Fix Powershell if It’s not Working or Opening in 5 Steps

Identify issues in a clean boot environment

by Andrew Wafer
Andrew Wafer
Andrew Wafer
Author
Andrew is not just trying to bring you closer to Windows, but he's truly interested in this platform. He just happens to be passionate about sharing that knowledge... read more
Reviewed by Vlad Turiceanu
Vlad Turiceanu
Vlad Turiceanu
Editor-in-Chief
Passionate about technology, Windows, and everything that has a power button, he spent most of his time developing new skills and learning more about the tech world. Coming... read more
Affiliate Disclosure
  • PowerShell issues are part of the Windows errors that users experience day by day.
  • If Windows PowerShell has stopped working, chances are your computer contains hidden software, like a virus.
  • Be sure to run a malware scan with your security software or initiate a clean boot to verify if it's a third-party app creating conflicts.
Windows PowerShell has stopped working
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Experiencing Windows PowerShell errors is not a pleasant situation, so you need to take action when receiving the Windows PowerShell has stopped working message.

Why is PowerShell not working? In some situations, a malware attack might be the reason why Windows PowerShell is not functioning properly.

This error is quite annoying as it will stop the processes that are running on your Windows 10 system. Also, you will get this error message with no further details, and as a result, you cannot tell what exactly caused this issue.

Anyway, you shouldn’t panic. As always, there are different troubleshooting solutions that can be applied to fix the Windows PowerShell has stopped working error.

Why is Powershell not working?

Windows PowerShell won’t open due to the presence of corrupt system files or when conflicting third-party apps are installed on the computer.

Besides, there is a chance that PowerShell is disabled, and as a result, it has stopped working. In this case, you will need to enable it from Windows Features.

In addition to that, the solutions listed here would also work in the following cases:

  • Windows PowerShell not running scripts try catch / import module / unblock-file / uninstall-package / update-help powershell not working
  • Windows PowerShell commands not working after Windows Update
  • Powershell has stopped working
  • Windows PowerShell not typing
  • Windows Powershell not opening as administrator – Windows Powershell won’t open
  • Powershell not working in Windows 11, 10
  • CMD and Powershell not working
  • Powershell not showing prompt
  • Visual Studio code Powershell not working
  • Task Scheduler Powershell not working
  • Server 2016, 2012 r2 Powershell not working

Many users reported that nothing happens when they click Run as administrator on PowerShell, and this is most likely caused by corrupted system files.

This isn’t the only application affected by this issue, and many reported that they couldn’t run Command Prompt as administrator on their PC.

Another indication that you have a system corruption issue is the PowerShell is not recognized message, but luckily, there are ways to fix that.

How do I fix PowerShell has stopped working?

In this article

1. Initiate a full system scan

In some situations, a malware attack might be the reason why Windows PowerShell is not working properly. So, the first thing to do is to initiate a security scan.

Chances are you got infected with Poweliks, a malware that interferes with PowerShell. The file associated with this virus are dllhost.exe *32 or dllhst3g.exe *32 and can usually be stopped from Task Manager.

Now, in this case, you need to use an antivirus tool, and scan your Windows 10 system for possible infected files. The security program should find and remove the malware automatically.

It’s recommended to run the security scan from Safe Mode – that’s when third-party apps and processes are disabled by the Windows 10 platform.

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2. Initiate a clean boot

  1. Press the Windows + R to open the Run command, type msconfig, and click OK.msconfig
  2. From System Configuration, go to the General tab, and uncheck the Load startup items field under Selective startup.uncheck to fix windows powershell stopped working
  3. Next, switch to the Services tab, check the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox and afterward click on Disable all.hide all microsoft serices
  4. Now, switch to the Startup tab and click on the Open Task Manager link.Open Task Manager to fix windows powershell stopped working
  5. Select the programs listed here individually and click on Disable at the bottom.disable startup programs to fix windows powershell stopped working
  6. Now, head back to the System Configuration window, and click on OK.click
  7. Click Restart in the prompt that appears.restart

You can see if a software conflict is causing Windows PowerShell malfunctions by initiating a clean boot. In this way, you can start the Windows 10 system only with default features.

If the Windows PowerShell has stopped working error is not displayed after the clean boot is performed it means that there is a software conflict, so you need to remove the program responsible for this issue.

3. Disable and re-enable Windows PowerShell

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, enter appwiz.cpl in the text field, and click OK.appwiz.cpl
  2. From the left panel of the main window, click on Turn Windows features on or off.turn window features on or off to fix windows powershell stopped working
  3. Scroll down, locate the Windows PowerShell entry, uncheck the option and then click OK.disable to fix windows powershell stopped working
  4. Restart the computer for the changes to come into effect.
  5. Once the PC turns on, head back to the Windows Features window, tick the checkbox for Windows PowerShell, and click OK to re-enable it.re-enable
  6. Wait for it to install.install

After re-enabling the feature, check if the Windows Powershell stopped working issue is resolved.

4. Create a new Microsoft account

  1. Press Windows + I to launch Settings, select Accounts from the navigation pane, and then click on Family & other users.family & other users
  2. Click the Add account button next to Add other user.add account to fix windows powershell stopped working
  3. Provide the required information and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.instructions

Remember to back up your data before completing this process. You might have to import your personal files and app under the new account.

Your account might be corrupted (due to various reasons), and that’s why you still get the Windows PowerShell has stopped working error. So, try to create a new account, and the problem should be fixed.

5. Reset PowerShell to default

  1. Press Windows + E to launch File Explorer, paste the following path in the address bar while replacing Username with the one on your device, and hit Enter:C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Windows PowerShell
  2. Now, select the Windows PowerShell entry, and hit the Del key to delete it. Choose the appropriate response in case a confirmation prompt show up.delete
  3. Now, create a new user account on the same computer, head down the same path, and copy the PowerShell shortcut to a USB drive.
  4. Next, go back to the initial account, navigate to the Windows PowerShell folder, and paste the PowerShell shortcut here.

That’s it! PowerShell has now been reset to the factory settings, and any changes made will automatically be removed.

What can I do if PowerShell is not working on Windows 11?

You can install the latest version of Windows 11, remove conflicting third-party apps, scan for malware, or identify and eliminate corrupt system files.

In addition to these solutions, if the problem started recently, performing a system restore should do the trick and get things up and running in no time.

What version of PowerShell comes with Windows 11?

Right now on Windows 11, we have PowerShell version 5. However, you can see your exact version by entering the script below into Powershell and hitting Enter.

$PSversionTable

Hopefully, the error message is gone now. If you have questions related to the troubleshooting solutions from above, contact our team. You can get in touch with us by using the comments field below.

Also, if you come across other solutions to fix this error, list the troubleshooting steps in the comments, and we’ll update this guide accordingly.

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