5 PowerShell Commands Every Windows Administrator Should Know 

If you're working in Windows Administration or IT Support, PowerShell can save a lot of time by turning repetitive administrative tasks into simple commands.

Here are 5 PowerShell commands I'm currently practicing:

1. Get-Service

Check Windows services and their current status.

Get-Service

 

Useful when troubleshooting services that are stopped or not responding.

Get-Service -Name Spooler

Get-Service | Where-Object Name -eq "Spooler"

(Get-Service -Name Spooler).Status

2. Get-Process

View running processes and identify applications consuming system resources.

Get-Process

Useful for investigating CPU, memory, or application-related issues.

Get-Process -Name pwsh

3. Get-ComputerInfo

Retrieve detailed information about the Windows system.

Get-ComputerInfo

Useful for system inventory and troubleshooting.

4. Get-WinEvent

Query Windows Event Logs to investigate system and application issues.

Get-WinEvent -LogName System -MaxEvents 20

 

This is especially useful when troubleshooting unexpected errors, service failures, or system events.

5. Get-LocalUser

View local user accounts configured on a Windows machine.

Get-LocalUser

Useful for basic local account administration and auditing.

6. Get-PrinterDriver

Open Powershell or pwsh and to list all installed driver names on your system. 

PS C:\Windows\System32> Get-PrinterDriver

Name                                PrinterEnvironment MajorVersion    Manufacturer
----                                ------------------ ------------    ------------
Microsoft XPS Document Writer v4    Windows x64        4               Microsoft
Microsoft Software Printer Driver   Windows x64        4               Microsoft
Microsoft Print To PDF              Windows x64        4               Microsoft
Send To Microsoft OneNote 2010 Dri… Windows x64        3
Microsoft Shared Fax Driver         Windows x64        3               Microsoft
Microsoft enhanced Point and Print… Windows x64        3               Microsoft
Microsoft enhanced Point and Print… Windows NT x86     3               Microsoft

PS C:\Windows\System32>

💡 Why PowerShell?

For a Windows Administrator, PowerShell isn't just about knowing commands. It's about using automation and scripting to troubleshoot systems, manage users and services, collect information, and perform repetitive administrative tasks efficiently. 

What is WDS with installation steps? 

Let me demonstrate a complete lab setup for you right here. Look—suppose we have a server; this is our physical server, within which we have already configured Active Directory. 


It hosts AD DS—meaning AD is running, DNS is running, and the AD DS role is active. It also requires DHCP; the DHCP services are present. With this foundation, we can proceed to configure WDS on this server. Let's explore the benefits we gain from configuring WDS. Imagine you have brought in a large number of client machines—say, 50 computers acquired from the market—on which you need to install a Windows operating system. 

This could be any Windows operating system—Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or any other version. If you need to install the same Windows operating system on 50 or 100 computers simultaneously, doing so manually using bootable media—such as a pen drive, CD, or DVD—would be an extremely time-consuming process. It would take a significant amount of time and prove quite difficult to perform on each machine individually. Microsoft devised a solution to this problem by enabling a specific feature within their server operating systems. If we look back at Server 2003 or 2008, this feature was known as RIS (Remote Installation Services); however, starting with Server 2008 R2, it was renamed WDS—Windows Deployment Services.

Installation Steps

With the help  Dell DA310 USB-C Mobile Adapter, 7-in-1 , Type C Laptop Compatible - Dock and Adapter we will do installation of windows 11. 

 After connecting dock with ethernet cable and connect Dock's C with C type laptop (we have a dell laptop without ethernet port so we are using this one).

Restart the system and when logo will come then continuously press F12 (according to dell) and this interface will come so choose NIC (IPv4) or Onboard NIC(ipv4).

 then it is automatically detect server IP address and installation path.

Here write your computer name as you want and then domain name and click next. 

Change your timezone according to your timezone. click next.

Then we will choose E3 - MS office Enterprise. Click next. 

from my side no change simple click next. as it not necessary. 

In the last step click finish. then it will automatically installation here we go then restart. after open system update with dell command in windows search and also search in windows check update and done.

 Check with Dell update if you got error - CLICK HERE 

Disclaimer