You can view the current name of a system running a Microsoft Windows operating system (OS) using the hostname command in a PowerShell or command prompt window. You can change the name of the host by opening a PowerShell window with administrator privileges by choosing "Run as administrator" when opening the window and then using the PowerShell command Rename-Computer -NewName "name" where name is the new name you wish to assign to the system. Note: names must be 15 or fewer characters due to NetBIOS limitations and should only use standard alphanumeric characters, i.e, A-Z, 0-9, and hyphens (-). Spaces and most special characters are invalid and will cause an error.

PS C:\Windows\system32> hostname
DESKTOP-PNS32H3
PS C:\Windows\system32> Rename-Computer -NewName "Jamestown"
WARNING: The changes will take effect after you restart the computer DESKTOP-PNS32H3.
PS C:\Windows\system32>

You will need to reboot to have the new name go into effect; you can add the -Restart option to the command to restart automatically. E.g., Rename-Computer -NewName "TheNewName" -Restart.

To join a Windows domain from a command-line interface (CLI), you can issue the command Add-Computer -DomainName "YourDomainName" -Credential (Get-Credential) -Restart — replace YourDomainName with the name of the Windows domain. If you don't want to automatically reboot, omit the -Restart option.

Add-Computer -DomainName "ad.example.com" -Credential (Get-Credential) -Restart

cmdlet Get-Credential at command pipeline postion 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
Credential

You will see a "Windows PowerShell credential request" window open where you can provide a user name and password for an account in the domain administrators group. The system will automatically reboot if you have added the -Restart parameter.

[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

To determine the IP address of a Microsoft Windows system from a command-line interface (CLI) you can open a command prompt window and use the ipconfig command ipconfig /all. If you only need the IPv4 address you can pipe the output into find or findstr. Alternatively, you can use a netsh command.

C:\>ipconfig /all | find "IPv4 Address"
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.8(Preferred)

C:\>ipconfig | findstr /C:"IPv4"
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.8

C:\>netsh interface ip show addresses

Configuration for interface "Ethernet"
    DHCP enabled:                         Yes
    IP Address:                           192.168.0.8
    Subnet Prefix:                        192.168.0.0/24 (mask 255.255.255.0)
    Default Gateway:                      192.168.0.1
    Gateway Metric:                       0
    InterfaceMetric:                      25

Configuration for interface "Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1"
    DHCP enabled:                         No
    IP Address:                           127.0.0.1
    Subnet Prefix:                        127.0.0.0/8 (mask 255.0.0.0)
    InterfaceMetric:                      75


C:\>

You can also use a PowerShell cmdlet to view the IP address.

PS C:\> Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4


IPAddress         : 192.168.0.8
InterfaceIndex    : 5
InterfaceAlias    : Ethernet
AddressFamily     : IPv4
Type              : Unicast
PrefixLength      : 24
PrefixOrigin      : Dhcp
SuffixOrigin      : Dhcp
AddressState      : Preferred
ValidLifetime     : 15:58:12
PreferredLifetime : 15:58:12
SkipAsSource      : False
PolicyStore       : ActiveStore

IPAddress         : 127.0.0.1
InterfaceIndex    : 1
InterfaceAlias    : Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1
AddressFamily     : IPv4
Type              : Unicast
PrefixLength      : 8
PrefixOrigin      : WellKnown
SuffixOrigin      : WellKnown
AddressState      : Preferred
ValidLifetime     : Infinite ([TimeSpan]::MaxValue)
PreferredLifetime : Infinite ([TimeSpan]::MaxValue)
SkipAsSource      : False
PolicyStore       : ActiveStore



PS C:\>

You can get a more concise version showing the interface and address with Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 |Select-Object InterfaceAlias, IPAddress.

PS C:\> Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 | Select-Object InterfaceAlias, IPAddress

InterfaceAlias              IPAddress
--------------              ---------
Ethernet                    192.168.0.8
Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1 127.0.0.1


PS C:\>

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[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

I needed to eject a optical disc drive tray from a command-line interface (CLI) on a system running Microsoft Windows 11 so that I could insert a DVD in the drive. That can be done using the Powershell command powershell (New-Object -ComObject WMPlayer.OCX.7).cdromCollection.item(0).Eject(), which will eject the tray of the first optical drive found by Windows Media Player's COM object.

