script are either
included or omitted. For example, the following command
uses the All parameter of the Get-Script.ps1 script file:
-File .\Get-Script.ps1 -All

In rare cases, you might need to provide a Boolean value
for a switch parameter. To provide a Boolean value for a
switch parameter in the value of the File parameter,
enclose the parameter name and value in curly braces,
such as the following:
-File .\Get-Script.ps1 {-All:$False}.


-InputFormat {Text | XML}
Describes the format of data sent to Windows PowerShell. Valid
values are "Text" (text strings) or "XML" (serialized CLIXML format).

-Mta
Starts Windows PowerShell using a multi-threaded apartment. This
parameter is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0. In Windows
PowerShell 2.0, multi-threaded apartment (MTA) is the default.
In Windows PowerShell 3.0, single-threaded apartment (STA) is
the default.

-NoExit
Does not exit after running startup commands.

-NoLogo
Hides the copyright banner at startup.

-NonInteractive
Does not present an interactive prompt to the user.

-NoProfile
Does not load the Windows PowerShell profile.

-OutputFormat {Text | XML}
Determines how output from Windows PowerShell is formatted.
Valid values are "Text" (text strings) or "XML" (serialized
CLIXML format).

-PSConsoleFile <FilePath>
Loads the specified Windows PowerShell console file. Enter
the path and name of the console file. To create a console file,
use the Export-Console cmdlet in Windows PowerShell.

-Sta
Starts Windows PowerShell using a single-threaded apartment. In
Windows PowerShell 2.0, multi-threaded apartment (MTA) is the default.
In Windows PowerShell 3.0, single-threaded apartment (STA) is the
default.

-Version <Windows PowerShell Version>
Starts the specified version of Windows PowerShell. Valid values
are 2.0 and 3.0. The version that you specify must be installed
on the system. If Windows PowerShell 3.0 is installed on the
computer, "3.0" is the default version. Otherwise, "2.0" is the
default version. For more information, see "Installing Windows
PowerShell" in the Windows PowerShell Getting Started Guide.



-WindowStyle <Window style>
Sets the window style for the session. Valid values are Normal,
Minimized, Maximized and Hidden.

-Command
Executes the specified commands (and any parameters) as though
they were typed at the Windows PowerShell command prompt, and
then exits, unless the NoExit parameter is specified.

The value of Command can be "-", a string. or a script block. If
the value of Command is "-", the command text is read from standard
input.

Script blocks must be enclosed in braces ({}). You can specify a
script block only when running PowerShell.exe in Windows PowerShell.
The results of the script are returned to the parent shell as
deserialized XML objects, not live objects.

If the value of Command is a string, Command must be the last
parameter in the command , because any characters typed after
the command are interpreted as the command arguments.

To write a string that runs a Windows PowerShell command, use the
format:
"& {<command>}"
where the quotation marks indicate a string and the invoke operator
(&) causes the command to be executed.

-Help, -?, /?
Displays help for PowerShell.exe. If you are typing a PowerShell.exe
command in Windows PowerShell, prepend the command parameters with a
hyphen (-), not a forward slash (/). You can use either a hyphen or
forward slash in Cmd.exe.


REMARKS:
Troubleshooting note: In Windows PowerShell 2.0, starting some programs
from the Windows PowerShell console fails with a LastExitCode of 0xc0000142.



EXAMPLES
PowerShell -PSConsoleFile sqlsnapin.psc1

PowerShell -Version 2.0 -NoLogo -InputFormat text -OutputFormat XML

PowerShell -Command {Get-EventLog -LogName security}

PowerShell -Command "& {Get-EventLog -LogName security}"

# To use the -EncodedCommand parameter:
$command = "dir 'c:\program files' "
$bytes = [System.Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetBytes($command)
$encodedCommand = [Convert]::ToBase64String($bytes)
powershell.exe -encodedCommand $encodedCommand


SEE ALSO
about_PowerShell_Ise.exe (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=256512)