Essential PowerShell Commands for System Administrators

Unlock the full potential of your Windows systems with these powerful PowerShell commands.

Key Takeaways

Comprehensive System Management: PowerShell offers commands that cover every aspect of system administration, from service management to network diagnostics.
Enhanced Automation Capabilities: Utilize scripts and commands to automate routine tasks, enhancing efficiency and reducing the potential for human error.
Detailed Monitoring and Reporting: Gain in-depth insights into system performance and health through specialized PowerShell commands.

Introduction to PowerShell Commands

PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft, consisting of a command-line shell and the associated scripting language. It is built on the .NET framework and is designed to help system administrators automate tasks and manage system configurations more efficiently. The following list encompasses some of the most useful PowerShell commands that can significantly streamline your workflow.

Comprehensive PowerShell Command List

The table below provides a curated list of essential PowerShell commands, each accompanied by a detailed description, category classification, and relevant tags to help you navigate and utilize them effectively.

Name	Command	Description	Category	Hotkey	Icon Path	Use PowerShell	Run as Admin	Tags
List All Services	`Get-Service`	Retrieves a list of all services on the local computer.	System Management	None	icons\services.png	Yes	No	Services, System
Stop a Service	`Stop-Service -Name 'ServiceName'`	Stops a specific service by its name.	System Management	None	icons\stop.png	Yes	Yes	Services, System
Get Help on a Command	`Get-Help -Name 'CommandName'`	Provides detailed help information about a specific PowerShell command.	Learning	None	icons\help.png	Yes	No	Help, Documentation
List All Commands	`Get-Command`	Lists all available commands in PowerShell.	Learning	None	icons\list.png	Yes	No	Commands, List
Export Data to CSV	`Get-Process \| Export-Csv -Path 'C:\path\to\file.csv' -NoTypeInformation`	Exports the output of a command to a CSV file.	Data Management	None	icons\export.png	Yes	No	Export, CSV, Data
List Directory Contents	`Get-ChildItem -Path 'C:\path\to\directory'`	Lists the contents of a specified directory.	File Management	None	icons\folder.png	Yes	No	Directory, Files
Get System Information	`Get-ComputerInfo`	Retrieves detailed information about the local computer.	System Management	None	icons\system-info.png	Yes	No	System, Information
Top 5 CPU Processes	`Get-Process \| Sort-Object CPU -Descending \| Select-Object -First 5 -Property Name,Id,@{Name="Usage";Expression={ $uptime=New-TimeSpan -Start $_.StartTime; if($uptime.TotalSeconds -gt 0){[math]::Round( ($_.CPU/$uptime.TotalSeconds)*100,2 )} else {0} }},StartTime \| Format-Table -AutoSize`	Shows the top 5 CPU processes currently running.	System Management	None	icons\adobe-photoshop-align horizontal centers.png	Yes	No	CPU, Processor, Applications
Disk Space Overview	`Get-PSDrive -PSProvider 'FileSystem' \| Select-Object Name, @{Name='Used(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($_.Used/1GB),2)}}, @{Name='Free(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($_.Free/1GB),2)}}, @{Name='Total(GB)';Expression={[math]::Round(($_.Used+$_.Free)/1GB,2)}} \| Format-Table -AutoSize`	Shows an overview of disk space usage across all mounted file system drives.	Storage Management	None	icons\disk-space.png	Yes	No	Disk, Storage, FileSystem
Network Connection Stats	`Get-NetTCPConnection \| Group-Object -Property State \| Select-Object Name,Count \| Format-Table -AutoSize`	Displays a count of TCP connections grouped by their state.	Networking	None	icons\network.png	Yes	No	Network, TCP, Connections
Recent Event Log Errors	`Get-EventLog -LogName System -EntryType Error -Newest 10 \| Format-Table TimeGenerated, EntryType, Source, Message -AutoSize`	Fetches the 10 most recent error events from the System event log.	Logging	None	icons\event-log.png	Yes	Yes	EventLog, Error, System
List Running Services	`Get-Service \| Where-Object {$_.Status -eq 'Running'} \| Select-Object Name, DisplayName, Status \| Format-Table -AutoSize`	Shows all currently running services on the system.	System Management	None	icons\service-running.png	Yes	No	Services, System, Diagnostics
System Information Overview	`Get-ComputerInfo \| Select-Object WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion, OsHardwareAbstractionLayer, CsManufacturer, CsModel \| Format-List`	Retrieves comprehensive system and operating system properties.	System Management	None	icons\computer-info.png	Yes	No	System, Hardware, Information
Active Network Connections	`Get-NetTCPConnection \| Where-Object {$_.State -eq 'Established'} \| Select-Object LocalAddress, LocalPort, RemoteAddress, RemotePort, State \| Format-Table -AutoSize`	Lists all active TCP network connections.	Network Management	None	icons\network-connections.png	Yes	No	Network, Connections, TCP
Event Log Recent Errors	`Get-WinEvent -LogName System -MaxEvents 20 \| Where-Object {$_.LevelDisplayName -eq 'Error'} \| Select-Object TimeCreated, Id, Message \| Format-Table -Wrap`	Retrieves the 20 most recent system error events.	System Diagnostics	None	icons\error-log.png	Yes	No	Logs, Errors, Diagnostics
Disk Space Usage	`Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem \| Select-Object Root, Used, Free, @{Name='PercentFree';Expression={[math]::Round(($_.Free/($_.Used+$_.Free))*100,2)}} \| Format-Table -AutoSize`	Shows disk space usage and percentage of free space.	System Management	None	icons\hard-drive.png	Yes	No	Disk, Storage, Space
Top 5 Memory Processes	`Get-Process \| Sort-Object WS -Descending \| Select-Object -First 5 -Property Name,Id,WS,StartTime \| Format-Table -AutoSize`	Displays the top 5 processes consuming the most memory.	System Management	None	icons\memory.png	Yes	No	Memory, RAM, Applications
Restart DHCP Service	`Restart-Service DHCP`	Restarts the DHCP service.	Network Management	None	icons\network.png	Yes	Yes	DHCP, Network, Service
Get CPU Usage for a Process	`Get-Counter '\\Process(cpu*)\\% Processor Time' \| Select-Object -ExpandProperty CounterSamples \| Select-Object InstanceName,@{Name="CPU %";Expression={[Decimal]::Round($_.CookedValue, 2)}}`	Displays CPU usage for processes named 'cpu'.	Performance Monitoring	None	icons\cpu-usage.png	Yes	No	CPU, Performance
List All Files in a Directory Recursively	`Get-ChildItem -Path C:\directory -Recurse`	Lists all files and subdirectories within a specified directory.	File Management	None	icons\folder.png	Yes	No	Files, Directories
Stop a Process by Name	`Stop-Process -Name notepad`	Stops all instances of a process by its name.	Process Management	None	icons\stop-process.png	Yes	No	Process, Stop
Check Network Connection	`Test-NetConnection -ComputerName google.com -Port 80`	Tests network connectivity to a specific host and port.	Network Management	None	icons\network-connection.png	Yes	No	Network, Connectivity
Get System Information	`Get-ComputerInfo`	Displays detailed system and operating system properties.	System Information	None	icons\system-info.png	Yes	No	System, Info
List Available PowerShell Commands	`Get-Command`	Lists all available PowerShell commands.	PowerShell Management	None	icons\powershell-commands.png	Yes	No	PowerShell, Commands

