May 14, 2026

PowerShell Is Fun — Automating things with PowerShell in multiple areas with Harm Veenstra [MVP]

PowerShell is far more than just a scripting language for administrators. It is a powerful automation platform that can simplify repetitive tasks, connect services, and save countless hours across many different environments. From Microsoft 365 and Azure automation to local system management, reporting, APIs, and DevOps workflows, PowerShell provides flexible tools for almost every scenario.

This session explores practical automation examples from multiple areas, showing how PowerShell can be used to streamline daily operations, improve consistency, and reduce manual work. We will look at real-world use cases including Microsoft 365 management, file and data processing, REST API integrations, scheduled automation, and cross-platform scripting.

Whether you are just getting started with PowerShell or already writing scripts regularly, this session demonstrates how small automations can create significant improvements in productivity and reliability. Expect live demos, useful tips, and ideas you can immediately apply in your own environment.

Join this session to discover why PowerShell is not only useful — PowerShell is fun.

You might have heard Mirko Peters and Harm Veenstra on the PowerShell Is Fun podcast, sharing stories about how PowerShell is fun and makes IT life easier. With windows powershell, you get a powerful tool that helps you automate tasks in Microsoft 365, Azure, and even outside the Microsoft world. Windows powershell is everywhere now—65% of IT pros rely on it for automation, and its popularity keeps growing thanks to support from Microsoft, AWS, and the open-source community. Windows powershell lets you skip repetitive IT work and focus on what matters. Whether you’re new or experienced, you’ll see how windows powershell and PowerShell Is Fun can boost your productivity and make IT automation enjoyable.

Key Takeaways

PowerShell automates repetitive IT tasks, saving time and reducing errors. This allows you to focus on more important projects.
Using PowerShell in Microsoft 365 and Azure enhances your ability to manage users and resources efficiently, going beyond what the graphical interface offers.
The PowerShell community is vast and supportive. Engage with forums and podcasts to learn from others and share your experiences.
Start scripting with simple commands. Use the built-in cmdlets and parameters to create powerful automation scripts.
Always test your scripts in a safe environment before running them in production. This helps prevent mistakes and protects your IT systems.
Organize your scripts in a clear structure. Use descriptive names and comments to make them easy to understand and maintain.
Security is crucial. Set execution policies and sign your scripts to ensure they are safe to run in your environment.
Keep learning and adapting. PowerShell evolves, so stay updated with new features and best practices to enhance your automation skills.

PowerShell Is Fun: Why Automate?

Automation Benefits

You probably wonder why so many IT pros talk about automation. With powershell, you can turn boring, repetitive jobs into quick, reliable processes. You save time and avoid mistakes. Imagine running a script that handles user account creation in seconds. One company saw a 70% reduction in time spent on this task after switching to powershell automation scripts. Another organization, Brose, automated over 170 tasks and recovered more than 4,000 hours in just 18 months. That’s real efficiency.

Here’s what you gain with powershell automation:

Streamlined workflows that cut manual errors.
More time for important projects.
Better efficiency and performance across your IT team.

When you automate, you improve IT performance and make your work life easier. You can focus on bigger goals instead of clicking through menus all day.

Microsoft Ecosystem Focus

If you work with Microsoft 365 or Azure, powershell is your best friend. You get advanced automation capabilities that go beyond what the graphical interface offers. With powershell automation scripts, you can manage hundreds of users, set permissions, and handle compliance reporting in bulk. You access deeper configurations and filter data that the GUI can’t reach.

Let’s look at some building blocks of powershell automation in the Microsoft ecosystem:

Bulk operations for user management and administration.
Advanced automation capabilities for security remediation and compliance reporting.
Improved IT performance through faster management and administration.

You can use powershell to automate tasks in Exchange, Teams, and Intune. You boost efficiency and performance while keeping your systems secure. Automation lets you handle remediation quickly and enforce policies for compliance reporting.

Community & Learning

You don’t have to learn powershell alone. The community is huge and always ready to help. You can find scripts, share ideas, and ask questions in forums like r/PowerShell on Reddit, PowerShell on GitHub, and the PowerShell Community Blog. The PowerShell Is Fun podcast brings you stories and tips from real IT pros, making learning enjoyable.

Here are some top places to connect and learn:

Resource	Description
PowerShell Resources - Level1Techs Forums	Community-driven forum for sharing scripts and advice
Scripting Blog	Official Microsoft blog for scripting tips
PowerShell on GitHub	Open-source repository and community hub
r/PowerShell on Reddit	Active forum with over 190,000 subscribers
PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit	Annual conference for networking and learning

You can join events like PSConfEU or RTPSUG to meet other IT pros and share your powershell automation scripts. The community helps you build your skills and improve IT performance every day.

You get the building blocks of powershell automation from these resources. You learn new tricks, improve your scripts, and stay up-to-date with advanced automation capabilities. Sharing and learning together makes powershell automation fun and rewarding.

PowerShell Scripts & Setup

What Are Scripts?

Let’s start with the basics. When you hear people talk about powershell scripts, they mean a set of instructions that powershell follows to complete automation. You write these scripts to tell powershell exactly what to do, step by step. Think of scripts as recipes for your computer. Each line in the script is a command or instruction that powershell understands.

You might wonder what makes up a good powershell script. Here are the essential parts that work together to make your scripts powerful:

Cmdlets: These are the main commands in powershell. They use a Verb-Noun format, like Get-Process or Set-Location. Cmdlets are the building blocks of your scripts.
Parameters: You use these to change how cmdlets work. Parameters start with a hyphen, such as -Name or -Force. They help you control the details of each command.
Pipelines: Pipelines let you connect commands. You use the pipe symbol (|) to send the output of one command into another. This makes your scripts clear and efficient.
Variables: Variables start with a dollar sign ($). You use them to store information, like numbers or text, and reuse it throughout your scripts.
Objects, Properties & Methods: Everything in powershell is an object. Objects have properties (like data fields) and methods (actions you can perform). You use dot notation to work with these in your scripts.

When you combine these parts, you create powershell scripts that can handle automation for all kinds of IT tasks. You can automate user creation, file management, or even complex cloud operations. The more you practice, the more you’ll see how these components make your scripts flexible and powerful.

Getting Started

You don’t need a fancy setup to begin with powershell scripts. Most Windows computers already have powershell installed. If you use Windows Server 2008 R2 or later, or Windows 7 and up, you’re ready to go. You just need to make sure you have the right version and a few other things in place.

Here’s a quick look at what you need before you start writing your first powershell scripts:

Requirement	Description
Identity Vault Server	NetIQ Identity Manager 4.8 or higher and NetIQ eDirectory (level supported by Identity Manager and higher).
Windows PowerShell	Installed by default for Windows Server 2008 R2 and later, and Windows 7 and later. Versions up to 5.x are supported.
Microsoft .NET Framework	Version 4.0 or higher is required; .NET Framework 3.5 Feature must also be installed.
Other Software	Microsoft Web Services Enhancement module must be installed if using the Script Service for Windows PowerShell.

