Links to Powershell Websites, Utilities and Books

Download PowerShell:

For Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 updates to PowerShell are provided via Windows Update (Anniversary Edition+).

PowerShell versions and OS compatibility:

PowerShell Version	Windows 7 / 2008 R2 Sp1	Windows8 / 2012	Windows8.1 / 2012 R2	Windows 10 / 2016	Windows Nano / IOT	Linux / OSX
PowerShell 6.0	Not Supported	Not Supported	Supported	Supported	Supported	Supported
Core	Not Supported	Not Supported	Not Supported	Not Supported	DEFAULT
PowerShell 5.0 / 5.1	Supported	Supported	Supported	DEFAULT
PowerShell 4.0	Supported	Not Supported	DEFAULT
PowerShell 3.0	Supported	DEFAULT
PowerShell 2.0 (deprecated)	DEFAULT

Although all the older versions are still supported, you may still wish to upgrade to get all the latest features and cmdlets. I recommend using at least v5.0. Not all cmdlets will be available on all OS's if they relate to a Windows feature which does not exist on that OS.

Additional Cmdlets:

Active Directory cmdlets (Import-Module ActiveDirectory)
Exchange 2016 cmdlets (Exchange Management Shell)
Print Management Cmdlets (Import-Module PrintManagement) Windows 8.1, Server 2012 R2
Server Manager Cmdlets (Import-Module Servermanager) - Add/Remove Windows Features.
Server Backup Cmdlets (add-pssnapin windows.serverbackup)
SQL Server 2016 (Import-Module SqlServer)

Third party Cmdlets:

Carbon - A DevOps PowerShell module for automating the configuration of Windows.
PowerShell Community Extensions - Additional cmdlets, providers, aliases, filters, functions and scripts.
PSAlphaFS - Support file paths longer than 256 characters.
PS1C - a simple Zipfile Reader.

Scripts and examples:

PowerShell Documentation - docs.microsoft.com
Getting Started with PowerShell 6.0 - docs.microsoft.com

PowerShellGallery - PowerShell Modules and scripts authored by Microsoft, and the community.
TechNet Script Gallery - Sample VBS and PowerShell scripts authored by Microsoft, and the community.
PowerShell.com - Tips from Idera.
Aaron Locker - PowerShell scripts that automate AppLocker Application Whitelisting (GitHub).
PowerShell Style Guide - by Don Jones, Matt Penny, Carlos Perez, Joel Bennett and the PowerShell Community.
ServerFault - PowerShell Q&A.
Rob van der Woude - PowerShell example scripts.
VBScript-to-PowerShell
PowerShell 3.0 quick reference guide - PDF Microsoft.

Blogs:

PowerShell Blog - PowerShell team.
Active Directory PowerShell Blog - MSDN.
Adam the Automator - PowerShell tutorials and more.
The PowerShell Guy - Kirk Munro.
FP Schultze - PowerShell blog.
PoshoHolic - PowerShell blog.
Dmitry Sotnikov - Dmitry Sotnikov.
Otto Helweg - Management & Instrumentation.
Keith Hill - Keith Hill.

Search Microsoft Knowledge base

Recommended Books.

Learn Windows PowerShell 3 in a Month of Lunches
by Dom Jones and Jeffery Hicks Move systematically through the techniques and features of PowerShell.

Windows PowerShell 3.0 Cookbook
by Lee Holmes, (one of the PowerShell team developers) - Hundreds of tested scripts that you can use right away to get Microsoft's new tool working for you. Also checkout Lee's blog which has more handy tips. Sample scripts

Windows PowerShell in Action
by Bruce Payette, one of the founding members of the Windows PowerShell team, co-designer of the PowerShell language.
As several Amazon reviewers say "don't get this as your first PowerShell book" but it is the definitive how and why reference for everything PowerShell.

Dzone 8 page quick reference PDF (cheat sheet) by Bruce Payette - free but requires registration.

Windows PowerShell course book
by Frank Koch - A free Windows PowerShell booklet available for download, translated from German.

Powershell Software

Console 2 - Windows console emulator for CMD and/or PowerShell (review)
ConEmu-Maximus5 - Windows console emulator for CMD and/or PowerShell (review)
Chocolatey - A Package Manager - like an apt-get for Windows.
PowerShell Plus - IDE + script library (free).
PowerShell Studio - SAPIEN scripting and tool-making environment.
PSScriptAnalyzer - Provides script analysis and checks for potential code defects.
Wasp - A PowerShell snapin for GUI Window Automation - select windows and send mouse/keyboard events.

Related

Windows cmd utilities & Books can be found on the Windows Links page
Usenet group- microsoft.public.windows.powershell
TechNet forum - WinServerPowerShell
SS64 - PowerShell Discussion Forum

“The big breakthrough was when we got lower case” - Bill Gates Tech•Ed 2008