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Check the effective policy and its scopes
In the PowerShell window you want to check, run:
Get-ExecutionPolicyThis returns the effective policy for that session. To see the individual scope settings and diagnose why a policy is effective, run:
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Get-ExecutionPolicy -ListThe list includes MachinePolicy, UserPolicy, Process, CurrentUser, and LocalMachine. When no Group Policy setting applies, the local scopes take precedence in this order: Process, CurrentUser, then LocalMachine. Group Policy scopes take precedence over local settings. See Microsoft’s Get-ExecutionPolicy reference and about_Execution_Policies.
Choose the scope that matches your goal
| Scope | Who or what it affects | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
Process |
The current PowerShell process/session | Until that session closes |
CurrentUser |
The current user | Persists until changed or removed |
These scope behaviors are documented in Microsoft’s Set-ExecutionPolicy reference. Use LocalMachine only when you intend to affect all users; changing it requires an elevated PowerShell session.
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Set a policy for one session
In the session where the change is needed, run the following, substituting the policy value that fits your requirements:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope ProcessA Process-scope setting applies only to that PowerShell process and is cleared when it closes. Check the result with:
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Get-ExecutionPolicy -ListSet a policy for the current user
To make a user-specific setting that remains in place until changed or removed, run:
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUserThen verify the scope and effective policy:
Get-ExecutionPolicy -ListThe example uses RemoteSigned as a command pattern, not as a recommendation for every situation. Microsoft documents the available behavior and scope options in the Set-ExecutionPolicy reference.
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Remove a CurrentUser setting
To remove an explicitly set policy at the CurrentUser scope, set that scope to Undefined:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Undefined -Scope CurrentUserIf no scope defines a policy, Microsoft’s about topic says the effective policy on Windows client systems is Restricted. Other scopes may still determine the effective result, so inspect Get-ExecutionPolicy -List after removing the setting.
Troubleshoot a policy that will not change
If the effective policy differs from the scope you changed, check Get-ExecutionPolicy -List rather than repeatedly changing a lower-precedence scope. MachinePolicy and UserPolicy are controlled by Group Policy and cannot be changed with Set-ExecutionPolicy. If either governs the result, contact the administrator responsible for organizational policy.
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Also check which PowerShell edition you are using. Windows PowerShell 5.1 (powershell.exe) and PowerShell 6 or later (pwsh.exe) store execution policy settings separately; a change in one does not affect the other. On non-Windows systems, PowerShell 6 and later reports Unrestricted and does not support changing execution policy. These platform and edition distinctions are described in Microsoft’s Set-ExecutionPolicy reference.
Do not treat execution policy as a safety check
Microsoft describes execution policy as one part of PowerShell’s security strategy, not proof that a script is safe. Read a script’s code and verify that it is safe before unblocking it or running it. Microsoft’s Get-ExecutionPolicy reference gives this caution in its Unblock-File example.
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