Executing PowerShell scripts in Windows 11

Published on 14^th August 2024 Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Recently, I have added the capability to update a Hugo-driven website from a laptop running Windows 11. Compared to what you get with Linux, I do feel a little like a fish out of water when it comes to using Windows for tasks that I accomplish more often on the former. That includes running PowerShell scripts instead of their BASH counterparts. While Linux Subsystem for Windows could be an option, my machine runs Windows 11 Home, where it is unavailable. Learning the ways of the Windows Terminal cannot do any harm in any case.

The default action of not executing PowerShell scripts is not a bad approach when it comes to keeping machines secure for less technical users. For the rest, you need to learn how to use the Set-ExecutionPolicy commandlet. Doing this in a safe means doing it in a restrictive manner. Thus, I chose the following command and executed it in a terminal running with admin privileges:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser

The scope here is for the currently logged-in user, instead of allowing every user the same capability. Some undoubtedly might suggest an execution policy of AllSigned and that adds effort that I was unwilling to expend, hence the choice that I made. This is not that critical a machine, so that is why I made the choice that I did. There was nothing too complicated about the script logic anyway.

Making the script available without needing to specify the path to it was my next step. In my case, I added a new location to the Path environment variable. To accomplish that, you need to find the Control Panel, open it and go to System and Security. Then, move to System (Control Panel\System and Security\System) and click on Advanced System Settings. In the new dialogue box that appears, click on the Environment Variables… button. Next, select the Path entry and click on the Edit button. That spawns another dialogue box where I added the new path. Clicking the OK button in each dialogue box closes them all, one at a time, to get back to the Control Panel window again. That too can be closed, and any open terminals shut down and a new one opened. The process is clunky, yet it works once you know what to do.

At the end of all this, I had a scripted process for updating a Hugo-driven website. It was not as sleek as what I have on my Linux system, yet it works well enough to allow more flexibility. In time, I may refine things further.