How to Disable Windows PowerShell 2.0 in Windows 11 or 10?

Designed primarily for system administration, Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language. With Windows PowerShell, IT professionals, and power users can automate and control the Windows operating system and applications. AMSI protection and enhanced transcription logging are some of the great brand-new features that come with Windows PowerShell 5.0 by default, which enhances security.

Although Windows PowerShell 2.0 has been deprecated, starting with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, it may still be enabled on your computer and can be used to run malicious scripts.

In this gearupwindows article, we will show you how to remove or disable PowerShell v2 in Windows 11 and 10 using PowerShell, Command Prompt, and Windows Features.

How to Disable Windows PowerShell 2.0 using Windows PowerShell?

Follow these steps to turn off Windows PowerShell 2.0 using Windows PowerShell:-

Step 1. Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.

Step 2. Now, type the following command to determine the current state of PowerShell 2.0:-

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName MicrosoftWindowsPowerShellV2

You do not need to do anything else if the State is Disabled. However, if it is Enabled, you need to enter the following command:-

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName MicrosoftWindowsPowerShellV2Root

To re-enable Windows PowerShell 2.0 in the future, enter this command:-

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName MicrosoftWindowsPowerShellV2Root

How to Turn Off Windows PowerShell 2.0 through Command Prompt?

Follow these steps to disable Windows PowerShell 2.0 using Command Prompt:-

Step 1. Open an elevated Command Prompt first.

Step 2. You can now check whether Windows PowerShell 2.0 is enabled on your PC by typing the following and hitting Enter:-

DISM /online /get-features /format:table | find "MicrosoftWindowsPowerShellV2Root"

The following commands can be used to disable PowerShell v2 if it is enabled:-

Dism /online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:"MicrosoftWindowsPowerShellV2Root"

And if you want to enable PowerShell 2.0, use this command instead:-

Dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:"MicrosoftWindowsPowerShellV2Root" -All

How to Disable Windows PowerShell V2 using Windows Features?

You do not have to use third-party applications since Windows Features is an inbuilt utility that allows users to enable and disable specific features on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Follow these steps to disable PowerShell v2 using Windows Features:-

Step 1. Click the Start button and type Windows Features.

Step 2. Next, click on Turn Windows features on or off.

Step 3. Remove the check from the Windows PowerShell 2.0 checkbox.

Step 4. Click the OK button and let the process finish.

Step 5. Finally, restart your computer.

Conclusion

To sum up, Windows PowerShell is a powerful tool that can help IT professionals automate and control the Windows operating system and applications. However, with the deprecation of Windows PowerShell 2.0, it is important to disable or remove it to enhance security. This can be done using Windows PowerShell, Command Prompt, or Windows Features. By following the steps outlined in this gearupwindows article, users can disable PowerShell v2 and prevent malicious scripts from running on their systems. It is important to note that PowerShell v2 may still be enabled on some computers, even though it has been deprecated, so it is crucial to take the necessary steps to disable it.

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