Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies

Prepare for the future of Microsoft automation with this no-nonsense guide

Windows PowerShell 2 is the scripting language that enables automation within the Windows operating system. Packed with powerful new features, this latest version is complex, and Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies is the perfect guide to help system administrators get up to speed.

Written by a Microsoft MVP with direct access to the program managers and developers, this book covers every new feature of Windows PowerShell 2 in a friendly, easy-to-follow format.

• Windows PowerShell 2 is the updated scripting language that enables system administrators to automate Windows operating systems
• System administrators with limited scripting experience will find this book helps them learn the fundamentals of Windows PowerShell 2 quickly and easily
• Translates the jargon and complex syntax of Windows PowerShell 2
• Covers script debugging improvements, the ability to invoke commands remotely, and the new user interface
• Uses real-world applications to clarify the theory, fundamentals, and techniques of the scripting language
• Written by a Microsoft MVP with direct access to the developers of Windows PowerShell 2

Windows PowerShell 2 For Dummies makes this tool easily accessible to administrators of every experience level.

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting a Bird’s-Eye View of PowerShell 2 9

Chapter 1: The Windows PowerShell Rap Sheet 11

Chapter 2: Customizing and Shortcutting the Environment 21

Chapter 3: A Pinch of Shell, a Pound of Power 37

Part II: PowerShell’s Basic Structure and Syntax 47

Chapter 4: Shelling Out Commands and Scripts 49

Chapter 5: When Dollars Turn into Variables 61

Chapter 6: A Bit of Logic to Save the Day 77

Chapter 7: Working on a Pipeline 89

Part III: Complex Data Description and Sharing 97

Chapter 8: Working with Windows Management Instrumentation 99

Chapter 9: Bringing Strings into the Limelight 117

Chapter 10: I’ll Take Numbers for $100, Please 137

Chapter 11: Grouping Data Using Arrays and Hash Tables 147

Chapter 12: Readin’ and Writin’ Files 159

Chapter 13: Going On a Date with PowerShell 175

Part IV: Controlling Where and How You Operate PowerShell 185

Chapter 14: Using Functions to Divide and Conquer 187

Chapter 15: PowerShell Ninjas: Running Jobs Remotely or in the Background 209

Chapter 16: Making Your Script Speak Different Languages 223

Chapter 17: Smashing Those Bugs 231

Part V: Real-World Windows Administration Using PowerShell 245

Chapter 18: Mission Control: All Systems Go 247

Chapter 19: Taming the Windows Registry 261

Chapter 20: Reaching Out to Active Directory 273

Chapter 21: PowerShell Lockdown 287

Chapter 22: Converting Your Old Scripts: Out with the Old, In with the New 301

Part VI: Configuring and Reporting Via PowerShell 317

Chapter 23: Controlling Your Network Configuration 319

Chapter 24: Managing Your Hardware 331

Chapter 25: Making Reporting Easy 345

Part VII: The Part of Tens 357

Chapter 26: The Ten Most Important Cmdlets 359

Chapter 27: Ten Common PowerShell Mistakes 365

Bonus Chapter 1: Handling Exceptions 1

Index 375

Steve Seguis is a Microsoft Windows systems engineer with more than 12 years of experience managing small- to large-scale Windows environments. He was a Microsoft MVP for Windows Server - Admin Frameworks from 2004–2007, and is a contributing technical editor for Windows IT Pro.

Learn to:

• Master Windows PowerShell 2 without complicated jargon>
• Automate Windows Server^® administration tasks
• Use the new features of Windows PowerShell 2
• Debug scripts, remotely invoke commands, and more

Get the power to use Windows PowerShell 2 on any Windows system — right here!

You've heard about Windows PowerShell 2, the Windows scripting environment that's changing how we think about Windows scripting. This fun and friendly guide gives you a solid understanding of what it is and how to use it, with plenty of real-world examples so you can put the information to good use right away. Your boss will think you're a genius!

• View from the top —
get an overview of Windows PowerShell 2 and examine the syntax, structure, and core functionality
• Look deeper —
manipulate strings, work with data structures like arrays and hashtables, and use Windows Management Instrumentation
• The need for speed —
see how Windows PowerShell speeds things up by letting you run commands on a remote computer or run multiple commands at once
• In the real world —
learn to apply scripts to specific needs
• It does more —
use Windows PowerShell 2 to manage network configurations, gather hardware info, connect to printers, and more

Open the book and find:

• Tips for personalizing PowerShell
• All about cmdlets
• How to use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
• Things to watch for in value conversions
• How to internationalize a script
• Debugging tools and how to use them
• Network configuration tips
• Ten common mistakes to avoid
• How to take advantage of this new feature in Windows 7