If you use a Mac or Linux, you can install PowerShell Core. It works almost the same way, so you can run your powershell scripts on different platforms. Once you have everything set up, you can open powershell and start typing commands right away.

Tip: Always run powershell as an administrator when you need to make system changes. This gives your scripts the permissions they need to complete automation.

Choosing Editors

You have a few great options for writing powershell scripts. The right editor can make your automation journey much smoother. Some editors help you spot mistakes, offer suggestions, and let you test your scripts as you write.

Here’s a quick comparison of the most popular editors for powershell scripts:

Code Editor	Features
Visual Studio Code (VSCode)	- Lightweight editor - IntelliSense for context-aware autocompletion - Integrated terminal for execution and debugging
Windows PowerShell ISE	- User-friendly interface - Robust debugging features - Context-aware auto-completion

Visual Studio Code is a favorite for many IT pros. It’s fast, free, and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. You get smart suggestions and can run your powershell scripts right inside the editor. Windows PowerShell ISE is another solid choice, especially if you like a simple interface and strong debugging tools.

You can try both and see which one fits your style. The important thing is to pick an editor that helps you write, test, and manage your powershell scripts with ease. Once you find your favorite, you’ll see how much faster you can build automation for your IT environment.

Note: No matter which editor you choose, remember to save your scripts often. A good habit is to keep your scripts organized in folders, so you can find and reuse them for future automation.

Now you know what powershell scripts are, how to get started, and which editors can help you. You’re ready to dive into the world of automation and start making IT work for you!

Find & Use Ready-Made Scripts

Script Sources

You don’t have to start every powershell automation script from scratch. Many IT pros share their scripts online, making your automation journey easier. You can find scripts for configuration, compliance, and security tasks. These scripts help you automate user management, file operations, and even desired state configuration.

Here’s a quick table showing some trusted sources for powershell automation scripts:

Source	Description
Script Resources for IT Professionals	Offers many free powershell scripts with ratings and compatibility info.
PowerShell Resources	Community forum with links to Microsoft’s scripting blog and helpful resources.
PowerShell.org	Forums and resources for learning powershell, great for beginners and pros.

You can also check out these sites for more scripts and automation tips:

When you use these sources, you get access to scripts that help with configuration, security, and compliance. You can automate IT tasks faster and more reliably.

Safe Execution

Before you run any powershell automation scripts from the internet, you need to think about security. Not every script is safe. You want to protect your IT environment and avoid unwanted changes to configuration or security settings.

Here are some best practices for safe execution:

Set strict execution policies, like ‘AllSigned’, so only trusted scripts run.
Sign your scripts to verify their integrity and authenticity.
Use secure coding techniques, such as input validation and error handling, to reduce vulnerabilities.

You can choose from different execution policies:

Restricted: No scripts can run.
AllSigned: Only scripts signed by a trusted publisher can run.
RemoteSigned: Local scripts run without being signed, but internet scripts must be signed.
Unrestricted: Runs all scripts but warns if they are from the internet.

These steps help you keep your automation safe and your configuration stable. You avoid risks and make sure your scripts support compliance and security configuration audits.

Tip: Always review scripts before running them. Check for unexpected commands or changes to configuration. You want to trust your automation, not guess what it will do.

Permissions & Policies

You need the right permissions and policies to run powershell automation scripts in your IT environment. You can check your current execution policy with:

Get-ExecutionPolicy

To enhance security, set your policy to RemoteSigned or AllSigned:

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

Set-ExecutionPolicy AllSigned

Verify your changes with:

Get-ExecutionPolicy -List

You can set execution policies at the Machine, User, or Process level. Always use the least privilege policy and sign your scripts. This keeps your configuration secure and supports compliance requirements.

Note: Permissions matter. Make sure you have the right access before running automation scripts. You protect your IT systems and keep your configuration consistent.

When you follow these steps, you build a safer automation environment. You keep your scripts organized, your configuration tight, and your IT team ready for any tasks.

Create Custom Scripts

First Script Steps

You want to dive into powershell automation scripts and start creating your own. The process feels simple once you know the steps. You begin by opening your favorite editor, like Visual Studio Code or PowerShell ISE. You create scripts by writing a new file with the .ps1 extension. For your first script, try something basic. Add a cmdlet, such as Get-Process, to see running processes on your computer.

Here’s a quick guide to help you create scripts for powershell automation:

Open your editor and create a new .ps1 file.
Add a cmdlet, like Get-Process, to your script.
Save the file.
Modify your execution policy if needed. Use Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned to allow local scripts.
Run your script and see the results.

You can use this process for many automation tasks. As you create scripts, you build confidence and learn how powershell can make IT easier.

Tip: Start small. Test your scripts with simple commands before moving to complex automation.

Save & Run

Saving and running powershell automation scripts is a key part of your workflow. You save your script with a clear name, like GetUserInfo.ps1. You keep your scripts organized in folders for easy access. When you want to run your script, open powershell and navigate to the folder. Type .\GetUserInfo.ps1 and press Enter.

If you run into permission issues, check your execution policy. You can use Get-ExecutionPolicy to see the current setting. Change it with Set-ExecutionPolicy if needed. This step helps you run powershell automation scripts safely and efficiently.

Note: Always save your scripts before running them. You avoid losing changes and keep your automation reliable.

Debugging Basics

Debugging powershell automation scripts helps you fix problems and improve your automation. You use cmdlets like Test-Connection, Resolve-DnsName, and Test-NetConnection to check network issues. You add conditional logic to your scripts so they handle real-time conditions. Modularizing your scripts makes them easier to maintain and scale.

Logging anomalies gives you clues when something goes wrong. You can use Write-Output or Write-Host to print messages and track script progress. PowerShell Remoting lets you check connectivity across multiple devices.

Here’s a table with common debugging techniques:

Technique	Description
Test-Connection	Checks if a device responds to ping
Resolve-DnsName	Diagnoses DNS issues
Conditional Logic	Handles errors and unexpected results
Modular Scripts	Breaks scripts into smaller, reusable parts
Logging	Records anomalies for troubleshooting
PowerShell Remoting	Tests connectivity on remote systems

You improve your powershell automation scripts by using these techniques. Debugging helps you create scripts that work every time, making IT automation smooth and dependable.

Callout: Don’t get discouraged if your scripts fail at first. Every IT pro learns by troubleshooting and fixing scripts. You get better with practice!

Scripting Essentials

Variables & Data

You use variables in powershell to store and manage information. Variables always start with a dollar sign. For example, you can write $name = "Alex" to store a name or $age = 25 for a number. You can even capture the result of a command, like $processes = Get-Process, which saves all running processes for later use.

Powershell makes your life easier with dynamic typing. This means you do not have to worry about declaring the type of data. The variable changes its type based on what you assign. You can store a string, a number, or even a list in the same variable at different times. This flexibility helps you write scripts quickly and adapt to different automation tasks.

