Manage the file system in PowerShell
Administrators who are familiar with using the Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) most likely know commands to manage a file system. Common cmd.exe commands include Dir, Move, Ren, RmDir, Del, Copy, MkDir, and Cd. In Windows PowerShell, these common commands are provided as aliases or functions that map to equivalent PowerShell drive cmdlets.
You can use the Get-Alias or Get-Command cmdlets to identify the cmdlets that map to these aliases and functions. Keep in mind that the aliases and functions aren't exact duplicates of the original cmd.exe commands, but instead the syntax of an alias matches the corresponding cmdlet. For example, the Dir command is an alias for the Get-ChildItem cmdlet. To obtain a directory listing that includes subdirectories, you run the Get-ChildItem –Recurse command. The parameters are the same whether you decide to use the cmdlet name or the alias. That means that you can run the Dir –Recurse command, but not Dir /s as you would when using Windows Command Prompt.
Note
Because Windows PowerShell accepts a slash (/) or backslash (\) as a path separator, Windows PowerShell interprets Dir /s to display a directory listing for the folder named s. If a folder named s exists, the command appears to work and doesn't display an error. If no such folder exists, it displays an error.
Moving within the file system
You can move within the file system by using the Set-Location cmdlet. This cmdlet functions similar to the Windows Command Prompt command Cd. When using it, you can specify either an absolute or a relative path. For example, Set-Location C:\Users changes to the C:\Users folder. Set-Location Temp changes to the Temp folder that's one level down from the current directory.
Create new files or folders
You can create new files and folders by using the New-Item cmdlet. You include the -Path parameter to define the name and location, and the -ItemType parameter to specify whether you want to create a file or directory.
Delete files or folders
You can remove files or folders with the Remove-Item cmdlet and the positional -Path parameter. To delete folders that contain files, you need to include the -Recurse switch so that the child file items are also deleted. Otherwise, or you'll be asked to confirm the action.
Find and enumerate files or folders
Use the Get-Item cmdlet and the -Path parameter to retrieve a single file or folder. You can also retrieve the children of an item by including the * wildcard in the path. For example, the Get-Item * command returns all files and folders in the current directory. The Get-Item * command is equivalent to the Get-ChildItem cmdlet, which returns all the children of a specified path.
You can use the Get-ChildItem cmdlet with the -Recurse switch to enumerate through child files and folders. The FileSystem provider also supports the -Exclude, -Include, and -Filter parameters. These modify the value of the -Path parameter and specify file and folder names to include or exclude in the retrieval process.