PS C:\> powershell (New-Object -ComObject WMPlayer.OCX.7).cdromCollection.item(0).Eject()
Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Install the latest PowerShell for new features and improvements! https://aka.ms/PSWindows

PS C:\>

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I needed to move some files from one Windows 11 system that is no longer being used, as the user is no longer working for the company, to another Windows 11 system where the user of that system, Pam, is now handling a task formerly handled by the prior employee, but while logged onto the account for the user now handling the task on her system, I noticed that her Documents folder was empty. The Windows domain name changed at that business a few years ago, so I thought that perhaps she might be using a Documents directory associated with her account under the prior domain name rather than the new one created for her new domain login. You can determine the location of a user's "My Documents" directory, which can be redirected to another location, including a network share or another drive, by issuing the PowerShell command [Environment]::GetFolderPath("MyDocuments"). E.g.:

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Try the new cross-platform PowerShell https://aka.ms/pscore6

PS C:\Users\Pam> [Environment]::GetFolderPath("MyDocuments")
C:\Users\Pam\Documents
PS C:\Users\Pam>

The command utilizes the GetFolderPath method from the System.Environment class to retrieve the path of special folders, including "MyDocuments," for the user under whose context the script or command is executed. This method correctly identifies the mapped location even if the Documents folder has been redirected or moved from the default location.

In this case, I found that her "My Documents" directory was pointing to the directory associated with the old domain name. Her "home" folder was also pointing to the home folder that was in use for her account in the old domain. You can type $home in a PowerShell window to see that value. Or you can use $env:USERPROFILE to see the same information.

PS C:\Users\Pam> $Home
C:\Users\Pam
PS C:\Users\Pam >$env:userprofile
C:\Users\Pam
PS C:\Users\Pam>

[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

When I tried to establish a Secure Shell (SSH) connection to a Windows 11 PC at a remote location today, I was unable to do so. I usually connect to the Windows domain controller at the location and establish the SSH connection to the user's Windows 11 system through it, but that was not working. I thought the problem was likely due to McAfee stopping providing firewall protection for incoming connections to ports on PCs as part of their antivirus software, since the antivirus software on PCs at that location was McAfee Antivirus Plus. When McAfee stopped providing that firewall service as part of McAfee AntiVirus Plus, the software reverted firewall protection for incoming connections to Microsoft's default firewall software, Microsoft Defender Firewall, aka Windows Firewall. When I check firewall protection on a Windows system running McAfee AntiVirus Plus, I now see the following message:

McAfee and Windows Defender are now working side by side

Our Advanced Firewall provides enhanced protection by blocking risky outgoing connections. Windows Defender Firewall provides protection for incoming connections.

Keep both firewalls on for complete protection.

So I thought I likely needed to create similar firewall rules for incoming connections in the Windows Firewall software as had existed previously in the McAfee firewall software.

[ More Info ]

[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

If you have a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and wish to determine the version of the PDF standard used for the document, that information is stored in the first line of the file. You can open the file with a text editor, such as the Windows Notepad application on a Microsoft Windows system and view the first line to determine the PDF version used for the file. You will see %PDF-x.y where x.y is the version of the PDF standard used in the creation of the file, e.g., %PDF-1.7 for version 1.7.

On a Microsoft Windows system, you could also open a PowerShell window (you can type PowerShell in the Windows Search field and click on the application when you see it returned in the list of results) and use the Get-Content cmdlet and the -First parameter followed by the number one. E.g.:

PS C:\> Get-Content "July 2024 Newsletter.pdf" -First 1
%PDF-1.7
PS C:\>

Related:

1. PowerShell Get-Content equivalents to Linux head and tail commands
   Date: March 22, 2024

[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

The PowerShell cmdlet Get-FileHash provides a cryptographic hash function that will allow you to determine a hash value of a file on a Microsoft Windows system. By default, the cmdlet uses the SHA-256 hash function, but you can specify other functions, such as MD5, using the -Algorithm parameter. You can change the output to a list format by piping the output of the cmdlet to Format-List.

