Introduction to PowerShell 1.0

Microsoft Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting tool based on the Microsoft .NET Framework. It is designed for system administrators, engineers and developers to control and automate the administration of Windows and applications.
More than hundred command-line tools (so called "cmdlets") can be used to perform system administration tasks and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). These cmdlets are easy to use, with standard naming conventions and common parameters, and standard tools for piping, sorting, filtering, and formatting data and objects.

PowerShell features the following:

Support for existing scripting languages, existing command-line tools, and multiple versions of Windows.
Support for Windows XP (x86 and x64), Windows Server 2003 (x86 and x64), Windows Vista (x86 and x64) and Windows 2008 (x86 and x64).
PowerShell offers utilities for managing Windows data in different stores and formats, including Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI), Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), Component Object Model (COM) objects, ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), HTML, and XML.
Support for .NET Framework object manipulation at the command line, including pipelining of objects.
Ability to build custom cmdlets to meet unique application and system administration requirements.

Overview of the PowerShell 1.0 Utilities

Add-Content	Get content from item (specific location) More...
Add-History	Add entries to the session history More...
Add-Member	Add a member to an instance of a PowerShell object More...
Add-PsSnapIn	Add snap-ins to the console More...
Clear-Content	Remove content from a file/item More...
Clear-Host	Clear the screen More...
Clear-Host	Clear the screen More...
Clear-Item	Remove content from a variable or an alias More...
Clear-ItemProperty	Delete the value of a property More...
Clear-ItemProperty	Remove the property value from a property More...
Clear-Variable	Remove the value from a variable More...
Compare-Object	Compare the properties of objects More...
ConvertFrom-SecureString	Convert a secure string into an encrypted standard string More...
Convert-Path	Convert a ps path to a provider path More...
ConvertTo-Html	Convert the input into an HTML table More...
ConvertTo-SecureString	Convert an encrypted standard string into a secure string More...
Copy-Item	Copy an item from a namespace location More...
Copy-ItemProperty	Copy a property along with its value More...
Copy-ItemProperty	Copy a property along with it's value More...
Exit	Exit Powershell More...
Export-Alias	Export an alias list to a file More...
Export-Clixml	Produce a clixml representation of powershell objects More...
Export-Console	Export console configuration to a file More...
Export-Csv	Export to Comma Separated Values (spreadsheet) More...
ForEach	Loop through values in the pipeline More...
ForEach-Object	Loop for each object in the pipeline More...
Format-Custom	Format output using a customized view More...
Format-List	Format output as a list of properties, each on a new line More...
Format-Table	Format output as a table More...
Format-Wide	Format output as a table listing one property only More...
Get-Acl	Get permission settings for a file or registry key More...
Get-Alias	Return alias names for Cmdlets More...
Get-AuthenticodeSignature	Get the signature object associated with a file More...
Get-ChildItem	Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key) More...
Get-ChildItem	Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key) More...
Get-ChildItem	Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key) More...
Get-Command	Retrieve basic information about a command More...
Get-Content	Get content from item (specific location) More...
Get-Credential	Get a security credential (username/password) More...
Get-Culture	Get region information (language and keyboard layout) Get r... More...
Get-Date	Get current date and time More...
Get-Eventlog	Get eventlog data More...
Get-ExecutionPolicy	Get the execution policy for the shell More...
Get-Help	Open the help file More...
Get-History	Get a listing of the session history More...
Get-Host	Get host information More...
Get-Item	Get a file object or get a registry (or other namespace) obj... More...
Get-Item	Get a file/registry object (or any other namespace object) More...
Get-ItemProperty	Retrieve the properties of an object More...
Get-ItemProperty	Retrieve the properties of an object More...
Get-Location	Get and display the current location More...
Get-Member	Enumerate the properties of an object More...
Get-Pfxcertificate	Get pfx certificate information More...
Get-Process	Get a list of processes on a machine More...
Get-PSDrive	Get drive information (DriveInfo) More...
Get-PsProvider	Get information for the specified provider More...
Get-PsSnapin	List PowerShell snap-ins on this computer More...
Get-Service	Get a list of services More...
Get-Tracesource	Get components that are instrumented for tracing. More...
Get-Uiculture	Get the ui culture information More...
Get-Unique	Get the unique items in a collection More...
Get-Variable	Get a powershell variable More...
Get-WMIobject	Get WMI class information More...
