This page is a growing collection of essential Windows 11 Pro commands and concepts that I use for system management and troubleshooting. They serve as a starting point and contain minimal but practical information.
For detailed explanations or advanced use cases, take advantage of the remarkable knowledge that AI assistants (perplexity.ai – Microsoft’s Copilot) offer, no matter your skill level.
PowerShell
PowerShell is Windows’ powerful scripting and automation tool that’s more capable than the traditional Command Prompt. It’s essential for advanced system tasks and can run scripts, manage services, and work with files more effectively than cmd.
Get-Process
Lists all running applications and services on your system. Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 5
Shows the top 5 CPU-consuming processes.
Get-Service
Lists all Windows services and their current status. Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.Status -eq "Running"}
Shows only running services.
Get-WinEvent
Retrieves system logs to help troubleshoot issues or check security events. Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='Security'; StartTime=(Get-Date).AddDays(-1)}
Gets security logs from the last 24 hours.
Get-NetIPConfiguration
Shows your network configuration including IP address and DNS settings. Get-NetIPConfiguration | Select-Object InterfaceAlias, IPv4Address
Displays IP addresses for each network adapter.
Get-AppxPackage
Lists all installed UWP (Universal Windows Platform) apps. Get-AppxPackage | Select-Object Name, Version
Shows app names and versions.
Get-Disk
Lists all storage devices on your computer. Get-Disk | Select-Object Number, Size, Status
Shows disk numbers, sizes, and statuses.
Get-ComputerInfo
Shows detailed system information including OS version, RAM, and CPU. Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion, TotalPhysicalMemory
Displays OS name, version, and RAM.
Get-NetFirewallRule
Lists all firewall rules to help manage network security. Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File and Printer Sharing"
Shows file sharing firewall rules.
Get-NetTCPConnection
Shows all active TCP network connections. Get-NetTCPConnection | Where-Object {$_.State -eq "Established"}
Displays only established connections.
Get-Content
Reads and displays the contents of a file. Get-Content "C:\temp\config.txt"
Shows all text in the specified file.
How to Use SHA256 Checksum Verification
SHA256 is a cryptographic hash function that creates a unique 256-bit (64-character) fingerprint of any file. It’s used to verify that a file hasn’t been tampered with or corrupted.
Why Use It:
- Security: Verify downloaded software matches the official release
- Integrity: Ensure files haven’t been modified or damaged during download
- Trust: Confirm you’re getting the exact file from a trusted source
How to Perform It:
- Download the file you want to verify (e.g.,
Windows11.iso) - Also download the official SHA256 checksum file (e.g.,
Windows11.iso.sha256) - Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator
- Run this command to verify:
CertUtil -hashfile "C:\path\to\Windows11.iso" SHA256 - Compare the output with the official checksum file to ensure they match exactly
This process ensures that your downloaded Windows 11 ISO is exactly what Microsoft released, protecting you from corrupted or malicious files.