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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11At a PowerShell prompt, type the executable and its arguments—for example, ping learn.microsoft.com. If the program is in the current folder, call it with an explicit path such as ./tool.exe is not valid PowerShell syntax; use .tool.exe. Windows Terminal is the app that hosts PowerShell or another shell; PowerShell interprets the command.
How do I run a command in PowerShell?
Open a PowerShell tab in Windows Terminal, or start PowerShell in another terminal host. Enter the command and its arguments at the prompt:
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ping learn.microsoft.comPowerShell can run commands available on the system, including native Windows executables. For a command installed on your PATH, its name is usually enough. Microsoft’s PowerShell documentation describes how PowerShell runs commands, including native programs.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow do I run an .exe in the current directory?
Use an explicit relative path or the executable’s full path. PowerShell does not search the current directory just because you type a bare executable name. For example:
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.tool.exeYou can also use a full path, such as C:Toolstool.exe. Specifying the path makes clear which file you intend to run; a bare name can resolve to an alias, function, cmdlet, or executable found elsewhere. See Microsoft’s command precedence reference.
How should I pass paths and arguments?
Quote paths that contain spaces
PowerShell parses the command line before passing arguments to a native program. Put a path with spaces in quotes. If the executable path is stored in a variable, use the call operator (&) to invoke it:
$exePath = 'C:Program FilesExampletool.exe'
& $exePath -VersionHow quotes and special characters must be represented also depends on how the target program parses its command line. Check that program’s documentation when arguments contain embedded quotes, empty values, or other special characters.
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Account for PowerShell version differences
PowerShell 7.3 made the newer native argument-passing behavior the default. Older versions and PowerShell’s legacy mode can handle some complex arguments differently. Check your version with $PSVersionTable.PSVersion and test the exact command if argument details matter. Microsoft explains the behavior in about parsing.
The Windows-only --% stop-parsing token can pass the rest of a command line to a native program with less PowerShell interpretation. It also prevents normal PowerShell interpretation of that remainder, so it is a limited option, not a general substitute for correct quoting.
Handle batch files carefully
PowerShell runs .bat and .cmd files through cmd.exe. Arguments are passed as raw command-line strings to that shell, which makes careful handling especially important. Do not place untrusted input into a batch-file command string; use a safer structured interface if the program provides one.
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How do I open a command in a new Windows Terminal tab?
Use the wt command to ask Windows Terminal to open its default shell and run a command:
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wt ping learn.microsoft.comWindows Terminal also supports actions such as new-tab and options for choosing the shell. Consult Microsoft’s Windows Terminal command-line arguments reference for the available syntax and examples for PowerShell or Command Prompt.
If wt is not recognized, check that the Windows Terminal app execution alias is enabled in Windows Settings and that %LOCALAPPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsApps is on your PATH.
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Be careful when combining Terminal actions
Semicolons can separate actions in Windows Terminal and have meaning in PowerShell, too. Microsoft documents ways to escape them or use --%, but cautions that these multi-action workarounds are not currently recommended: PowerShell may wait for the Terminal window to close before returning. For a simple command, launching it directly in the desired shell is less complicated.
Should I run a command directly or use Start-Process?
For ordinary commands, invoke the executable directly. Use Start-Process when you need process-launch controls—for example, a different working directory, alternate credentials, a hidden console window, or redirected standard input, output, or error. It starts a process asynchronously by default.
Here is Microsoft’s parameter-hashtable pattern for redirecting a program’s streams:
$processOptions = @{
FilePath = 'sort.exe'
RedirectStandardInput = 'TestSort.txt'
RedirectStandardOutput = 'Sorted.txt'
RedirectStandardError = 'SortError.txt'
}
Start-Process @processOptionsWhen using ArgumentList, follow the Start-Process reference and quote arguments for the target program’s command-line parser.
How can I tell whether the program succeeded?
Native standard output is written to PowerShell’s Success stream, and native standard error goes to its Error stream. A program can write to standard error without that alone proving it failed. In the documented general behavior, a native program’s nonzero exit code makes $? false. PowerShell versions differ in some redirected-error and error-preference details, so do not treat every stderr message as a failed process or assume $ErrorActionPreference handles native exit codes uniformly. Microsoft documents the stream and exit behavior in about redirection.
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