You can check the installed PowerShell version from inside PowerShell itself. The most useful value is the engine version reported by the built-in $PSVersionTable variable. This also helps distinguish legacy Windows PowerShell from modern PowerShell 7.
Check the PowerShell version
- Open Start and search for PowerShell.
- Launch the PowerShell environment you want to inspect.
- Type
$PSVersionTableand press Enter. - Find the PSVersion entry.
You can also run $PSVersionTable.PSVersion when you only want the version object rather than the full environment table.
Windows PowerShell and PowerShell 7 are different products
Windows 10 includes Windows PowerShell 5.1 as a Windows component. Modern cross-platform PowerShell uses the pwsh executable and can be installed alongside Windows PowerShell. Seeing version 5.1 does not necessarily mean PowerShell 7 is absent; you may simply have opened the older executable.
Check which executable you launched
In Terminal, profile names can make multiple shells easy to confuse. Use the process/environment information and the PSVersionTable values to verify whether you are working in Windows PowerShell or PowerShell 7 before installing modules or troubleshooting compatibility.
Do not overwrite Windows PowerShell
PowerShell 7 is designed to coexist with Windows PowerShell 5.1. Some older Windows management modules still depend on 5.1, while newer automation may target PowerShell 7.
Windows 10 reached end of regular support on October 14, 2025. Microsoft recommends Windows 11 for eligible PCs or an applicable ESU path during transition. PowerShell version requirements should also be checked against the scripts and modules you actually use.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.