Data in powershell falls into two main groups. Value types, like integers, hold their own data. Reference types, such as arrays, point to objects that contain the actual data. For example, an integer is self-contained, but an array can hold many items or be empty. This structure gives you control over how you manage information in your scripts.

File Management

Managing files and folders is a big part of powershell automation. You can create, copy, move, or delete files with just a few commands. Here are some common tasks you might need:

Create a new folder:

New-Item C:\TempPowerShell -Type Directory

Copy a file:
```
Copy-Item C:\Scriptstest.txt C:\Test
```

Move a file:

Move-Item C:\Scriptstest.zip C:\Test -Force

Delete a file:
```
Remove-Item C:\Scriptstest.txt
```

Delete files older than 30 days:

$path = 'C:\YourDirectory'
Get-ChildItem $path | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) } | Remove-Item

You can also create new text files, append data, or remove folders and their contents. These commands help you automate file management and keep your it environment organized. You save time and avoid mistakes by letting scripts handle these tasks.

Tip: Always test your scripts on a small set of files before running them on important data. This keeps your it systems safe.

Loops & Logic

You often need to repeat actions or make decisions in your powershell scripts. Loops and logic help you do this. Here is a quick look at the main loop types:

Loop Type	Description
For	Runs a block of code a set number of times.
ForEach	Goes through each item in a list or array.
While	Keeps running as long as a condition is true.
Do-While	Runs the code at least once, then checks the condition.
Do-Until	Runs until a condition becomes true.

You use logic to control what happens in your scripts. If-Else statements let you run code only when a condition is true. Switch statements help you compare one value to many options. You can even use a ternary operator for quick decisions.

Here is a simple example. If you want to check if a file exists, you can write:

if (Test-Path "C:\Test\myfile.txt") {
    Write-Output "File found!"
} else {
    Write-Output "File not found."
}

Loops and logic make your powershell scripts powerful. You can automate complex it tasks and handle many situations with just a few lines of code.

Functions

Let’s talk about one of the coolest features in PowerShell: functions. If you want your scripts to do more and stay organized, you need to use functions. Think of a function as a mini-program inside your script. You give it a name, tell it what to do, and then call it whenever you need that task done. This makes your scripts cleaner and easier to manage.

You might wonder, “Why should I use functions?” Here’s the deal. When you write a function, you can reuse it in different scripts. You don’t have to copy and paste the same code everywhere. This saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes. If you need to update something, you only change it in one place.

Here’s a simple example of a PowerShell function:

function Get-Greeting {
    param (
        [string]$Name
    )
    "Hello, $Name! Welcome to PowerShell automation."
}

Get-Greeting -Name "Alex"

You see how easy that is? You define the function once, then call it as many times as you want with different names.

Let’s look at some key advantages of using functions in your scripts:

Advantage	Description
Reusability	Use the same function in many scripts.
Maintainability	Update your code in one spot, and every script using the function gets the fix.
Enhanced Functionality	Accept input from the pipeline and use built-in parameters like `-Verbose` and `-ErrorAction`.

You can also make your functions more powerful by adding parameters. This lets you pass in different values each time you run the function. PowerShell functions can even accept input from the pipeline, which means you can chain commands together for advanced automation.

Tip: Use clear names for your functions. This helps you and your team understand what each function does at a glance.

Here’s another cool thing. PowerShell gives you built-in parameters like -Verbose and -ErrorAction. These make your functions easier to use and debug. You can add help text to your functions, too. This way, anyone using your script knows exactly how to use each function.

Here’s a quick table to show you how functions boost your automation:

Feature	Benefit
Pipeline Input	Makes your function work with other commands in a pipeline.
Built-in Parameters	Improves user experience with options for more details or error handling.

When you start using functions, you turn simple scripts into powerful tools. You make your automation modular, flexible, and ready for anything. Try writing your next script with functions, and you’ll see how much easier your PowerShell journey becomes! 🚀

Automate Across Microsoft 365 & Beyond

User Management

You handle user management every day in Microsoft 365. With powershell, you can automate these tasks and make your IT life easier. You don’t have to click through endless menus or fill out forms. Instead, you use powershell automation scripts to get things done fast and accurately.

Here’s how you can use powershell for common user management tasks:

Create new user accounts. You can write a script that reads information from a CSV file and sets up accounts for new employees. This saves you hours during onboarding.
Disable or delete inactive user accounts. You can identify users who haven’t logged in recently and remove their access. This keeps your environment secure and supports compliance.
Update user attributes. You can schedule scripts to change job titles or contact information based on HR data. This keeps your directory up-to-date and helps with management.

You see powershell in action when you automate these tasks. You improve efficiency and reduce errors. Real-world applications of powershell automation make user management simple and reliable. You can focus on bigger projects instead of routine work.

Tip: Try automating user onboarding with powershell. You’ll notice how much time you save and how consistent your results become.

File & Folder Tasks

Managing files and folders can feel overwhelming. You deal with hundreds of documents, reports, and logs. Powershell helps you automate file management and keep your IT systems organized.

You can use powershell automation scripts to:

Create folders for new projects or departments.
Copy files to backup locations.
Move documents to archive folders.
Delete old files that you no longer need.

For example, you can write a script to remove files older than 30 days. This keeps your storage clean and supports compliance. You can also automate permissions management for folders, making sure only the right people have access.

Here’s a simple script to delete files older than a month:

$path = 'C:\YourDirectory'
Get-ChildItem $path | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) } | Remove-Item

You see powershell in action when you automate file management. You reduce manual work and improve security. Real-world applications of powershell automation help you keep your IT environment tidy and efficient.

Note: Always test your scripts on a small set of files before running them on important data. This protects your IT systems and supports compliance.

Network Automation

Network management is a big part of IT. You need to check connections, monitor devices, and troubleshoot problems. Powershell gives you powerful tools for network automation. You can use cmdlets to replace old command-line tools and get better results.

Here’s a table showing how powershell automation scripts improve network management:

Traditional Command	PowerShell Equivalent	Key Advantage
ipconfig	Get-NetIPAddress	Object output, easier filtering
ipconfig /all	Get-NetIPConfiguration	Structured, comprehensive output
ping	Test-Connection	Scriptable, returns objects
tracert	Test-NetConnection -TraceRoute	Integrated diagnostics
nslookup	Resolve-DnsName	More query options, better output
netstat	Get-NetTCPConnection	Powerful filtering
route print	Get-NetRoute	Easy to parse and manipulate
arp -a	Get-NetNeighbor	Object-based neighbor cache

You can automate network health checks with powershell. Here’s a script that checks if your servers are reachable:

# Network Health Check Script
$servers = @("dc01.local", "fileserver.local", "webserver.local")
foreach ($server in $servers) {
    $result = Test-NetConnection -ComputerName $server -WarningAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($result.PingSucceeded) {
        Write-Host "$server is reachable" -ForegroundColor Green
    } else {
        Write-Host "$server is UNREACHABLE" -ForegroundColor Red
    }
}

You use powershell automation scripts to monitor your network and fix issues quickly. You improve security and support compliance by keeping your systems healthy. Management becomes easier when you automate network tasks.

