How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10

In this post, we will learn how to check PowerShell version in Windows 10. Windows PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed especially for system administration. Built on the .NET Framework, Windows PowerShell helps IT professionals and power users control and automate the Windows operating system’s administration and applications that run on Windows.

PowerShell Version History

Learn how to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10 from the following section. But, first let’s check the following table to get details about the PowerShell Version in Windows 10.

PowerShell version Descriptions
PowerShell 1.0PowerShell 1.0 was released in November 2006 for Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, and Windows Vista. It is an optional component of Windows Server 2008.
PowerShell 2.0PowerShell 2.0 is integrated with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 and is released for Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2, and Windows Vista with Service Pack 1.
PowerShell 3.0PowerShell 3.0 is integrated with Windows 8 and with Windows Server 2012. Microsoft has also made PowerShell 3.0 available for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, for Windows Server 2008 with Service Pack 1, and for Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1.
PowerShell 4.0PowerShell 4.0 is integrated with Windows 8.1 and with Windows Server 2012 R2. Microsoft has also made PowerShell 4.0 available for Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 and Windows Server 2012.
PowerShell 5.0Windows Management Framework (WMF) 5.0 RTM which includes PowerShell 5.0 was re-released to web on February 24, 2016, following an initial release with a severe bug.
PowerShell 5.1It was released along with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on August 2, 2016, and in Windows Server 2016.

A preview for PowerShell 5.1 was released for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2 on July 16, 2016, and was released on January 19, 2017.PowerShell 5.1 is the first version to come in two editions of “Desktop” and “Core”. The “Desktop” edition is the continuation of the traditional Windows PowerShell that runs on full .NET Framework stack. The “Core” edition runs on .NET Core and is bundled with Windows Server 2016 Nano Server.

This was the final version of PowerShell made exclusively for Windows.
PowerShell Core 6.0PowerShell Core 6.0 was first announced on 18 August 2016, when Microsoft unveiled PowerShell Core and its decision to make the product cross-platform, independent of Windows, free and open source. It achieved general availability on 10 January 2018 for Windows, macOS and Linux. It has its own support lifecycle and adheres to the Microsoft lifecycle policy that is introduced with Windows 10: Only the latest version of PowerShell Core is supported. Microsoft expects to release one minor version for PowerShell Core 6.0 every six months.

The most significant change in this version of PowerShell is the expansion to the other platforms. For Windows administrators, this version of PowerShell is devoid of any major new features.
PowerShell Core 6.1PowerShell Core 6.1 was announced on 13 September 2018. This marks the second supported release of PowerShell Core, the open-source edition of PowerShell that works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
PowerShell Core 6.2The PowerShell Core 6.2 release is focused primarily on performance improvements, bug fixes, and smaller cmdlet/language enhancements that improve the quality of life for users. 
PowerShell 7.0It is the latest PowerShell version announced on March, 2020. PowerShell 7 is the replacement product for PowerShell Core 6.x products as well as Windows PowerShell 5.1, which is the last supported Windows PowerShell version.
Details about the PowerShell Version in Windows 10 – How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10

How to Get PowerShell Version

There is a multiple ways to check installed PowerShell version. Here we will see the easiest way to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10.

  • Open PowerShell.
  • Type or copy-paste the following command and press Enter
Get-Host | Select-Object Version
  • You will now see current version of PowerShell.
How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10
How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10
  • Type or copy-paste the following command and press Enter
$PSVersionTable
  • In PSVersion see the current version of PowerShell.
    • The following screenshot gives details about How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10.
How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10
How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10
  • You can also check installed PowerShell version from the registry. The version of PowerShell is located under registry key path HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\3\PowerShellEngine. This registry key has a value called PowerShellVersion.
(Get-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\3\PowerShellEngine -Name 'PowerShellVersion').PowerShellVersion
How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10
How to Check PowerShell Version in Windows 10

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