Group-Object	Group the objects that contain the same value for a common p... More...
if	Conditionally perform a command More...
Import-Alias	Import an alias list from a file More...
Import-Clixml	Import a clixml file and rebuild the PS object More...
Import-Csv	Take values from a CSV list and send objects down the pipeli... More...
Invoke-Expression	Run a PowerShell expression More...
Invoke-History	Invoke a previously executed Cmdlet More...
Invoke-Item	Invoke an executable or open a file (START) More...
Join-Path	Combine a path and child-path More...
Measure-Command	Measure running time More...
Measure-Object	Measure the properties of an object More...
Move-Item	Move an item from one location to another More...
Move-ItemProperty	Move a property from one location to another More...
Move-ItemProperty	Move a property from one location to another More...
New-Alias	Create a new alias. More...
New-Item	Create a new item in a namespace More...
New-ItemProperty	Set a new property More...
New-ItemProperty	Set a new property of an item at a location More...
New-Object	Create a new .Net object More...
New-PSDrive	Install a new drive on the machine More...
New-Service	Create a new service More...
New-Timespan	Create a timespan object More...
New-Variable	Create a new variable More...
Out-Default	Send output to default More...
Out-File	Send command output to a file More...
Out-Host	Send the pipelined output to the host More...
Out-Null	Send output to null More...
Out-Printer	Send the output to a printer More...
Out-String	Send objects to the host as strings More...
Pop-Location	Set the current working location from the stack More...
Pop-Location	Set the current working location from the stack More...
Powershell	Launch a powershell session More...
Push-Location	Push a location to the stack More...
Push-Location	Push a location to the stack More...
Read-Host	Read a line of input from the host console More...
Read-Host	Read a line of input from the host console More...
Remove-Item	Remove an item More...
Remove-Item	Remove an item More...
Remove-ItemProperty	Delete the property and its value from an item More...
Remove-ItemProperty	Remove a property and its value More...
Remove-PSDrive	Remove a provider/drive from its location More...
Remove-PSSnapin	Remove PowerShell snap-ins from the console More...
Remove-Variable	Remove a variable and its value More...
Rename-Item	Change the name of an existing item More...
Rename-ItemProperty	Rename a property of an item More...
Rename-ItemProperty	Rename a property of an item More...
Rename-ItemProperty	Renames a property at its location More...
Resolve-Path	Resolves the wildcards in a path More...
Restart-Service	Stop and then restart a service More...
Resume-Service	Resume a suspended service More...
Select-Object	Select properties of objects. More...
Select-String	Search through strings or files for patterns More...
Set-Acl	Set permissions More...
Set-Alias	Create or change an alias More...
Set-AuthenticodeSignature	Place a signature in a .ps1 script or other file More...
Set-Content	Set content in the item (specific location) More...
Set-Date	Set system time on the host system More...
Set-ExecutionPolicy	Change the execution policy (user preference) More...
Set-Item	Change the value of an item More...
Set-ItemProperty	Set a property at the specified location to a specified valu... More...
Set-ItemProperty	Set the value of a property More...
Set-Location	Set the current working location More...
Set-Location	Set the current working location More...
Set-PSdebug	Turn script debugging on or off More...
Set-Service	Change the start mode/properties of a service More...
Set-Tracesource	Trace a PowerShell component More...
Set-Variable	Set a variable and a value More...
Sort-Object	Sort objects by property value More...
Sort-Object	Sort objects by property value More...
Split-Path	Return part of a path More...
Start-Service	Start a stopped service More...
Start-Sleep	Suspend shell, script, or runspace activity More...
Start-Transcript	Start a transcript of a command shell session More...
Stop-Process	Stop a running process More...
Stop-Process	Stop a running process More...
Stop-Service	Stop a running service More...
Stop-Transcript	Stop the transcription process More...
Suspend-Service	Suspend a running service More...
Tee-Object	Send input objects to two places More...
Test-Path	Return true if the path exists, otherwise return false More...
Trace-Command	Trace an expression or command More...
Trace-Command	Trace an expression or command More...
Update-Formatdata	Update and append format data files More...
Update-Typedata	Update the current extended type configuration More...
Where-Object	Filter input from the pipeline More...
Where-Object	Filter the objects passed along the command pipeline. More...
While	... More...
Write-Debug	Write a debug message to the host display More...
Write-Error	Write an object to the error pipeline. More...
Write-Host	Display objects through the host user interface More...
Write-Output	Write an object to the pipeline More...
Write-Progress	Display a progress bar More...
Write-Verbose	Write a string to the host's verbose display More...
Write-Warning	Write a warning message More...