Callout: Automate your network checks with powershell. You’ll catch problems early and keep your IT environment running smoothly.

Cloud Integration

You want to take your automation to the cloud. PowerShell makes this easy. You can connect to Microsoft 365, Azure, and other cloud services with just a few commands. This lets you manage users, resources, and settings from anywhere.

Start by installing the right modules. For Microsoft 365, use the ExchangeOnlineManagement and MSOnline modules. For Azure, install Az or AzureAD. These modules give you access to hundreds of cmdlets designed for cloud management.

Here’s a quick example. You can connect to Microsoft 365 with:

Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName yourname@yourdomain.com

Once connected, you can automate tasks like mailbox creation, license assignment, or group management. You can even schedule these scripts to run automatically, so you never miss a step.

PowerShell also works with Microsoft Graph APIs. This opens up advanced automation. You can manage Teams, SharePoint, and Intune with a single script. The PowerShell Is Fun podcast often shares stories about using Graph to automate onboarding, migrations, and permissions. You get more control and flexibility than the web interface alone.

Here are some ways you can use PowerShell for cloud integration:

Automate user onboarding across Microsoft 365 and Azure.
Manage licenses and group memberships in bulk.
Migrate mailboxes or files between tenants.
Set up Teams channels and permissions automatically.
Monitor cloud resources and generate reports.

Tip: Always test your scripts in a non-production environment first. This helps you avoid surprises and keeps your cloud setup safe.

Cloud integration with PowerShell saves you time and reduces manual work. You can handle large-scale changes with confidence. You also make your IT environment more consistent and reliable.

Security & Governance

When you automate, you must think about security and governance. PowerShell gives you powerful tools, but you need to use them wisely. A single script can change hundreds of accounts or settings. If you don’t follow best practices, you risk exposing your environment.

Start by setting strict execution policies. Only allow trusted scripts to run. Many organizations learned this the hard way. For example, a financial institution faced a breach because someone ran an unverified script. After they enforced script signing and strict policies, they reduced their risk.

Script signing is another key step. When you sign your scripts, you prove they come from a trusted source. A university improved their automation security by adopting a robust script signing policy. This also raised the quality of their codebase.

You should also use secure coding techniques. Remove hard-coded credentials from your scripts. Validate all parameters before running commands. A retail company lowered their attack surface by following these steps. They made their automation safer and more reliable.

Here are some best practices for security and governance in PowerShell automation:

Set execution policies to RemoteSigned or AllSigned.
Sign all scripts before running them in production.
Store credentials securely, never in plain text.
Validate input parameters to prevent mistakes.
Review scripts regularly for risky commands.
Document every script and its purpose.

Best Practice	Why It Matters
Script Signing	Ensures only trusted code runs
Secure Credential Storage	Protects sensitive information
Parameter Validation	Prevents accidental or malicious misuse
Regular Reviews	Catches security risks before they cause harm
Documentation	Helps your team understand and trust automation

Note: Security is not a one-time task. Review your scripts often. Update your practices as threats change.

You can also use role-based access control. Give users only the permissions they need to run automation scripts. This limits the impact if something goes wrong.

PowerShell Is Fun often highlights the importance of community. Share your security tips and lessons learned. Help others avoid common mistakes. When you focus on security and governance, you protect your organization and build trust in your automation.

Build Your Script Library

Organize & Document

You want your powershell script collection to grow with you. Organization matters. When you keep your scripts tidy, you save time and avoid confusion. Start by creating folders for different IT areas, like user management, file automation, or compliance. Give each script a clear name that shows what it does. Add comments at the top of your scripts to explain their purpose and any special requirements.

Good documentation helps everyone on your team. You can use a table to track best practices for organizing and documenting your scripts:

Best Practice	Description
Store runbooks with scripts	Ensures operational continuity and support during outages.
Use least privilege	Reduces risk by limiting account permissions to only what is necessary.
Protect sensitive data	Avoid storing passwords and credentials in plain text; use secure storage.
Ensure code readability	Use clear names, consistent formatting, and comments for better collaboration.
Implement change control	Apply peer review and documented rollout plans to catch issues before deployment.
Handle failures properly	Log errors and document rollback paths to maintain control over script execution.
Centralize script repository	Provides a single source of truth and reduces version drift among team members.

You keep your scripts safe and easy to find. You also support compliance by making sure every script has a clear history and purpose.

Share & Collaborate

You don’t have to work alone. Sharing your scripts with your team makes everyone stronger. Use a central repository, like GitHub or Azure DevOps, to store your scripts. This way, your team can access the latest versions and avoid confusion. You can also use project management tools to track changes and assign tasks.

Here’s a table showing features that help you share and collaborate on scripts:

Feature	Description
Governance and Management	Simplifies the process of managing PowerShell scripts and sharing reports within teams.
Real-time Reporting	Generates reports that can be accessed and shared easily with colleagues via a simple link.
Export Options	Allows exporting reports to Excel or PDF for further analysis or sharing.
Scheduling Reports	Users can schedule reports to be generated automatically, saving time and effort.
Intuitive Interface	Provides an easy-to-use interface for managing scripts and reports effectively.
Project Management Features	Offers tools for checking project sites, security, and permissions, enhancing team collaboration.

You improve compliance and security when you share scripts in a controlled way. You also make it easier to review code and spot issues before they affect your IT environment.

Tip: Set up regular meetings to review scripts together. You catch problems early and learn from each other.

Keep Learning

You never stop learning in IT. Powershell changes fast, and new features appear all the time. Stay updated by following official documentation and joining community discussions. You can ask questions, share your automation wins, and get advice from experts.

Here are some great ways to keep learning:

Check out the official getting started documentation for powershell.
Visit the community dashboard to see contributions and project status.
Join open discussions on GitHub to connect with other users.
Chat with the community on Discord, IRC, or Slack.

You build your skills and stay ahead in automation. You also help your team stay ready for new compliance rules and IT challenges.

Callout: Your script library grows with you. Keep organizing, sharing, and learning. You’ll turn your scripts into powerful tools for every IT task.

You can start automating with powershell today and transform your it routine. Many organizations have automated patching, compliance, and software deployment, saving time and boosting security. When you join the powershell community, you gain new skills, build friendships, and stay ahead in it. Try experimenting with scripts, organize your own library, and share your wins.

The powershell journey is fun and rewarding.
Ready for next steps?

Listen to the PowerShell Is Fun podcast.
Connect with it pros in powershell forums.
Practice scripting and keep learning.

FAQ

What is PowerShell used for?

You use PowerShell to automate tasks on Windows, Microsoft 365, and Azure. It helps you manage users, files, networks, and cloud services. You can save time and reduce mistakes with scripts.

