How to Run PowerShell Scripts: A Complete Guide

This guide covers how to run PowerShell scripts: everything from basic script execution to remote operations, parameter passing, and troubleshooting.

PowerShell is useful for automating administrative tasks, but before you can run PowerShell scripts, you need to understand the mechanisms that control script execution. The core concepts stay constant whether you are running a basic script locally from the command line or coordinating complicated tasks on many remote servers.

Run PowerShell scripts: the basic methods

From a PowerShell console session

Open PowerShell, navigate to your script’s folder, and run it:

.\MyScript.ps1

Use full paths when executing from other directories:

C:\Users\Admin\Scripts\MyScript.ps1

Tip: navigate first using cd to shorten paths when testing multiple scripts.

From File Explorer

Right-click the .ps1 file and select Run with PowerShell. Windows temporarily applies a Bypass policy, runs your script, and closes the window. This works for simple scripts without output. For anything interactive, use the console or Visual Studio Code.

From Visual Studio Code

Open the script, press F5 to run the entire file, or F8 to execute selected lines. Output appears in the integrated terminal.

To run from Command Prompt:

PowerShell -File C:\Users\Admin\Scripts\MyScript.ps1

Understanding PowerShell execution policies

What are execution policies?

When you first try to run a PowerShell script on a Windows client computer, you might encounter the error “running scripts is disabled on this system.” That message comes from PowerShell’s execution policy. Execution policies are not strict security boundaries—they are more like guardrails to help prevent accidental script execution. Windows client systems set the default policy to Restricted, blocking all script execution and allowing only individual commands in the console.

The different policy settings

PowerShell offers six execution policy settings that balance security and convenience differently.

Execution policy	Default platform	Description	Security level
Restricted	Windows 10/11	Blocks all scripts; only interactive commands run in console.	Highest
RemoteSigned	Windows Server	Allows local scripts; requires digital signature for downloaded scripts.	High
AllSigned	None (manual)	Requires all scripts—local or downloaded—to be signed by a trusted publisher.	High
Unrestricted	Cross-platform	Runs all scripts but warns for untrusted sources.	Medium
Bypass	Cross-platform	No restrictions or warnings; scripts run freely.	Low
Undefined	N/A	No policy is set; defaults apply.	N/A

On Linux, macOS, and Windows Subsystem for Linux, the default policy is Unrestricted and cannot be changed.

For most environments, RemoteSigned provides the right balance between flexibility and protection. To learn more, run Get-Help about_Execution_Policies in PowerShell or read Microsoft’s execution policy documentation.

Checking and changing your execution policy

To view your current policy:

Get-ExecutionPolicy

To list policies at all scopes:

Get-ExecutionPolicy -List

To change it:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

If you lack admin rights, set it for your user only:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Restart PowerShell for the change to take effect.

Passing parameters to scripts

How parameters work

Parameters make scripts flexible and reusable:

.\BackupScript.ps1 -BackupPath "D:\\Backups" -KeepDays 30

Each name (for example, -BackupPath) corresponds to a parameter defined in the script.

Common execution options

You can adjust how PowerShell itself runs:

Option	Description	Example
-NoExit	Keeps PowerShell open after script finishes.	PowerShell -NoExit -File script.ps1
-NoProfile	Runs without loading your profile.	PowerShell -NoProfile -File script.ps1
-ExecutionPolicy Bypass	Temporarily ignores policy restrictions.	PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File script.ps1

Dot sourcing

To retain variables and functions after a script finishes, dot-source it:

. .\MyFunctions.ps1

This loads its contents into your current session.

Functions vs. scripts: understanding the difference

Scripts are complete .ps1 files that run and exit. Functions are reusable code blocks you load once and call repeatedly. Loading frequently used functions into your PowerShell profile makes them available every session.

To load functions automatically, add this line to your profile:

. C:\Scripts\MyFunctionLibrary.ps1

Learn more with Get-Help about_Profiles or the PowerShell profiles documentation.

Running scripts on remote computers

PowerShell remoting

Remoting lets you run code across many computers simultaneously using either WinRM or SSH.

• WinRM (ports 5985 HTTP, 5986 HTTPS):
  Enable it with Enable-PSRemoting -Force.
• SSH (port 22):
  Works across Windows, Linux, and macOS when SSH servers are configured.

Enter-PSSession vs. Invoke-Command

Use Enter-PSSession for interactive remote control of a single computer:

Enter-PSSession -ComputerName Server01

Exit with Exit-PSSession.

Use Invoke-Command to execute scripts or commands on multiple systems:

$servers = "Server01","Server02","Server03"
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $servers -FilePath C:\Scripts\ConfigureServer.ps1

Common errors and how to fix them

Error message	Cause	Fix
Running scripts is disabled	Execution policy set to Restricted	Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Script path not found	Incorrect path or missing .\ prefix	Verify with Test-Path and use full path
Access denied	Permissions or policy restriction	Run PowerShell as Administrator; check with Get-Acl

Conclusion

PowerShell allows administrators to automate and scale tasks efficiently across many systems. Understanding script execution, functions, and remoting gives you the foundation to build powerful automation workflows.

Frequently asked questions

How do I run a PowerShell script?

Open PowerShell, go to the script’s folder, and run .\ScriptName.ps1. In Command Prompt, use powershell.exe -File "C:\Path\To\Script.ps1".

Why does the error “Running scripts is disabled on this system” appear?

The default Restricted execution policy blocks scripts. Change it with:

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

How do I run a PowerShell script as administrator?

Right-click PowerShell and choose Run as administrator, or use:

Start-Process PowerShell -Verb RunAs -ArgumentList "-File C:\Scripts\MyScript.ps1"

Can I run a PowerShell script from File Explorer?

Yes. Right-click the .ps1 file and select Run with PowerShell. To see output, add Read-Host at the end or run from console.

How do I pass parameters to a PowerShell script?

Define them in a param block:

param([string]$Name,[int]$Age)
Write-Host "Hello, $Name!"

Run it like .\MyScript.ps1 -Name "Alice" -Age 30.