A multidimensional array in PowerShell is usually an array of arrays, called a jagged array. Each inner array is a row, and you read a value with two indexes, $array[row][column]: Output: PowerShell also has true two-dimensional arrays like [int[,]], covered further down. I ran every example in PowerShell 7.6 and Windows PowerShell 5.1, with the … Read more
To convert seconds to hours and minutes in PowerShell, turn the number into a TimeSpan with New-TimeSpan -Seconds. Its Hours, Minutes and Seconds properties hold the parts, and ToString formats it as hh:mm:ss: Output: The backslashes in ‘hh\:mm\:ss’ are required, because a colon means something special in TimeSpan formats. Every example ran in PowerShell 7.6 … Read more
To clear PowerShell history completely, clear the session list and delete the PSReadLine history file, which is what the Up arrow reads from: Then close and reopen PowerShell. Below I show both kinds of history, how to remove only one sensitive line, and how to stop PowerShell from saving commands. PowerShell keeps two kinds of … Read more
To get the BIOS version with PowerShell, run (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_BIOS).SMBIOSBIOSVersion. It works in PowerShell 7 and Windows PowerShell 5.1 and doesn’t need admin rights: Output: I replaced this PC’s real BIOS details with placeholders like Contoso, 1.24.0 and ABC1234XYZ, and blacked them out in the screenshots. Your output will show your own values. Get … Read more
To get the BIOS serial number using PowerShell, read the SerialNumber property of the Win32_BIOS class. One line does it, with no admin rights needed: Output: That’s the same number printed on the sticker of most laptops and desktops. Below I compare the other places Windows stores serials, replace the old wmic command, and collect … Read more
To append text to a file in PowerShell, use Add-Content with the file path and the text. It adds the text as a new line at the end, and leaves everything already in the file alone: Output: I ran every example in PowerShell 7.6 and Windows PowerShell 5.1. Most behave the same, but mixing Add-Content … Read more
Test-NetConnection checks whether your computer can reach another host, and whether a specific TCP port on it is open. Give it a computer name and a port: Output: TcpTestSucceeded True means the port accepted a connection. I selected three properties because the full output also lists your own IP address and network adapter. Every example … Read more
PowerShell Invoke-WebRequest sends an HTTP or HTTPS request and returns the full response: status code, headers, content and links. The simplest call is a GET request to a URL: Below I cover GET and POST requests, custom headers, downloading files, calling a REST API and handling errors. I tested these against real sites in PowerShell … Read more
To list local users with PowerShell, run Get-LocalUser. It returns every local account on the PC, including the built-in ones, with whether each is enabled: Output: Below I filter enabled accounts, compare Get-LocalUser with net user and CIM, export a report and check remote PCs. I masked my own account names in the output. What … Read more
To use curl in PowerShell, type curl.exe instead of curl. Windows 10 and 11 include the real curl, and the .exe makes sure you get it rather than an alias: Output: In Windows PowerShell 5.1, plain curl is an alias for Invoke-WebRequest, so your curl options fail. Below I show the difference, send JSON without … Read more