Do I need to know programming to start with PowerShell?

No, you don’t need a programming background. You can start with simple commands and build your skills. The PowerShell community and resources make learning easy.

How do I run a PowerShell script?

Save your script with a .ps1 extension. Open PowerShell, navigate to your script’s folder, and type:

.\yourscript.ps1

Press Enter. That’s it!

Is PowerShell only for Windows?

No, PowerShell works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can install PowerShell Core on any of these systems. This lets you automate tasks across different platforms.

Where can I find ready-made PowerShell scripts?

You can find scripts on sites like PowerShell.org, GitHub, and the Scripting Blog. Many IT pros share their scripts online. Always review scripts before running them.

How do I keep my scripts secure?

Tip: Sign your scripts and set execution policies to RemoteSigned or AllSigned. Store credentials securely. Review your scripts often to catch any risks.

Can PowerShell connect to Microsoft 365 and Azure?

Yes! You can use modules like ExchangeOnlineManagement and Az to connect. This lets you automate user management, reporting, and cloud tasks with just a few commands.

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Yeah, welcome everyone to another episode of the MC65FFM podcast.

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My today's guest comes with the phrase, "Four Shells Fun." Join us.

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We talk with Microsoft MVP, HarmBedster,

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a PowerShell expert, community contributor and automation,

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into this helping IT profession, automatic task across multiple Microsoft technologies.

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Yeah, and we have the title today, "PowerShell is Fun," automating everything with PowerShell.

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Yeah, let's start with the name, "PowerShell is Fun." Why did you choose that name for your website?

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Because it makes sense for me, I guess.

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I do actually enjoy and having fun creating scripts, the whole thinking process being creative.

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Yeah, yeah, where's both there, a moment where PowerShell stopping being just scripting and became fun for you, what was the special moment?

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When you finally understand the how and the why, and once you understand the logic,

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it's just a creativity that is the only thing holding you down to do more.

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Yeah, I think the most people, yeah, that's not fun, but the first time I've been by the area, PowerShell.

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But yeah, what tip can you, or trick, can you give people to fall in love with it?

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And when you, we have through a lot of manual tasks or repetitive tasks, which make your job life a bit boring because you have to do them like every day.

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Once you realize you can start automating that, and you actually see it working, meaning that you have more time to do more important and more fun stuff.

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I think that's the moment that when you start to realize that it actually makes my life better easier and I have more time to actually talk to people in the business with my project team or whatever, instead of just manually doing click ups all day.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, and can you tell a little bit about, yeah, the story, how, which harm become, yeah, or our start and technology and became a, a partial guy.

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Well, this year I've been doing IT for 30 years. I was like 18 when I started working in IT.

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First, it like a, how does it serve? That's, you feel that the place that people start their IT career.

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And I've just moved on from there from working for internal companies to a consulting firm to be becoming a consultant.

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And actually starting doing more in the community because that's the, one of the reasons that I really like being an FB and doing all these kinds of community things.

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And you could, you get so much back from it.

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I learned so much from people in the community and being in the community and getting back to other people at a specific, yeah.

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I think a lot of people say that especially Microsoft community, it's really, yeah, really good to, to have each other.

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I see also Microsoft do is a lot for it.

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I see the Microsoft learning platform. They have, and the MVP community. So they do a lot.

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I think it's, especially Microsoft. It's really cool. What they do.

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A lot of think it was a little bit, yeah, the automation mindset.

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When you look at IT today, where do you still see, yeah, too many manual processes?

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Perhaps in smaller companies, when you only have like two or three people in your IT staff, it probably makes sense if you don't have that many repetitive tasks that you do.

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You just do click officer, just clicking in the console or in the browser.

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But when you start working at scale, then it makes more sense because you have more customers, more repetitive work.

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And the quality of the work needs to be better and consistent. And that's where automation does its best.

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When, yeah, when you have a consulting project or something else in the company, what is the, yeah, the first thing you say at the IT admins should automate.

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I think the whole user onboarding stuff is usually the one that is the most work creating uses in.

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So, for example, many people that they're being sent to enter ID, giving them rights, permissions, and rolling them in different types of software, setting up their clients, their in tune, laptops perhaps.

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It's a lot of manual steps in which you can easily see the benefits of automating that because it's repetitive and it's not that fun anymore if you do it like 50 times in a few months.

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And how did you identify processes that's worth automating and which pros are not worth to automate.

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Yeah, it's what the most scripting guys always always tell you if you have to do it twice, then you must script that out.

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Or if you only do it like twice a year or twice every two or three years, then maybe.

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But it's more of a quality thing if you script automated, then you're absolutely sure that outcome will be the same every time.

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Instead of, oh, yeah, I just got that one step in a very large manual and now it doesn't work and I don't know why I have to like redo the whole process again.

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Yeah, I have a little bit of look at your website and I see you work across multiple Microsoft areas, Microsoft 365 exchange, intra teams, iTunes, Azure, and SharePoint.

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Where did you see this power shell, yeah, the way to go.

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And probably, yeah, and that's for the most powerful shell people also tell you an exchange first started with adding power shell, command, that's two exchange on prem.

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You could do a lot of things in the normal exchange management console, but a lot of stuff you could only do on command line.

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And that was the first encounter of XV using power shell for a Microsoft product because you had to because certain options were not available in a normal management console.

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Then you start realizing, well, if I can do this using power shell, and it's power shell 2.0.

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And that's, I don't know how many years ago exactly that was, but then you they see the benefit. Oh, I can also use it for this also uses for that.

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And if you could use it for that, I can also use it to automate it.

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And they start realizing that you could do a lot more in the past. You probably did that with.

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And I also did that a bad scripting, right? You see in the year batch files.

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Who do a lot of things in that, but it's not comparable to power shell, power shell, you do a lot more.

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And yeah, where did you own on which platform from Microsoft that you see.

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Yeah, the best growth in the best chance for automation.

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And I don't know is it error or teams or where is the highest in that. It's first started for the biggest automation projects.

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And actually because that was the trend back then before Azure AD came also known as enter ID right now.

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But I think it's becoming like it is the standard every 365 product, every Azure products, even every Microsoft product has its own power shell modules, commandlets by default.

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If if a new product is there, you can probably automate it by using power shells straight away.

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So you can use it like for every product, I guess. I don't know if there are any products which don't have a power shell interface because Microsoft graph is everywhere.

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And I also see the graph up. I think that's also yet it's really great.

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Yeah, some people really really hated it. It has its it has its quirks sometimes the the the enter in a graph modules, but for me they're there is great.

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You can do so much of them.

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I think really that's one of Microsoft biggest.

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I don't know, cool things they have ever built. I see it on I don't know, I work with other enterprise solution like sales force and it's also they have by this and buying this and you have all these different.

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So it's so hard to put their process together from their different tools platforms. And so yeah, I think this really great what Microsoft have built here.

