UP
MENU

Digital Citizen

SEARCH

PowerShell

How to use PowerShell in Windows, and become a command-line guru. Use PowerShell to remove apps, reinstall them, configure Windows, and more.

How to create a file on a Windows computer

How to create a file on a Windows computer

Creating a file is a basic but important task that any computer user should know how to do. Especially as there are several different ways you can create new files in Windows, and most are quite easy and intuitive. Yes, some are visual and involve using only the operating system’s interface or your installed applications. Others rely on using commands that create files from the
How to create dummy files in Windows

How to create dummy files in Windows

While many everyday users might not immediately see the need to create random dummy files of a specific size, tech enthusiasts, software developers, and power users understand how valuable these files can sometimes be. Dummy files are useful for testing purposes, such as identifying bad sectors on a hard drive, measuring network speed, or ensuring that files are securely erased beyond recovery. Whatever your reasons,
How to get system info, view, and kill processes in CMD

How to get system info, view, and kill processes in CMD

You can easily view information about your computer using Windows graphical tools like Task Manager or System Information. However, some users prefer terminal environments like the Command Prompt or PowerShell for almost everything. If you're curious about how to get system info in CMD (Command Prompt) or want to learn how to view and manage running processes from Windows’ CMD, keep reading. I'll show you
How to use disk management commands (diskpart, chkdsk, defrag) in Windows

How to use disk management commands (diskpart, chkdsk, defrag) in Windows

One of the easiest ways to manage your disks in Windows is by using the Disk Management tool. However, if you prefer command-line interfaces, you can perform several disk management tasks using Command Prompt or PowerShell. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use Diskpart and its commands to create, format, delete, hide, and unhide partitions. I’ll also show you how to use Chkdsk
What is ping? How do you use ping commands in Windows?

What is ping? How do you use ping commands in Windows?

You don’t need to be a networking guru to have come across the term ping while working with computers, setting up networking devices such as wireless routers, dealing with online applications, or playing games online. If you’re wondering what ping means and what the ping command does, read on. In this guide, I’ll explain how ping works, what you can use it for, and what
How to change a drive’s letter in Windows

How to change a drive’s letter in Windows

Windows assigns drive letters for all the hard disk drives, solid-state drives, optical media units, removable drives, and memory cards connected to your computer. Because the operating system does that on its own, you might be tempted to think that these drive letters cannot be changed. However, that is not true because Windows lets you change the drive letter of any drive as long as
How to check the Windows installation date

How to check the Windows installation date

Do you need to know when you installed Windows on your computer? You may require this information for work or you may want it just to brag about how stable your operating system is after all these years of abuse. Or perhaps you just don’t want your Windows to run for more than six months without reinstalling it. Whatever the reason, here’s how to check
How to count files in a folder with PowerShell, CMD, or File Explorer

How to count files in a folder with PowerShell, CMD, or File Explorer

Sometimes, you need to know exactly how many files or folders are stored inside a certain folder. Whether for work or your own statistics, if you have a Windows device, there are quite a few ways to find this information. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to count the number of files in a directory, read on. Here are four methods to count the items
What is PowerShell and how do you use it?

What is PowerShell and how do you use it?

While many casual users know about the Command Prompt, only a few have heard about Windows PowerShell. PowerShell is not the same as Command Prompt - it’s a much more powerful tool that was created to replace Command Prompt, delivering more power and control over the operating system. Would you like to get a better understanding of what PowerShell is, why it’s such a powerful
How to export a folder tree to a file (including Excel)

How to export a folder tree to a file (including Excel)

Did you ever need to export the entire directory tree from a particular folder? Did you need to get a text or Excel document that lists all the files and folders inside a specific folder from your computer in a hierarchical structure? I needed this when trying to create a document that was supposed to be a summary of all the Word documents and Excel
How to list all the users on a Windows computer (7 ways)

How to list all the users on a Windows computer (7 ways)

Sometimes, you may need to extract a list of all the user accounts on a Windows computer. What if you want to see all the hidden user accounts that exist alongside your user account? Can you use graphical tools in Windows to learn all that? Can you list all users with Windows’ CMD? Moreover, which Windows PowerShell CLI command can be used to list the
How to reinstall all the Windows default apps with PowerShell

How to reinstall all the Windows default apps with PowerShell

Some people do not like the universal apps installed by default In Windows 10 or Windows 11 and want to get rid of them. They can manually uninstall most of them using the Settings app or PowerShell. Apps like Calendar, Mail, Camera, Photos, or Candy Crush Soda Saga can be gone from a Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer in no time. So how do
How to uninstall Windows apps with PowerShell

How to uninstall Windows apps with PowerShell

Both Windows 11 and Windows 10 come with quite a few pre-installed universal apps, such as Calendar, Mail, Camera, or Photos. While some people like them and find them useful, others don’t. If you don't want some of these bundled apps on your Windows computer, you might wonder if they can be removed from your system. While a few of the built-in apps can be
How to change the IP address in Windows 10 and Windows 11 (4 ways)

How to change the IP address in Windows 10 and Windows 11 (4 ways)

Have you ever wondered how to change the IP address in Windows 10 or Windows 11? Do you want to learn how to do that from the Settings app or the Control Panel? Maybe you’re a command-line fan and want to learn how to change the IP address from Command Prompt or PowerShell? Read on and find out how all of these are done in
6 ways to find your IP address in Windows

6 ways to find your IP address in Windows

The IP address or Internet Protocol address is a numerical label used in networks to identify and locate network devices, from computers and smartphones to printers, TVs, and other devices. The IP address can be a useful piece of information, especially when you want to set up your home router or connect to other devices on a network. But how do you see a computer’s
How to print the list of running processes in Windows

How to print the list of running processes in Windows

One of our readers asked us: “How do you print the list of running processes from Task Manager?”. Unfortunately, you can’t do this from Task Manager. However, you can run some commands to generate a list of running processes in Windows and then print it like you would print a standard document. Here’s how it all works, using only the tools built into Windows:
9 ways to open PowerShell in Windows (including as administrator)

9 ways to open PowerShell in Windows (including as administrator)

Many IT professionals use PowerShell to manage Windows computers and devices and to execute administrative tasks of all kinds. Before you can use PowerShell in Windows 11 and Windows 10, you first need to know how to start it. That's why we made a list of all the methods available for starting Windows PowerShell, including running it with admin rights. Read on to learn them
What is the Windows Terminal?

What is the Windows Terminal?

The Windows Terminal is a relatively new app that command-line enthusiasts are probably going to like a lot. Although it’s been developed and improved by Microsoft for several years now, and you could already use it in Windows 10, it only made the headlines with the announcement of Windows 11. Are you curious to know more about the Windows Terminal, what it is and what
How to switch between CMD and PowerShell in Windows Terminal

How to switch between CMD and PowerShell in Windows Terminal

When starting Windows Terminal, the default shell that opens is Windows PowerShell. However, Windows Terminal supports many applications that have a command-line interface, including the venerable Command Prompt (CMD). If you want to switch to CMD in Windows Terminal, or if you want to make CMD the default shell for Windows Terminal, here’s how to do it: NOTE: This tutorial applies both to Windows
How to create multiple folders at once

How to create multiple folders at once

Are you wondering how to create multiple folders in Windows 10 or Windows 7? That can be very useful if you’re a teacher, for instance. Say that you have a dozen students in a class, and you need to make a folder for each of them on your Windows PC. Sure, you can manually create a folder for each student, but that might take a