Windows Tricks

SHELLS & TERMINALS

⚠️ A terminal hosts a shell: the terminal (Windows Terminal, Console Host) is the app that displays and relays input, while the shell (pwsh, PowerShell, cmd) is the command interpreter. Use ✅ PowerShell (v7) not 🚫 Windows PowerShell (v5). They are different applications. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/whats-new/differences-from-windows-powershell

TERMINALS (EMULATORS)

SHELLS (COMMAND INTERPRETERS)

GET THE VERSIONS

PowerShell (v5) version

powershell -NoProfile -Command '$PSVersionTable.PSVersion.ToString()'

# from inside a Windows PowerShell session:
$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

PowerShell (v7) / pwsh version

pwsh --version

# from inside a pwsh session:
$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

Windows Terminal (wt) version

installed package version (as reported by Windows):

(Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsTerminal).Version

running application version:

(Get-Process WindowsTerminal).MainModule.FileVersionInfo.ProductVersion

conhost version

(Get-Item C:\Windows\System32\conhost.exe).VersionInfo.ProductVersion

CUSTOM PROMPT — SHOW THE SHELL VERSION AFTER “PS”

The prompt is produced by a prompt function defined in the current-user host profile. Find the file path with $PROFILE.CurrentUserCurrentHost, then reload with . $PROFILE (or simply reopen the shell). The result dims the version in gray (ESC[90m).

OPEN THE PROFILE FILE

notepad $PROFILE.CurrentUserCurrentHost

POWERSHELL (v7) PROFILE FILE

~/Documents/PowerShell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1

WINDOWS POWERSHELL (v5) PROFILE FILE

~/Documents/WindowsPowerShell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1

POWERSHELL (v7)

$PSStyle (7.2+) is available — dim with Foreground.BrightBlack:

function prompt {
    "PS $($PSStyle.Foreground.BrightBlack)$($PSVersionTable.PSVersion)$($PSStyle.Reset) $($executionContext.SessionState.Path.CurrentLocation)>`n"
}

WINDOWS POWERSHELL (v5)

No $PSStyle and no `e escape — build the ANSI gray with [char]27 (ESC[90m):

function prompt {
    "PS $([char]27)[90m$($PSVersionTable.PSVersion)$([char]27)[0m $($executionContext.SessionState.Path.CurrentLocation)>`n"
}

RELOAD / TEST

. $PROFILE

RESULT

PS 7.6.6 C:\Users\nico>
PS 5.1.26100.9444 C:\Users\nico>

BASIC COMMANDS

GET WINDOWS VERSION

winver

GET SYSTEM INFORMATION

msinfo32

SHUTDOWN / RESTART COMPUTER

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/shutdown

shutdown /p
shutdown /r

OPEN DEVICE MANAGER

devmgmt.msc

OPEN TASK MANAGER (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC)

taskmgr

GET TERMINAL VERSION

Get-Process -Id $PID | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Path; $PSVersionTable.PSVersion.ToString()

SET “WINDOWS TERMINAL” AS DEFAULT

IN SYSTEM/ADVANCED

(OLD DEFAULT WAS “WINDOWS CONSOLE HOST”)

search for terminal in:

ms-settings:developers

KILL A TASK

taskkill /im filename.exe /t /f

OPEN FONT DIRECTORY

%WINDIR%/Fonts
shell:fonts
%CSIDL_FONTS%

OPEN USER DIRECTORY

%HOMEPATH%
%USERPROFILE%

OPEN 64 BIT PROGRAM FILES DIRECTORY (x64)

%PROGRAMFILES%

OPEN 32 BIT PROGRAM FILES DIRECTORY (x86)

%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%

OPEN “OPTIONAL FEATURES” WINDOW

OptionalFeatures.exe

OPEN WINDOWS EXPLORER

WIN+E

SHOW DESKTOP

WIN+D

SHOW SETTINGS

WIN+I

LOCK SCREEN

WIN+L

CHECK FOR UPDATES

ms-settings:windowsupdate

DISABLE ANNOYING SOUNDS

click on 3rd tab “Sounds”

choose “No Sounds” in dropdown “Sound Schemes”

mmsys.cpl

TOGGLE WIFI

ncpa.cpl

INSTALL

NOTES

--scope machine requests installation for all users; it does not select an installer format.

