How To Install PowerShell 7 in Windows 11 & 10

Learn the quick and easy steps to install PowerShell 7 in Windows 11 and Windows 10 using two different methods.

By default, both Windows 10 and Windows 11 come pre-installed with PowerShell version 5.1. If you want, you can check the currently installed PowerShell version using the “$PSVersionTable” cmdlet. While this version works perfectly fine in almost all use cases, it is not actively developed with new features.

To access the new features and capabilities in PowerShell, you must manually install the newest version of PowerShell, which is version 7.5 as of this writing. For example, some features, such as the “Command Not Found” module in PowerToys requires PowerShell 7.4 or greater. The latest version is open-source, cross-platform compatible, and built ground up using .NET framework.

In this quick and easy guide, I will show you two easy methods to install latest version of PowerShell (v7.4). Let’s get started.

Before You Start

• You need administrator rights to install the latest version of PowerShell.
• As of this writing, the PowerShell v7.5 is the newest version. However, the same steps will work for future versions (v7.6) also.
• The newest version will be installed side by side the old version (v5.4). That means, you’ll have access to both versions and all your scripts and apps that relay on the old version will work without any hiccups.

Method 1: Install PowerShell Using Winget

1. Open the Start menu by pressing the “Windows key”.
2. Search for “Terminal” and select the “Run as administrator” option.
3. Type the following command download and install latest version of PowerShell.
   winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget
4. Close the Terminal window.
5. With that, you’ve installed the newest version of PowerShell.

Note: On Windows 10, you might have to install winget manually. If you don’t want to do that, follow the second method below.

Method 2: Install PowerShell Using the EXE Installer

1. Open the browser of your choice.
2. Go to this official PowerShell GitHub page.
3. Navigate to the “Assets” section and click the “PowerShell-7.X.X-win-x64.exe” link.
4. This downloads the PowerShell installer.
5. Open the File Explorer by pressing the “Windows key + E” shortcut.
6. Find and double-click the downloaded installer file.
7. Select the checkbox to agree to the terms.
8. Click the “Install” button.
9. Click “Yes” in the UAC prompt.
10. With that, you’ve installed the latest version of PowerShell.

Opening and Using PowerShell v7

After installing the latest version of PowerShell, you’ll still have access to the original Windows PowerShell (v5.1). To open the new version, open the Start menu, search for “pwsh” or “PowerShell 7,” and select the top result. You can easily differentiate between the two version by their icons. The new PowerShell has a black icon, while the old Windows PowerShell has a blue icon.

To confirm the PowerShell version, run the “$PSVersionTable” command. The ‘PSVersion’ in the command response should display ‘7.X.X’.

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That is all. It is that simple to install the latest version of PowerShell in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.