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And some real world examples where you have work on or was really interesting project you work on power shell automation.

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At this moment, I mean a few products projects in which I do a lot of migrations.

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So it was a smaller company inside of it, which is moving out of that bigger company. And has to be on its own.

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So it is a lot of migration projects scripting that out people moving from a Google platform to a Microsoft platform and converting their calendar permissions or their Google meetings to Microsoft teams meetings.

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And it's really the automating that. Yeah, it's just things that make the user happy off the vibration giving me a lot less headache in the process.

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So yeah, there are chances everywhere. But that's the thing that I'm in at this moment.

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And so the projects will be the whole user proficient in part there like I mentioned, it's one of the most repetitive task for the service that each month people come in people leave the company.

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You have to create accounts, update, modify, remove accounts, automating all those parts that I did that a lot and it really helps the people out which have to do those repetitive tasks every time.

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Yeah, you see benefits straight away and it makes it a lot nicer instead of doing something which you actually don't see the results of straight away.

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Yeah, it was I forgot the name, but I, I think it was an ignite someone says, PowerShell, it's the best governance tool you could have.

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When, yeah, have you seen, I don't know, or can you explain a crazy manual manual, preserves, you have automated or you have seen.

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So that's so many larger and smaller ones. Integration with services for Unix, that's something that in actually actually have fields for that for for Unix, UIDs and the whole automating of creating and linking extra uses to Unix systems.

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And trying to get the latest UID because of UID is unique in Unix also in windows discovering the last giving UID, incrementing that writing that back of us whole back and forth between different platforms.

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And that's something that I usually do every day.

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And you really have to investigate it. That's that's the part for the investigating being creative coming off its solutions.

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And is there, I don't know is there a power shell co pilot available or.

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You do have like a get up co pilot in this serial code, so I think that helps a lot people use a lot of clawed coding. I actually don't use AI at all for my scripts.

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And myself because I like to challenge myself and sometimes it will take longer, but at least I will understand the script after it's been created instead of having co pilot writes you out or any jetty to whatever writing a script out which fails and you don't know why because you created yourself.

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But do you change in automation that comes with AI co pilot and so on.

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Is there a change in your work in the AI area.

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And I do think so, especially for project plans or certain processes.

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You can see which ones were created using AI, but AI really helps you as an assistant for if you have like many project documentation or workflows inside of that.

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And then summarize recreate those in a better like project plan.

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I see more like an assistant helping you get rid of the boring more intense talks and leaving you more with having to talk to the business itself instead of writing complete project plans.

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For me, that's the ideal use case helping me with all the other stuff next to the automation.

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I think I don't know about I think sometimes the yeah, a lot of people do automation with the AI and it's caused a lot of tokens.

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So I think it's not the future.

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I think yeah, power will be, yeah, sometimes that has a better pricing.

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It's been in pricing to do this automation with power or.

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The whole amount of tokens actually read an article and it was cheaper to hire two new like media or junior developers instead of having to pay your AI bill that much.

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People win then yeah, it's the most times it's yeah, reload it's it's on the other side.

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When you say there is an automation philosophy.

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What's yours?

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Yeah, you could like like I have in my personal profile automate everything.

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Yes, that could be your end goal, but it does have to make sense.

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Like I said, if you have to only do a thing like once or twice every year, you could probably automate that but better to automate the most repetitive talks.

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Also, the ones that you absolutely need to be sure that everything is correct after running that because if you do it manually or your your colleague does it on a Monday and you do it on a Friday and outcome is different.

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It has to be consistent that that's what I like about all my automation things are consistent. You're sure that things are like this or that and not perhaps.

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You have talked about yeah, starter or people they hired you hired what is a good yeah project to start learning power shell from your perspective.

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Or you to learn power shell for example, if you have like something that you need to do and you have like a real business case for it then it's easier to learn and start working on that instead of that for most people do they try to learn power shell by doing simple examples the same as I have with trying to learn Python.

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I try to learn Python many times, but I don't have a use case for it straight away. So then you start learning generic Python things in how you can count numbers, see processes, copy or renamed files or whatever.

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And if it's okay, but I don't have something that I need to use it straight away. And that makes that makes learning more difficult. So if you have like a repetitive task that you want to automate because you're tired of doing it manually, they have like a really good case to start learning power shell.

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And you can put that task away and do more interesting stuff instead.

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And how hard or how important is understanding the power shell logic before yeah starting script writing or can I start and.

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Yeah, it's an object based scripting language and if you don't understand objects and properties and values.

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Because that was when I first started writing about first portal script, I didn't understand the whole object thing yet.

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I'm not a programmer. I'm just a scripter who did like batch scripting before that.

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Once you understand the whole object thing that object has properties and properties and values and you have like methods in which you can change the values or query those values.

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And once that hits you, then it's so much easier to write scripts.

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But that's just an understanding of how things work and then you need to know how you can get more and more for change those things.

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And then when we are how do you stay I don't know that's not so many change about how do you still learning new power shell tricks on how do you develop your skills in the power shell.

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So for me it's easier because I have to do it for my job, obviously, but also I write new block articles every week and sometimes I'd learn it on the spot while writing something.

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If I write something about how shell classes for example it's not something that I often use, but when you write a block post about it, I want it to be complete.

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Then I need to understand the whole logic behind it myself too. So when I start writing, I actually start learning stuff at that moment and writing an article about it as if I was using it for years, which I don't, I just learned it at that moment.

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That's how I learn things. I just choose a topic which I'm not sure about how it actually works. And then I just write an article about it and while writing I learned the subject.

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And how important is the part of documentation in power shell.

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The documentation is always the thing that you do last or not good enough, but documentation is really important because it's not important that you know how it works.

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Your new you or your your colleague also needs to know that it shouldn't be like, oh this is something that harm created.

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But I be because I don't understand how it works. The documentation should be good enough. So that your colleague can understand and run it. And if he has some questions offered or some edge case, which you didn't take into account or then the documentation should be enough.

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Just run it. If you have questions, sure.

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The documentation should be good enough for everybody to understand it. And I really just like writing documentation.

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It's becoming like a standard because you have to protect yourself. If you only write things that nobody understands, they will keep on coming back to you and ask you.

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And how the system is like that documentation helps. Yeah, a lot. Yeah, I know a lot of people they say the code is a documentation.

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Yeah, if you understand code, yes. But if you do something like really special, which is only applicable to that one customer.

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And just looking at the code to probably be like, I don't know, December's coming out here. I should write. I should ask the guy who created the script because I don't understand.

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And what role does GitHub play in your workflows?

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Well, a lot to get a piece is the place in which you store your scripts, but you also have your revision history in it.

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And sometimes it's like really handy because you keep on updating scripts and anything.

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It doesn't work anymore now. What did I change and get helps you in that you can see what the changes were for each time that you actually commit your code to get up.

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Or get lab. There are multiple Git products. Get it being the more popular one.

