How to Get and Set Window Size in PowerShell?

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Recently, I wanted a PowerShell script to get the Windows size to display output correctly. In this tutorial, I will explain how to get and set the window size in PowerShell using various methods.

By default, the PowerShell console window has a predefined size, but you might need to adjust it for better readability or to fit specific output requirements.

Get the Current Window Size in PowerShell

To get the current size of the PowerShell window, you can use the following script. This script retrieves the width and height of the console window.

$host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize

This command returns an object with the properties Width and Height, which represent the current dimensions of the PowerShell window.

Example: Displaying Current Window Size

Let’s say you’re working on a server and you want to check the current PowerShell window size:

$windowSize = $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize
Write-Output "Current Window Size: Width = $($windowSize.Width), Height = $($windowSize.Height)"

I executed the above PowerShell script in the local system, and you can see the exact output in the screenshot below:

Get the Current Window Size in PowerShell

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Set the Window Size in PowerShell

To set the PowerShell window size, you can modify the WindowSize property of the RawUI object. Here’s a script to set the window size to a specific width and height.

Example: Setting Window Size to 120×40

Suppose you want to set the PowerShell window size to a width of 120 and a height of 40. You can use the following script:

$size = $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize
$size.Width = 120
$size.Height = 40
$host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize = $size

This script first retrieves the current window size, modifies the width and height, and then applies the new size to the PowerShell window.

Handle Errors and Exceptions

When changing the window size, it’s important to handle potential errors. For instance, setting a window size larger than the screen resolution can cause issues. Here’s how you can handle such exceptions:

try {
    $size = $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize
    $size.Width = 120
    $size.Height = 40
    $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize = $size
    Write-Output "Window size set to Width = 120, Height = 40"
} catch {
    Write-Error "Failed to set window size: $_"
}

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Maximize the PowerShell Window

If you want to maximize the PowerShell window, you can use the following script. This script calculates the maximum possible window size based on the screen resolution.

Add-Type @"
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
public class Screen {
    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    public static extern IntPtr GetForegroundWindow();
    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    public static extern IntPtr GetWindowRect(IntPtr hWnd, ref RECT rect);
    public struct RECT {
        public int Left;
        public int Top;
        public int Right;
        public int Bottom;
    }
    public static RECT GetWindowRect() {
        IntPtr hWnd = GetForegroundWindow();
        RECT rect = new RECT();
        GetWindowRect(hWnd, ref rect);
        return rect;
    }
}
"@

$rect = [Screen]::GetWindowRect()
$width = $rect.Right - $rect.Left
$height = $rect.Bottom - $rect.Top

$size = $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize
$size.Width = [Math]::Min($width, $host.UI.RawUI.MaxPhysicalWindowSize.Width)
$size.Height = [Math]::Min($height, $host.UI.RawUI.MaxPhysicalWindowSize.Height)
$host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize = $size

This script uses Windows API calls to get the screen resolution and then sets the PowerShell window size to the maximum possible dimensions.

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Set Window Size and Position using PowerShell

In addition to setting the window size, you might also want to set the position of the PowerShell window on the screen. Here’s a script to set both the size and position:

Add-Type @"
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
public class User32 {
    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    public static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int X, int Y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);
    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    public static extern IntPtr GetForegroundWindow();
}
"@

$hWnd = [User32]::GetForegroundWindow()
$null = [User32]::SetWindowPos($hWnd, [IntPtr]::Zero, 100, 100, 800, 600, 0)

$size = $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize
$size.Width = 100
$size.Height = 40
$host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize = $size

This script sets the PowerShell window to a size of 800×600 pixels and positions it at coordinates (100, 100) on the screen.

Automate Window Size for Scripts

Automating the window size can save time if you frequently run scripts that produce large amounts of output. For instance, if you manage multiple servers and need to monitor log files, you can set the window size to display more lines of text:

$size = $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize
$size.Width = 150
$size.Height = 50
$host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize = $size

# Run your log monitoring script
Get-Content -Path "C:\Logs\ServerLog.txt" -Wait

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Enhance Windows Size For Presentations and Demos

When presenting PowerShell scripts to an audience, a larger window size can make the text more readable. Here’s a script to maximize the window size for presentations:

$size = $host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize
$size.Width = $host.UI.RawUI.MaxPhysicalWindowSize.Width
$size.Height = $host.UI.RawUI.MaxPhysicalWindowSize.Height
$host.UI.RawUI.WindowSize = $size

Conclusion

In this tutorial, I explained how to get and set Windows size using PowerShell. I hope these scripts will be helpful.

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