PowerShell Snap-ins

 

SHORT DESCRIPTION

A Windows PowerShell snap-in is a .NET assembly that contains Windows PowerShell providers and/or cmdlets. Windows PowerShell comes with a set of basic snap-ins, but you can extend the power and value of the shell by adding snap-ins that contain providers and cmdlets that you create or obtain from others.

 

LONG DESCRIPTION

Windows PowerShell is installed with a set of snap-ins that contain the core providers and cmdlets in the shell. You can customize your shell by adding and removing snap-ins to get the precise set of providers and snap-ins that you need to do your job. You can even save multiple console configurations, each with a different set of providers and snap-ins.

 

BUILT-IN SNAP-INS

Windows PowerShell comes with a set of Windows PowerShell snap-ins that contain the built-in providers and cmdlets.

 

·         Microsoft.PowerShell.Core. Contains providers cmdlets used to manage the basic features of Windows PowerShell. Includes the FileSystem, Registry, Alias, Environment, Function, and Variable providers and basic cmdlets like Get-Help, Get-Command, and Get-History.

·         Microsoft.PowerShell.Host. Contains cmdlets used by the Windows PowerShell host, such as    Start-Transcript and Stop-Transcript.

·         Microsoft.PowerShell.Management. Contains cmdlets used to manage Windows components, including Get-Service, and Get-Childitem.

·         Microsoft.PowerShell.Security. Contains cmdlets to manage Windows PowerShell security, such as Get-Acl, Get-AuthenticodeSignature, and ConvertTo-SecureString

·         Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility. Contains the cmdlets used to manipulate objects and data, such as Get-Member, Write-Host, and Format-List.

 

FINDING SNAP-INS

To list the Windows PowerShell snap-ins on your system, type:

 

 

To find the snap-in for each Windows PowerShell provider, type:

 

 

To list the cmdlets in a Windows PowerShell snap-in, type:

 

 

INSTALLING A SNAP-IN

The built-in snap-ins are registered in the system and added to the default console when you start Windows PowerShell. However, to use snap-ins that you create or obtain from others, you need to register them and add the to your console.

 

REGISTERING A SNAP-IN

A Windows PowerShell snap-in is a program written in a .NET language and compiled into a DLL file. To use the providers and cmdlets in a snap-in, you must first register the snap-in (add it to the registry).

 

Most snap-ins come with an installation program (an EXE or MSI file) that registers the DLL for you. However, if you receive a snap-in as a DLL file, you can register it on your system. For instructions, see the "Register the Snap-in" topic in the Windows PowerShell SDK.

 

To find all registered snap-ins on your system, or to verify that a snap-in is registered, type:

 

 

ADD THE SNAP-IN TO THE CONSOLE

To add a registered snap-in to the current console, use the Add-PsSnapin cmdlet. For example, to add the SQL snap-in to the console, type:

 

 

As soon as the command completes, the providers and cmdlets in the snap-in are available in the current console. However, the current console is not saved automatically.

 

SAVING THE CONSOLE CONFIGURATION

To use the snap-in in future Windows PowerShell sessions, you must save the configuration of the current console, which includes the snap-in.

 

To save the current console configuration to a console file (.psc1), use Export-Console. For example, to save the current console to the NewConsole.psc1 file in the current directory, type:

 

 

OPENING A CONSOLE WITH THE SNAP-IN

To open a console with the console configuration that includes the snapin, when starting Windows PowerShell, use the PsConsoleFile parameter to specify the console file that you exported. For example, the following command starts Windows PowerShell with the NewConsole.psc1 console file.

 

 

The providers and cmdlets in the snapin are now available for use.

 

REMOVING A SNAP-IN

To remove a Windows PowerShell snap-in from the current console, use the Remove-PsSnapin cmdlet. For example, to remove the Windows PowerShell SQL snap-in from the current console, type:

 

 

This cmdlet removes the snap-in from the console. The snap-in is still loaded, but the providers and cmdlets that it supports are no longer available.

 

SEE ALSO

Add-PsSnapin

Get-PsSnapin  

Remove-PsSnapin

Export-Console

About_Provider