Running PowerShell Scripts

PowerShell is a powerful task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft. It includes a command-line shell and scripting language built on .NET. Running PowerShell scripts is an essential skill for any system administrator or developer who works with Windows systems. In this tutorial, we will cover the basics of running PowerShell scripts.

Prerequisites

Before you can run a PowerShell script, you need to ensure that you have PowerShell installed on your system and that the execution policy is set to allow script execution. The execution policy determines which scripts are allowed to run on your system. To set the execution policy, you can use the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet.

Running Scripts from PowerShell

To run a PowerShell script from within PowerShell, follow these steps:

1. Launch Windows PowerShell as an Administrator.
2. Navigate to the directory where your script is located using the cd command. For example:

   PS> cd C:\my_path\yada_yada\
   

3. Execute the script by typing .\ followed by the name of your script file. For example:

   PS> .\run_import_script.ps1
   

Running Scripts from Command Prompt

You can also run PowerShell scripts from the Command Prompt (cmd.exe). To do this, use the following command:

powershell -noexit "& 'C:\my_path\yada_yada\run_import_script.ps1'"

This will launch PowerShell, execute your script, and then remain open.

Alternatively, if you are using PowerShell 2.0 or later, you can use the -File parameter to invoke a script from another environment:

Powershell.exe -File C:\my_path\yada_yada\run_import_script.ps1

Bypassing Execution Policy

If you want to run a script without modifying the default script execution policy, you can use the bypass switch when launching Windows PowerShell. For example:

powershell [-noexit] -executionpolicy bypass -File <Filename>

Replace <Filename> with the path to your script file.

Tips and Best Practices

• Always ensure that your scripts are located in a trusted directory to avoid potential security risks.
• Use the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet to set the execution policy for your system. Common policies include Restricted, AllSigned, RemoteSigned, Unrestricted, Bypass, and Undefined.
• Consider signing your scripts with a digital certificate to ensure their integrity and authenticity.

By following these steps and tips, you should be able to successfully run PowerShell scripts on your Windows system.