Is it time to learn more about PowerShell?

Last week when Microsoft released the latest Windows Insider build of Redstone 2, aka the Creators Update, to testers it carried what might be a significant change.

Windows 10 Build 14971 is the 13th testing build of the third major update to Windows 10 and is expected to be released sometime around March 2017.

For the first time the default Command Line Interface for Windows 10 was changed from the standard Command Prompt to PowerShell in this latest build and, while it is a pre-release update and could change, it seems Microsoft is planning to make this permanent.

"In an effort to bring the best command line experiences to the forefront for all power users, PowerShell is now the defacto command shell from File Explorer. It replaces Command Prompt (aka, “cmd.exe”) in the WIN + X menu, in File Explorer’s File menu, and in the context menu that appears when you shift-right-click the whitespace in File Explorer. Typing “cmd” (or “powershell”) in File Explorer’s address bar will remain a quick way to launch the command shell at that location."

The option is still there in the Quick Access Tools menu, accessed when you press the WINDOWS and X keys, to change this default back to the Command Prompt however, that could change as mentioned above.

In the interim, whether this change becomes the defacto norm or not, learning more about PowerShell and its capabilities is a good investment for IT Pros and System Admins as the scripting language is very powerful and can help in accomplishing multiple tasks.

The Microsoft PowerShell portal has all of the resources you need to learn more and it is broken down into the following areas:

You can also find plenty of training materials at the Microsoft Virtual Academy to learn more about PowerShell.

But, wait...there's probably more so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Google+.