How to install/add Powershell 2.0 to Windows update 25H2?

Question

How can I add PowerShell 2.0 to a Windows 11 Version 25H2 update?

Answer 1

Dear Roger Whitsett,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum.

While Windows 11 Version 25H2 comes with much newer versions of PowerShell built-in, PowerShell 2.0 is a very old, deprecated feature. Microsoft strongly advises against using it due to significant security vulnerabilities and lack of modern features.

However, if you have a specific, unavoidable need for PowerShell 2.0, it might still be installable as an optional Windows Feature, provided you also enable the necessary .NET Framework version.

PowerShell 2.0 relies on .NET Framework 3.5 (which includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0). You must enable this first.

• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
• Type optionalfeatures and press Enter. This opens the "Turn Windows features on or off" window.
• Find ".NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)" in the list.
• Check the box next to it. You don't necessarily need to check the sub-options unless you know you need WCF services.
• Click OK.
• Windows will likely need to download files from Windows Update. Choose "Let Windows Update download the files for you".
• Wait for the installation to complete. You might need to restart your computer.

Then, enable Windows PowerShell 2.0 engine:

• After ensuring .NET 3.5 is installed, open the "Turn Windows features on or off" window again (optionalfeatures).
• Scroll down the list and look for "Windows PowerShell 2.0".
• Expand it if necessary, and check the box next to "Windows PowerShell 2.0 Engine".
• Click OK.

After restarting:

• You can try running PowerShell 2.0 specifically by typing powershell.exe -Version 2 in the Run dialog (Windows + R) or Command Prompt.
• Note that your default PowerShell will still be the newer version (likely 5.1).
• Windows might install the feature. You may need to restart your computer again.

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Answer 2

Hi,

You can try this: open the Control Panel, go to Programs, then select Turn Windows features on or off. Scroll down and look for Windows PowerShell 2.0, check the box next to it, and click OK to install. If the option isn’t listed in Windows 11 Version 25H2, it means Microsoft has removed PowerShell 2.0 for security reasons, so you’ll need to use the newer PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7 (PowerShell Core), which can be installed from the Microsoft Store instead.

Kind regards,