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It's good for documenting your code sharing your code, having a efficiency on it. It's like a central repository. I think you had like.

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There was a foundation server thing also for programs in the past. There was like an on prem products, but it has it had the same technique checking in and out code, making revisions, doing pull requests, letting other people check your code before actually committing your code.

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Yeah, it's a great work process as well.

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And do you in version control all your scripts?

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For the ones that are published on my website, no, I just commit to main and the first thing that is there that that's always version 1.0 because there are like example scripts scripts that I used in my blocks to show certain techniques.

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But within our companies, it's much more strict and that.

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And also the partials vary and graph up. We are very mating. And there, yeah, I think with big.

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Mate comes big. I don't know what Uncle Ben has said for a Spiderman something like this.

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How do you approach security.

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Financial management for power show.

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The initials in scripts is a really bad idea. There were a few bigger hacks because of the github repository, which were accessible on the internet, which actually had to your text.

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And then you should always store them in things like Azure Keyfold, for example, or use certificates.

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You skipped so that your script does have the tenant ID, for example, application ID of your administration, but you authenticate towards that using a certificate, which is in your local keychain or a certificate store, your clients.

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You should never store credentials in the scripts. And I did that in the past. I mean, first start out scripting. I think, well, my script is a summer on a management server in a closed down scripts folder.

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But no, you shouldn't do that. You also have them to local.

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The management feature in that that you actually have like a local people like thing, the secret management module takes care of that.

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It's just general best back sender so many examples, which we should show you should do that.

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And then you also have to work with tools like, I don't know, Keyfold or logic apps to.

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But you think it's when you are, is the best practice for security.

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I think Microsoft for for the fabric or stuff for data stuff, they have a lot of these gold standard things.

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So, are there anything else for partial?

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It probably depends on which platform you're connecting because powerful doesn't limits itself to only Microsoft products.

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It could be Google or AWS or any other platform.

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I think the concepts are the same role based access control using a keyfold like system using certificates, no clear text credentials in in scripts itself.

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Conditional access things making sure that your client is actually compliant or of certain location or that you're not like a risky user before you actually start script or having access to your.

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365 tenant security best practices, I guess.

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It's really awesome. I think what you say that you and then it's nothing I know before you can really work with other not Microsoft tools with power.

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Sometimes vendors actually create partial modules for their products even though it's not a Microsoft product.

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Usually the module has a lot of command that we do is make it easier to do API calls towards that product.

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It's just like rappers or command that using API calls to manage their products returning objects to you making it easy to do reports on them or whatever.

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I think a lot of products use how shell modules to manage it.

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It's becoming more of a standard. Yeah, that and probably iPhone modules as well too.

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That's something that I use myself but yeah.

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And how does it I don't know when the product update and so on comes.

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How can you monitor or track these these changes that you have to I don't know to change anything on on script is there something like alerts or so.

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Sometimes you get like information from from Microsoft itself like the Amazon line or Azure AD and Azure DP few modules.

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They will start communicating like two years ago that that will be deprecated then will then they will put out a date like in August of 2025.

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This product will no longer can no longer be used to manage this aspect of 365.

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And then that probably will postpone that for a few months again because not everywhere is ready for it.

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But there's a lot of communication about the bigger things.

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But sometimes you have like breaking changes when you update to a newer partial version or Microsoft updates their back end platform to something.

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Then you just find out that your script doesn't work anymore. And then you probably need to update your partial modules itself.

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And then you can update for that as well.

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Sometimes your modules just don't work anymore because they have become because they're using all technology.

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So it's for me is easier because I read a lot of partial community stuff and my whole LinkedIn page is probably full of articles of people.

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And the verification system I guess but Microsoft really gets you a long period before they retire modules that could use to work but are now deprecated.

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Just reading the news I guess and information emails that you get from Microsoft as a technical contact for your tent, for example.

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It's also in the in the message center.

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They will post regular updates on that if you follow the message center in your tent, you should already notice.

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But there's no monitoring tool or something you can.

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You have good scripts and pipelines.

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They will report it to you or do like a best test on them to see if the functionality still works and if your script breaks and if it does then you know that there's something wrong.

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You probably need to find out from somebody update something has something changed.

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But yeah, you should have some monitoring in your pipelines or in your scripts when building newer versions or testing them.

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And also important is that needs to stop if something doesn't work.

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If something in your script doesn't work but you skipped keeps on running and probably destroying stuff afterwards.

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But you should always be aware that some steps in your script might fail and you need to stop and notify them straight away instead of trying to run the remaining part of scripts and then we destroy things.

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And how it's the yeah, the fine ops part in a power shell.

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It's paid by I don't know computing or how does that.

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Yeah, the payment works.

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Well, running running it on your local workstation.

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OK, you already paid for your workstation, but there are like.

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Pipelines there like runners like little instances that get started during the process and they run your scripts.

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For get to actions, you have a certain amount of.

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Usage, I guess and also in Azure, but if you have to like the really longer running scripts, it will probably cost you some compute and it depends.

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You can scale that to larger units, posting you more, but then your script is done in like a few seconds or you have to like the budget version and your script just takes longer, but it's cheaper.

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But there is automation at scale.

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There is some cost in running those, but usually it's not that much, I guess.

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But like everything in it, it depends.

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Yeah, it's really true.

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Yeah, but I think it's not the most expensive tool Microsoft about.

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Oh, no, there are much more expensive ones.

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Yeah, when when we think I think back, yeah, when you start a project, you also need, I think.

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And the stakeholder and the sponsors, the management, how did you sell or.

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Take the management in the automation process.

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Well, I work at a pretty large Microsoft partner in the Netherlands in Spark and probably see the logo in my wallpaper against the wall.

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This is our absolute office. It's probably an older picture, but it always looks like I'm at the office, but I'm at home right now.

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For us, it's normal.

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You should always automate things because it just makes sense.

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If you do projects for or work in a smaller company, then you have to convince your management.

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And you can really do that, I guess. If you have certain things that would normally take up a lot of time like weekend hours, for example, for doing certain things.

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And you can show or prove them that automating that eliminates working in the weekend or working in the evening or spending a lot of more time on normal day to day operations.

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It will sell itself because it will make your work a lot more efficient.

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But if you have to spend weeks in creating scripts for doing stuff that you only do a few times each year, for example, then it's hard to sell.

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Let's talk about the Microsoft Graph. What's your favorite graph use case?

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If graph use case other than user creating updating, I actually use it for a lot more things now.

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Like I said, a project for automatically, consulting Google meetings to Microsoft Teams meetings.

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That's a really nice.

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And you can use graph use case in which you can completely automate that using all the 365 services that it connects almost every part of the 365 services and the entry portal.

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You can automate that using graph.

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There are actually tools for that from metal for not metal for not know you probably heard of him.

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Microsoft tools like graph X-ray, like that's like a plug in in your browser, which you can use in a developer mode to see what graph commands were actually being used when you click around in your admin portal.

