Recently, someone asked me to get the computer’s name in PowerShell. I tried different methods. In this tutorial, I will show you how to get the computer name in PowerShell using various cmdlets. To get the computer name in PowerShell, you can use several methods. The simplest is using the environment variable $env:COMPUTERNAME. Alternatively, you … Read more
Recently, I gave an online session on pipeline variables for a PowerShell user group. In this tutorial, I will explain everything about PowerShell pipeline variables with examples. Pipeline variables in PowerShell, introduced with the -PipelineVariable parameter in PowerShell 7, allow you to store the output of a command within a pipeline for reuse later in the same … Read more
Recently, someone asked me about different methods to generate random numbers in PowerShell. I suggested different methods with examples. In this tutorial, I will show you how to generate random numbers in PowerShell with examples. To generate random numbers in PowerShell, you can use the Get-Random cmdlet. For example, to generate a single random number, … Read more
To set an environment variable in PowerShell, assign it with $env:, and to get it, read $env: the same way. This lasts until you close the window: Output: To keep a variable after you close PowerShell, save it to the User or Machine scope with [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable. Below I cover every way to set, get, persist … Read more
To generate a random string in PowerShell, turn a list of allowed characters into an array, pick characters with Get-Random in a loop, and join them with -join: Output (yours will differ): That’s fine for test data and file names. For passwords, API keys or tokens, use the secure method further down, since Get-Random isn’t … Read more
To set a variable in PowerShell, type a dollar sign, the name, an equals sign and the value, like $state = ‘Texas’. PowerShell creates the variable the first time you assign it: Output: That’s how you’ll set almost every variable. The cmdlets New-Variable and Set-Variable are for special cases, which I cover below. I ran … Read more
To generate a random password in PowerShell 7.4 or later, pick characters with Get-SecureRandom, which uses a cryptographically secure generator, and join them into a string: For Windows PowerShell 5.1, or when you must guarantee every character type, use the New-RandomPassword function below. Every password in this post is a fresh random sample, so yours … Read more
To remove an environment variable in PowerShell for the current session, run Remove-Item on the Env: drive: That only affects the current window. To delete a variable permanently, use the .NET method with the User or Machine scope, which I cover below. I also show a change in PowerShell 7.5 that trips up older scripts. … Read more
To increment a variable in PowerShell, use the ++ operator, like $count++, to add 1. Use += to add any other amount, and — to subtract 1: Output: That covers numbers. Strings, IDs with leading zeros and variables inside functions need a little more care, which I show below. Every example ran in PowerShell 7.6 … Read more
Recently, one of my team members got a requirement from the client to create a variable with multiple values in PowerShell. I suggested a few useful methods. In this tutorial, I will explain how to create variables with multiple values in PowerShell with examples. To create a variable with multiple values in PowerShell, use an … Read more