PS C:\users\public\downloads> Get-FileHash ".\rel_x64_Xming-7-7-1-1-setup.exe"

Algorithm       Hash                                                                   Path
---------       ----                                                                   ----
SHA256          B7B4C0A191E315686A2481DCC8BBB27D6D7A156FBF689768E48CF08207B86560       C:\users\public\downloads\rel...


PS C:\users\public\downloads> Get-FileHash ".\rel_x64_Xming-7-7-1-1-setup.exe" | Format-List


Algorithm : SHA256
Hash      : B7B4C0A191E315686A2481DCC8BBB27D6D7A156FBF689768E48CF08207B86560
Path      : C:\users\public\downloads\rel_x64_Xming-7-7-1-1-setup.exe



PS C:\users\public\downloads> Get-FileHash -Algorithm MD5 ".\rel_x64_Xming-7-7-1-1-setup.exe"

Algorithm       Hash                                                                   Path
---------       ----                                                                   ----
MD5             BA200636A596A84E0877901CE89D1C2E                                       C:\users\public\downloads\rel...


PS C:\users\public\downloads>

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[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

line 1
line 2
line 3
line 4
line 5
line 6
line 7
line 8
line 9
line 10

The following Get-Content commands could be used to obtain the first 5 and the last 5 lines in the file.

PS C:\Users\Arnold\Documents> Get-Content somefile.txt -Head 5
line 1
line 2
line 3
line 4
line 5
PS C:\Users\Arnold\Documents> Get-Content somefile.txt -Tail 5
line 6
line 7
line 8
line 9
line 10
PS C:\Users\Arnold\Documents> Get-Content somefile.txt -TotalCount 5
line 1
line 2
line 3
line 4
line 5
C:\Users\Arnold\Documents>

The TotalCount parameter can function like the Head parameter and will return the first x number of lines specified with x being 5 in the example above. You can also use it to obtain a specific line, though. E.g., if you wished to see the 7th line in the file, you could use the command below.

PS C:\Users\Arnold\Documents> (Get-Content Somefile.txt -TotalCount 7)[-1]
line 7
PS C:\Users\Arnold\Documents>

By default the delimiter for lines is the newline, aka end-of-line character, \n, but you can change that with the -Delimiter parameter.

References:

1. Get-Content
   Microsoft Learn

[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

If you need to determine the serial number of a hard disk drive (HDD) attached to a Microsoft Windows system, you can do so from a PowerShell window using the cmdlet Get-Disk (you can open a PowerShell window by typing PowerShell in the Windows "Type here to search field on a Windows 10 system and then selecting the app when it is returned in the list of search results). If you just want a list of drives attached to the system by a USB connection, you can pipe the output of the cmdlet to the Where-Object cmdlet where you can filter on just drives that have a USB connection as shown below.

PS C:\> Get-Disk | Where-Object -FilterScript {$_.Bustype -Eq "USB"}
Number Friendly Name Serial Number                    HealthStatus         OperationalStatus      Total Size Partition
                                                                                                             Style
------ ------------- -------------                    ------------         -----------------      ---------- ----------
1      SanDisk Cr... 03025228050421082418             Healthy              No Media                      0 B RAW
2      USB2.0 Car... 606569746800                     Healthy              No Media                      0 B RAW
4      USB2.0 Car... 606569746802                     Healthy              No Media                      0 B RAW
5      USB2.0 Car... 606569746803                     Healthy              No Media                      0 B RAW
3      USB2.0 Car... 606569746801                     Healthy              No Media                      0 B RAW
6      WD My Pass... WXM1A375CKEZ                     Healthy              Online                  931.48 GB GPT


PS C:\>

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[/os/windows/PowerShell] permanent link

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