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And then you know what graph API endpoints it hits and then you can automate that.

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It makes stuff so much easier. They did a change on that beginning of April. So you don't see which partial modules you should use to do the same action.

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Same code for the graph explorer. It also had that feature, but it does show you which.

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In folk MG graph request it does which API endpoints hits.

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So using those tools you can actually see while clicking around in your management portal doing click offs instead of automation.

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What you should do to automate that.

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The integration is really there. So that's off to a metal because he makes my life a lot easier.

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And see you.

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Graph it's upcoming knowledge for for modern idea. That's all that's.

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It's it's it's it's completely bound to all the Microsoft online services, but the way of working if you can do that.

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And you know how those things work.

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You can probably automate a lot of other things.

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Using partial different platforms. It's usually the same technique. Effort platform has its own things.

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And if you understand the technique, you can do every platform.

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What's your opinion on.

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We first administration.

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It gets the job done. I guess it will only take you longer.

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But if you do it using the GUI because that's the only thing that you have.

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Then it will always.

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Exactly do what you want because a lot of the fields that you have to fill in using the GUI.

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Don't use a special character here. This has to be this many characters or the GUI really helps you understand the things that you have to fill in.

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And if there are certain conditions while filling that in.

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And then you can automate that because you already have that knowledge and then you know what fields you should do.

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At least use which are the required fields etc.

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I only use GUI to.

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Clicky see things but if you really want to see things and you have to use.

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When you have to rank power show comments.

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What's your all time favorite.

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The one that I use most is.

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Most power show people will tell you is get help get help forgetting the help things of certain commanded.

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Get method show all the methods that are certain commanded has.

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Those are things that I use most frequently I guess because that's what I always do.

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I try to discover what capabilities of source module are.

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What methods does it have and what can I use to automate things.

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And those are always there because that's the fundamental thing of power shield.

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Those things are always there.

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And what is the I say the most order. Yeah most used keyboard shortcut every power show expert is using.

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I think my tab key is the most worn out key on my keyboard because.

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I did Cisco switch programming.

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I'm a CCMP as well.

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The lot of Cisco.

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When you're in Cisco command line you just type a few characters and you hit tap and it order.

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Complete to your command.

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That's also available in power show.

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So the most he that I use in a power show is probably tap tap completion.

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It's great. I see sometimes I see people typing out a complete command that you can use just use tap or shift tap when you want to go back.

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One one position if you over tapped and you can use shift that to go back.

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So.

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That I use is probably tap.

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I have a little bit. Yeah into the power show about ox and so on and I have taken three quotes and yeah I read the quote and you tell me what this means to you.

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Okay. So the first quote is automation applied to an efficient operation will make me.

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Magnificee the efficiency.

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Oh god damn.

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Again I did.

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Applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency.

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Yeah it will definitely magnify the efficiency of your environment.

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A lot.

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That's the thing about power show.

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And it's really important to think a lot more efficient, repeatable, scalable.

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With trustworthy output because you you're sure that output that you're getting is real.

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And it's been tested and it's it will always give you the same output.

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And the best script are the no ones notice because everything just works.

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And you use invisible automation means successful automation.

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Yeah. Yeah.

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And that's that's also the danger of automation.

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I guess if everything in the background is good or sufficiently automated and things just work automatically and people will start forgetting that didn't.

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It was not always that that that case. Sometimes people don't know how certain things are suddenly there because we're background.

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Power show keeps keeps on creating adjusting, making sure that things work.

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If that automation stops.

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People will have a hard time discovering why things are not there automatically anymore.

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And if you skip just work fine then you can't explain to your manager that you really need to do more power show skips before because it really think it already works.

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You don't have to do anything yet because you already already already.

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We got on the line.

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If you you can order major self out of it, you are. And I don't really mind doing that because then you would have done the good things and you can do that another company as well.

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Community is very knowledge becomes impact. Why is community so important from the power show world.

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Not only for the power show world communities is always great. Even when you're not in IT having like minded people around you.

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It just elevates everyone sharing knowledge who increase the global knowledge of everyone in your team.

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And because people really enjoy certain products, no matter what it is, it could be powerful, could be exchange, could be teams or whatever.

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Having enthusiastic people around you sharing ideas is just great.

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Setting the best friends for them in IT.

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Now we come to my favorite part of the episode. It's the rapid fire around. It's only the fast answers.

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You say the first thing that can be in your mind. And I asked some short questions. So that's the rule.

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That would all light mode on.

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Most underrated Microsoft product.

315
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Oh man.

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I use them all to the.

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Pretty large extent.

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No, no, no, no. No, no. No, no, no, no.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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And it's a powerful module. It's a favorite, powerful module.

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It's it's peace. Realtime and it's something that is almost all a melody in power show nowadays.

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But it makes it has like when you when you type a few characters, it will auto complete from your history.

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And you will be run certain quanta. A lot. You just type a few characters and your previous history will always be there.

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So peace read line makes navigating through your power show commands that you used in a lot easier.

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It has so much great functionalities. We have peace read line.

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Yeah. So we have become to the hands and yeah, my final question is when.

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Listeners remember only thing from this episode. What should it be?

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Learn Power show.

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Just just do it. If if if if if you keep on backing off on that and then possibly don't do it.

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It will make your life easier.

332
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:05,000
Yeah. Then. Yeah. I will say thank you for joining the session.

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Thank you.

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And your power sales fund.com as think the people show you visit us and we do put it in the show notes.

335
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:23,000
So the people can see all the information in the show notes and yeah, so this was really, really interesting.

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And I hope or I think it's a lot of people will now try out power show and look look what it is and would.

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00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:37,000
Yeah. Bring so thank you for staying here. Yeah. Thank you for having me.

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Yeah.

Mirko Peters

Founder of m365.fm, m365.show and m365con.net

Mirko Peters is a Microsoft 365 expert, content creator, and founder of m365.fm, a platform dedicated to sharing practical insights on modern workplace technologies. His work focuses on Microsoft 365 governance, security, collaboration, and real-world implementation strategies.

Through his podcast and written content, Mirko provides hands-on guidance for IT professionals, architects, and business leaders navigating the complexities of Microsoft 365. He is known for translating complex topics into clear, actionable advice, often highlighting common mistakes and overlooked risks in real-world environments.

With a strong emphasis on community contribution and knowledge sharing, Mirko is actively building a platform that connects experts, shares experiences, and helps organizations get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investments.

Harm Veenstra

PowerShell MVP

Started working at 18, from a ServiceDesk employee to a workspace and system engineer at a large insurance firm in the Netherlands. 1996, those were the days! After working there for almost 11 years, I held various system engineer positions and gained extensive knowledge of Citrix, Cisco, VMware, storage, and Microsoft. Currently, I’m employed at InSpark (https://www.inspark.nl/) as a Consultant with a focus on Identity, Modern Workplace, and anything Microsoft, basically 😉

And... I became a Microsoft MVP in March 2024 and still am :-)