The default provider drives on Windows 7 are listed in Table 1.
Table 1 Provider Drives on Windows 7
|
Drive Name |
Contains |
|
A:, B:, C:, and so on |
Disk drives (FileSystem provider) |
|
Alias: |
List of PowerShell aliases |
|
Cert: |
Digital certificates |
|
Env: |
Environment variables |
|
Function: |
Defined functions |
|
HKCU: |
Registry section HKEY_CURRENT_USER |
|
HKLM: |
Registry section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE |
|
Variable: |
PowerShell variables |
|
WSMan: |
Windows Services Management connections to the local and remote computers |
Name completion works with these drives, too. For example, if you type dir hklm:soft and press the Tab key, PowerShell changes soft to SOFTWARE, which is the first Registry key that matches the partial name you typed. You can continue the path by typing \ and another part of a key name.
Try typing these commands at the PowerShell prompt (and notice that you don’t have to capitalize them; the names are case insensitive):
|
|
This lists the keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE. |
|
|
Makes the Registry your “current location.” |
|
|
Lists the keys in this current location. |
|
|
Returns to the file system in your profile folder. |
|
|
Lists certificates associated with your use account. |
|
|
Lists all variables currently defined in Windows PowerShell. |
|
|
This lists all defined environment variables. |
Many PowerShell cmdlets can work with objects specified by their paths whether the paths point to a file, a Registry key, a certificate, or whatever. For example, the del command (which is an alias for delete-item) can delete a Registry key just as easily as a file, with a command like del hkcu:\software\badkey.
PowerShell Security
Because Windows PowerShell can be used to change Windows settings and has the potential, if run by a privileged user, of undermining Windows’ security system, Microsoft has taken care to be sure that it’s difficult to run PowerShell scripts without your taking intentional steps to enable them. There are additional barriers to running scripts that come from the Internet, via email, Instant Messaging programs, and so on. This was done to avert the possibility that hackers might figure out ways to exploit potential flaws in, say Internet Explorer, to install and run PowerShell scripts on your system without your permission.
PowerShell Scripts and User Account Control
Windows PowerShell was designed first and foremost for managing Windows, so you will end up wanting it to do things that require Administrator privileges. On Windows 7 and Vista, PowerShell, requires elevated privileges—just running it from a Computer Administrator account isn’t enough. Either open an elevated command prompt and then type powershell or use any of the methods you’d use to run cmd.exe with elevated privileges, but run powershell.exe instead.
On Windows XP, to perform administrative functions, you’ll have to be logged in as a Computer Administrator when you start PowerShell. Alternatively, you can use the runas command to start powershell.exe in the context of an Administrator’s user account.
Whatever version of Windows you’re using, you’ll probably want to try this right away, as you want to use a privileged PowerShell command to let you run PowerShell script files. I describe this command next.