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PowerShell Commands

Set-Item

Set-Item [[-Value] <Object>] [-Confirm] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <String[]>] [-Filter <String>][-Force] [-Include <String[]>] -LiteralPath* <String[]> [-PassThru] [-UseTransaction] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
Set-Item [-Path*] <String[]> [[-Value] <Object>] [-Confirm] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <String[]>][-Filter <String>] [-Force] [-Include <String[]>] [-PassThru] [-UseTransaction] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

The Set-Item cmdlet changes the value of an item, such as a variable or registry key, to the value specified in the command.

Parameters

-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]

  • Default value is False
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

-Credential <PSCredential>

  • Default value is None
  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies a user account that has permission to perform this action. The default is the current user.

Type a user name, such as User01 or Domain01\User01, or enter a PSCredential object, such as one generated by the Get-Credential cmdlet. If you type a user name, this cmdlet prompts for a password.

This parameter is not supported by any providers installed with parameter is not supported by any providers installed with Windows PowerShell.

-Exclude <String[]>

  • Default value is None
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies items that this cmdlet omits. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as *.txt. Wildcard characters are permitted.

-Filter <String>

  • Default value is None
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies a filter in the format or language of the provider. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. The syntax of the filter, including the use of wildcard characters, depends on the provider. Filters are more efficient than other parameters, because the provider applies them when it retrieves the objects, instead of having Windows PowerShell filter the objects after they are retrieved.

-Force [<SwitchParameter>]

  • Default value is False
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Forces the cmdlet to set items that cannot otherwise be changed, such as read-only alias or variables. The cmdlet cannot change constant aliases or variables. Implementation varies from provider to provider.

-Include <String[]>

  • Default value is None
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies items that this cmdlet changes. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as *.txt. Wildcard characters are permitted.

-LiteralPath <String[]>

  • This value is required
  • Default value is None
  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies a path of the location of the new items. Unlike Path , the value of LiteralPath is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcard characters. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell Windows PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.

-PassThru [<SwitchParameter>]

  • Default value is False
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Passes an object that represents the item to the pipeline. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

-Path <String[]>

  • This value is required
  • Default value is None
  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies a path of the location of the new items. Wildcard characters are permitted.

-UseTransaction [<SwitchParameter>]

  • Default value is False
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is in progress.

-Value <Object>

  • Default value is None
  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies a new value for the item.

-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]

  • Default value is False
  • Accepts pipeline input False

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable.

Inputs
System.Object
You can pipe an object that represents the new value of the item to this cmdlet.
Outputs
None or an object representing the new or changed item.
This cmdlet generates an object that represent the item, if you specify the PassThru parameter. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.
Examples
  1. Create an alias:
    PS C:\> Set-Item -Path alias:np -Value "c:\windows\notepad.exe"
    

    This command creates an alias of np for Notepad.

  2. Change the value of an environment variable:
    PS C:\> Set-Item -Path env:UserRole -Value "Administrator"
    

    This command changes the value of the UserRole environment variable to Administrator.

  3. Modify your prompt function:
    PS C:\> Set-Item -Path function:prompt -Value {'PS '+ $(Get-Date -Format t) + " " + $(Get-Location) + '>  '}
    

    This command changes the prompt function so that it displays the time before the path.

  4. Set options for your prompt function:
    PS C:\> Set-Item -Path function:prompt -Options "AllScope,ReadOnly"
    

    This command sets the AllScope and ReadOnly options for the prompt function. This command uses the Options dynamic parameter of Set-Item . The Options parameter is available in Set-Item only when you use it with the Alias or Function provider.

Additional Notes
 You can also refer to Set-Item by its built-in alias, si *. For more information, see about_Aliases. Set-Item 
 is not supported by the Windows PowerShell FileSystem provider. To change the values of items in the file 
 system, use the Set-Content cmdlet.

 In the Registry drives, HKLM: and HKCU:, Set-Item changes the data in the (Default) value of a registry key. 
 To create and change the names of registry keys, use the New-Item and Rename-Item cmdlet. To change the names 
 and data in registry values, use the New-ItemProperty, Set-ItemProperty, and Rename-ItemProperty cmdlets. 
 Set-Item is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers available in your 
 session, type `Get-PsProvider`. For more information, see about_Providers.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. It is attributed to Microsoft Corporation and can be found here.

PowerShell Commands