I’ve seen it over and over again: people telling people to use $Host, or the Get-Host cmdlet, to determine the version of Windows PowerShell. Please stop. Get-Host and $Host return a version, sure, but that’s the version of the host – the application that is hosting PowerShell. It’s not the version of PowerShell.
For many of us, the host is the PowerShell console, or the ISE. The name of the console host is ConsoleHost, and the name of the ISE host is ‘Windows PowerShell ISE Host.’ You can return these names by entering $Host or Get-Host, in the respective host, and looking at the Name property. These hosting applications are made by our friends at Microsoft, and so often, if not always, the version of the host will match the version of PowerShell. That said, you’d still be better served to get your results from the proper variable, especially in certain situations.
In order to ensure you are returning the version of PowerShell, use the automatic variable $PSVersionTable. The examples below show how to return information using this variable. Notice how we further isolate the version property – a suitable thing to do when you’re using the correct variable.
PS C:\> $PSVersionTable
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 4.0
WSManStackVersion 3.0
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
CLRVersion 4.0.30319.34014
BuildVersion 6.3.9600.17090
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.2
PS C:\> $PSVersionTable.PSVersion
Major Minor Build Revision
----- ----- ----- --------
4 0 -1 -1
PS C:\> $PSVersionTable.PSVersion.Major
4
PS C:\>
We can do the same type of property isolation with $Host and Get-Host. However, to get in this habit while using $Host, or Get-Host, is a bad idea, and may lead to wasted time and confusion if you’re attempting to determine the version of PowerShell.
PS C:\> $Host Name : ConsoleHost Version : 4.0 InstanceId : 48ae3046-45ed-46d4-bf6a-0b7e289856db UI : System.Management.Automation.Internal.Host.InternalHostUserInterface CurrentCulture : en-US CurrentUICulture : en-US PrivateData : Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost+ConsoleColorProxy IsRunspacePushed : False Runspace : System.Management.Automation.Runspaces.LocalRunspace PS C:\> $Host.Version Major Minor Build Revision ----- ----- ----- -------- 4 0 -1 -1 PS C:\> $Host.Version.Major 4 PS C:\>
The problem occurs when we’re using other hosting applications and under the belief $Host, or Get-Host, returns the version of PowerShell. The first instance that comes to mind, where we can see this problem, is when you’re using PSRemoting. If you’re not using the $PSVersionTable variable in a remote session, then you’re likely going to end up with incorrect results, when you try and get the version of PowerShell.
The example below uses an interactive session on a remote computer. $Host says we’re using version 1, but again, it’s reporting the version of the host (this time it’s named ServerRemoteHost). $PSVersionTable correctly indicates we’re using PowerShell 4.0. I’ve also returned the version of the operating system. Microsoft Server 2012 R2, by default, comes with PowerShell 4.0.
PS C:\> Enter-PSSession -ComputerName dc01 [dc01]: PS C:\Users\tommymaynard\Documents> Set-Location \ [dc01]: PS C:\> $Host.Version Major Minor Build Revision ----- ----- ----- -------- 1 0 0 0 [dc01]: PS C:\> $PSVersionTable.PSVersion Major Minor Build Revision ----- ----- ----- -------- 4 0 -1 -1 [dc01]: PS C:\> $Host Name : ServerRemoteHost Version : 1.0.0.0 InstanceId : aed243b7-73ee-45c8-9032-2f2a5679f6ed UI : System.Management.Automation.Internal.Host.InternalHostUserInterface CurrentCulture : en-US CurrentUICulture : en-US PrivateData : IsRunspacePushed : Runspace : System.Management.Automation.Runspaces.LocalRunspace [dc01]: PS C:\> (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_OperatingSystem).Caption Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard [dc01]: PS C:\> Exit-PSSession PS C:\>
Use $PSVersionTable to make sure you capture the proper version of PowerShell – not the version of the host, that’s hosting PowerShell. If this is one of your bad habits, then change it now, before you wish you had.