Advanced PowerShell Usage

Beyond the basic commands, PowerShell offers advanced functionalities that can further enhance your system management capabilities. Scripts can be written to perform complex tasks, automate repetitive processes, and integrate with other tools and services.

Scripting and Automation

PowerShell scripts allow you to combine multiple commands and logic to perform intricate tasks. For example, automating the monitoring of system resources, deploying software across multiple machines, or managing user accounts can all be achieved through scripting.

# Example: Automate Service Restart
$services = "DHCP", "W32Time"
foreach ($service in $services) {
    Restart-Service -Name $service -Force
    Write-Output "$service has been restarted."
}

Integrating with Other Tools

PowerShell can seamlessly integrate with other Windows tools and third-party applications. This interoperability allows for comprehensive system management and the ability to extend PowerShell's capabilities through modules and add-ons.

Error Handling and Logging

Effective error handling ensures that your scripts can gracefully handle unexpected situations, while logging provides a record of actions taken and any issues encountered.

# Example: Error Handling in Scripts
Try {
    Stop-Service -Name "NonExistentService" -ErrorAction Stop
} Catch {
    Write-Error "Failed to stop service: $_"
}

Best Practices for PowerShell Usage

Adhering to best practices ensures that your use of PowerShell is both effective and secure.

Security Considerations

Always be cautious when running scripts from untrusted sources. Use the Get-Help command to understand what each script does before execution. Additionally, consider implementing execution policies and using digital signatures for your scripts.

Consistent Naming Conventions

Adopting consistent naming conventions for your scripts and functions makes them easier to understand and maintain. This practice is especially beneficial in collaborative environments.

Documentation and Comments

Well-documented scripts with clear comments enhance readability and facilitate easier troubleshooting and updates.

# Example: Documenting a Script
<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Restarts specified services.

.DESCRIPTION
    This script restarts a list of services provided in the $services array.

.PARAMETER None

.EXAMPLE
    ./Restart-Services.ps1
#>

$services = "DHCP", "W32Time"
foreach ($service in $services) {
    Restart-Service -Name $service -Force
    Write-Output "$service has been restarted."
}

Conclusion

PowerShell is an indispensable tool for system administrators, offering a vast array of commands that simplify and automate complex tasks. By mastering these essential commands and adhering to best practices, you can significantly enhance your efficiency and effectiveness in managing Windows environments.