powershell modules list

HaC 2025

3 min read 18-03-2025

PowerShell's power lies in its extensive collection of modules. These modules provide cmdlets (commands) and functions that extend PowerShell's capabilities far beyond its core functionality. This article explores various PowerShell modules, categorized for easier navigation and understanding. Knowing how to leverage these modules is crucial for efficient system administration, automation, and scripting.

Understanding PowerShell Modules

Before diving into the list, let's briefly define what a PowerShell module is. A module is a container holding related cmdlets, functions, providers, variables, and aliases. They are essentially extensions that add functionality to your PowerShell environment. You can import modules to access their commands and features.

How to Find Installed PowerShell Modules

Before exploring specific modules, it's useful to know how to list those already installed on your system. This can be easily done with the following command:

Get-Module -ListAvailable

This command displays all available modules on your system, whether imported or not. To see only the currently loaded modules:

Get-Module

Categorized List of Essential PowerShell Modules

This list categorizes common modules for easier understanding. Note that the availability of specific modules may depend on your operating system version and any additional software installed.

Core Modules (Always Available)

These modules are fundamental to PowerShell itself and are always loaded by default.

Microsoft.PowerShell.Management: Core cmdlets for managing various aspects of Windows, including file system, services, and processes.
Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility: Provides utility cmdlets for common tasks, such as formatting output, measuring execution time, and working with strings.
Microsoft.PowerShell.ISE: (If using the PowerShell ISE) cmdlets for managing the integrated scripting environment.

Modules for System Administration

This category contains modules vital for managing Windows systems.

ActiveDirectory: Manages Active Directory objects, users, groups, and other aspects of the directory service. Crucial for any domain-based environment.
BitsTransfer: Manages Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) jobs for reliable file transfers.
Hyper-V: Controls Hyper-V virtual machines, enabling creation, management, and monitoring of VMs.
NetAdapter: Manages network adapters, configurations, and settings.
Storage: Manage storage devices and volumes, crucial for disk management tasks.
PSScheduledJob: Works with scheduled tasks, allowing you to manage and automate tasks.

Modules for Remote Management

These modules are essential for managing systems remotely.

PowerShellGet: Manages the download and installation of PowerShell modules from various repositories. Essential for keeping your PowerShell environment up-to-date.
PSRemoting: Enables remote PowerShell sessions, allowing you to manage remote computers.
AzureAzModule: (Azure) Connects PowerShell to Azure services, crucial for managing cloud resources.

Modules for Security

Security-focused modules help manage security policies and settings.

Certificate: Manage digital certificates, crucial for security and authentication.

Other Useful Modules

Archive: Work with compressed files, providing cmdlets for creating and extracting archives.
AzureRM.Storage: (Older Azure Module) Manage Azure storage accounts and resources (Use AzureAzModule instead for newer Azure services).
ISE: (PowerShell ISE only) Provides cmdlets specific to the PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment.

Finding and Installing Additional Modules

PowerShellGet is your key to expanding your PowerShell capabilities. To search for and install modules, use the following commands:

Find Modules:

Find-Module -Name <Module Name>

Replace <Module Name> with the name of the module you are searching for.

Install Modules:

Install-Module -Name <Module Name>

Again, replace <Module Name> with the module's name. You might need administrator privileges for installation. Consider using the -Scope CurrentUser parameter to install modules for your current user only.

Conclusion

PowerShell modules dramatically expand PowerShell's functionality. Mastering them is vital for any system administrator or developer working with Windows systems or cloud environments. By understanding the core modules and leveraging PowerShellGet to discover and install new ones, you can significantly enhance your automation and management capabilities. Remember to regularly update your modules to benefit from bug fixes and new features. This comprehensive list provides a strong foundation for exploring the rich ecosystem of PowerShell modules.