10 Essential PowerShell Commands to Boost Your Productivity

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Welcome to the world of PowerShell—a command-line superhero for anyone who manages or tinkers with a Windows PC. If you've ever thought of scripting as some arcane tech wizardry, prepare to have your perspective flipped. Armed with PowerShell, you'll discover not just power, but outright wizard-level control over Windows systems. Let’s take a deep dive into ten versatile, time-saving PowerShell commands that bridge the gap between efficiency and innovation in tech-life management.

1. Audit Your USB Devices in Seconds

Imagine being in charge of an IT environment and needing to track down all the USB devices on a set of machines—cue power move time. By leveraging PowerShell's deep connection to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), you can snag every connected USB device using this command:
Code:
gwmi Win32_USBControllerDevice -computername SERVER1 | fl Antecedent,Dependent
This command queries WMI for USB device details. What are the standout terms here? Let's break them down:
  • WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation): Think of it as the eyes and ears of Windows, offering a structured way to access hardware details.
  • Antecedent & Dependent: These fields describe system relationships, including which USB ports are being used and by what device.
Why is this practical? It’s perfect for keeping an audit trail of USB license dongles or ensuring compliance in security-focused environments.

2. Supercharge Your Command Prompt Workflow

Are you nostalgic for the traditional Command Prompt? Fear not—PowerShell allows you to execute all your favorite cmd tasks. For a seamless experience, toss in a shortcut setup so that typing Ctrl + Shift + P launches PowerShell instantly. Unlike cmd, however, PowerShell extends functionality to support scripting, advanced logic, and logging. It's time to bid farewell to cmd.exe and expand into scripting heaven.

3. Exterminate Processes Without a Fuss

We’ve all been there: Task Manager doesn’t seem to be handling that rogue program eating your RAM. Enter PowerShell with a calculated strike:
Code:
get-process BadTh* | stop-process -id <ProcessID> -Force
With get-process, you locate the application, and stop-process cleanly shuts it down. Add the -Force parameter, and you've got the digital form of a hard stop. But caution: mixed with critical processes, a "force stop" could be catastrophic—no safety nets exist here. Proceed carefully.

4. Navigate Beyond Drives with PSDrive

This might be a game-changer for system admins: PSDrive isn’t just for traditional storage drives—it lets you interact with mysterious beacons of Windows' inner workings such as the registry HKLM: drive. Try this:
Code:
cd HKLM:
From here, you’re in Registry Editor territory but with bulk-editing powers. Security pros, analysts, and curious tinkerers, say hello to advanced configuration made almost too easy.

5. NTFS Permissions? Meet PowerShell

Do terms like NTFS ACLs (Access Control Lists) make you yawn? Well, PowerShell brings the excitement back to file permissions:
Code:
Get-ChildItem N:\Data -recurse | Get-Acl | Export-Csv c:\permissions.csv
Here’s your top-tier auditing solution:
  • Get-ChildItem: Scans all files within the directory.
  • Get-Acl: Fetches Access Control List data.
  • Export-Csv: Outputs these findings to a neat CSV file.
Why is this powerful? Use it for security audits, access diagnostics, and detailed traces of file permissions in large deployments.

6. Background Heavy Lifting, the Smart Way

Long-running jobs eating up your time? Use background jobs with PowerShell to multitask like a pro:
Code:
start-psjob -ScriptBlock { Get-ChildItem -Recurse }
Get-PSJob
While jobs run in the background, you can keep working without interruption. Reclaim lost productivity minutes every week, because let’s face it—time is money.

7. Insert Timestamp Marks into Logs

If you're writing scripts for automation and need time-stamped progress markers, this minor trick can feel monumental:
Code:
$(Get-Date -format g)
Or, for ISO complainers:
Code:
$(Get-Date -format o)
Output examples:
  • 12/12/2024 9:15 PM
  • 2024-12-12T21:15:13.0368750-05:00
For debugging processes or historical logs, timestamps ensure clarity and reproducibility.

8. Verify Your Network Like a Pro

Are you alive on the network? Forget ping; you want PowerShell. Perform connection status verification with this command:
Code:
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName techrepublic.com -Port 80
With this one line, PowerShell checks both host and specific port accessibility. Bonus tip: swap in Test-Connection for ICMP-based reachability testing. Diagnose everything from DNS hiccups to firewall blockages.

9. Hash That File and Prove Its Integrity

SecOps specialists (and treasure hunters), you're going to love this. Verify file integrity with cryptographic hashing:
Code:
Get-FileHash -Path "N:\Data\Report.txt" -Algorithm SHA256
The default SHA256 is robust, though you can switch to older algorithms like SHA1 or even MD5 (although outdated). Compare your hash results against a trusted source to ensure no tampering, corruption, or hidden surprises.

10. Stop and Smell the Roses

Some commands churn data faster than you can blink. Enter EasyView, a custom-built PowerShell function to display results at your own pace:
Code:
function EasyView { process { $_; Start-Sleep -seconds 0.5 } }
Pipe that output:
Code:
Get-ChildItem N:\Data | EasyView
Now, each item prints onscreen at half-second intervals—a lifesaver when sifting through overwhelming amounts of data.

Closing Thoughts: Why PowerShell Is Your Productivity BFF​

Whether you're a seasoned Windows veteran or a scripting rookie, PowerShell's potential is staggering. From taming unruly processes to fostering workplace automation, these ten commands are just the tip of a massive iceberg. We've demystified some intimidating tools—so go forth and wreak organized, productive havoc!
Are you ready to share your favorite PowerShell moments or maybe suggest a hack we missed? Sound off on the forums! Let’s keep the productivity train rolling.

Source: TechRepublic 10 Cool and Useful PowerShell Commands to Enhance Productivity
 


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