This topic has been covered more than Brexit on the BBC in the last decade! So why am I adding yet another article on the topic of learning PowerShell?
The truth is, I don’t think enough of the articles are specific to Sysadmins, 1st-line Support, and Deskside Support Engineers. I understand the reasoning: most articles are aimed at teaching you good fundamentals, which you can then apply to any task requiring PowerShell. But I also think PowerShell beginners have this idea that they need to master it before they can be efficient. This isn’t true. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever become a PowerShell master, and that’s okay.
This post won’t teach you PowerShell, but it will focus on the resources I recommend and offer practical examples to help you start learning.
Where to Start
If you’ve done any research at all about learning PowerShell, you’ll have come across the book “Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches.” Yes, I recommend this book too. But if you’re anything like me, sitting down with a textbook is hard to sustain. I inevitably end up putting it down and getting distracted.
My learning style is very practical. When I’m assigned a task at work, I open up a GUI and start clicking around to find the solution. If that doesn’t work, I turn to Google or YouTube for tutorials. When I encounter a task repeatedly, I look for ways to automate it or make it quicker to complete. So, how does this apply to PowerShell?
Don Jones (co-author of the book mentioned above) has a YouTube playlist for “Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches” that’s excellent. The shorter videos are easier to consume and less overwhelming than a big textbook. That said, I still prefer diving straight into PowerShell.
Getting Hands-On with PowerShell
Practice makes perfect, right? The more you use PowerShell, the more familiar you’ll become. Start small. Try doing basic things in PowerShell that you’d normally do through a GUI. For example:
- Opening a directory.
- Copying data from one folder to another.
- Viewing the contents of a file.
If you’re not sure how to do these tasks, Google it. Or, if you’ve read a few chapters of “Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches,” use Get-Help to guide you. The goal here isn’t to master anything, it’s just to get comfortable with the shell.
Repetition is also key. Once you’re feeling a bit more confident, head over to Under the Wire and try their PowerShell wargames. These challenges are fantastic for reinforcing commands and learning through repetition, all while having a bit of fun.
PowerShell in Your Day-to-Day Work
Next, try using PowerShell for at least one task per day at work. This is how I picked it up much quicker. Pick a basic ticket from your queue, something simple, like unlocking a user account and try to resolve it using PowerShell.
Start small here. Don’t jump straight into automating a new starter script or reorganising your company’s Active Directory structure. Focus on manageable tasks, and as always, be cautious when working with live data. In other words don’t delete shit!
Taking it to the Next Level
Once PowerShell becomes part of your daily workflow, you’ll naturally start reaching for it more often. It’s not the answer to every problem, but it’s a powerful tool for repetitive tasks and automation.
If you’re looking for an extra challenge, head over to Advent of Code and try solving their puzzles using PowerShell. Don’t get pissed off, if you can’t finish them, those tasks are bloody hard!