Approve the administrator prompt when required. --silent does not suppress this prompt.

Windows Terminal uses --scope user, as required by its MSIX package.

Wireshark uses the interactive EXE installer so that Npcap can also be installed for packet capture.

See WinGet installation options and Wireshark installation instructions.

winget install -e --id Git.Git                                --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id GitHub.cli                             --source winget --installer-type wix --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode             --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Hugo.Hugo.Extended                     --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id PedroAlbanese.QREncode                 --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;

git config --global user.name "NicHub on Windows";
git config --global user.email "nicolas.jeanmonod@gmail.com";
git clone https://github.com/ouilogique/enfants-kara.ch.git

# set pwsh as default
# Win+R pwsh
# Ctrl+,
# Default profile: PowerShell (And not Windows PowerShell)

winget search Python # liste des versions Python disponibles
winget install -e --id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal              --source winget --scope user --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Microsoft.PowerShell                   --source winget --installer-type wix --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Python.Python.3.14                     --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS                      --source winget --installer-type wix --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Brave.Brave                            --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Mozilla.Firefox.DeveloperEdition       --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id BurntSushi.ripgrep.MSVC                --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id sharkdp.fd                             --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Neovim.Neovim                          --source winget --installer-type wix --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id PuTTY.PuTTY                            --source winget --installer-type wix --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id WiresharkFoundation.Wireshark          --source winget --scope machine --installer-type nullsoft --interactive --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id EclipseFoundation.Mosquitto            --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id Rclone.Rclone                          --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
winget install -e --id WinSCP.WinSCP                          --source winget --installer-type wix --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;
# FileZilla Client is unavailable in the winget source. Download: https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=client
# New installation: run from PowerShell as administrator.
winget install -e --id Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.BuildTools `
    --source winget `
    --scope machine `
    --silent `
    --accept-package-agreements `
    --accept-source-agreements `
    --override "--quiet --wait --norestart --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.ARM64 --includeRecommended"
npm install -g @openai/codex

Upgrade all

winget upgrade --all

Upgrade single

winget upgrade --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --installer-type inno --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements
winget upgrade --id Microsoft.PowerShell --installer-type wix --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

OPENCODE

Installation et mise à jour du client opencode sous Windows et sous WSL : voir la page dédiée.

👉 OPENCODE — le client embarqué dans l’app desktop (GUI), le redirecteur opencode.cmd, le port de service dédié et le retrait d’un ancien client.

WSL — Windows Subsystem for Linux

Requirements

Vérifier que la virtualisation est activée dans le BIOS.

Dans le BIOS, l’option s’appelle par ex. sur HP : System Configuration/Virtualization Technology.

Vérifier dans PowerShell :

Get-CimInstance Win32_Processor |
    Select-Object Name, VirtualizationFirmwareEnabled

Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem |
    Select-Object HypervisorPresent

Install WSL

wsl --install
shutdown /r
wsl -l -v
wsl --install Ubuntu-26.04

Usefull WSL commands

wsl                # démarre dans la distro par défaut (Ubuntu)
wsl -d Ubuntu      # démarre une distro précise
wsl -l -v          # liste les distros installées + leur version
wsl --update       # met à jour WSL

OTHER

Change default browser

ms-settings:defaultapps

Change color theme

ms-settings:colors

Coreutils: 78 Linux commands for powershell

https://github.com/microsoft/coreutils

ls "C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\"

https://youtu.be/Bg8FjRGuW_w?t=356

winget install -e --id Microsoft.Coreutils                    --source winget --scope machine --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements;

Install WSL1

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

Optional

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Reboot

Télécharger le MSI officiel Microsoft (WSL redistribuable)

curl.exe -L -o "$env:TEMP\wsl_update.msi" "https://aka.ms/wslupdate"
Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList "/i","$env:TEMP\wsl_update.msi","/qn" -Wait
wsl --set-default-version 1
wsl --install -d Ubuntu