Useful PowerShell Commands and Scripts For Windows Server

August 22, 2024

Useful PowerShell Commands and Scripts For Windows Server

Find some of the most useful PowerShell commands and scripts for Windows Server 2016 and 2019

Sometimes using Windows PowerShell versus the GUI interface saves time and headaches. Below is a preferred list of PowerShell commands we use on Microsoft Windows Server 2019 and 2016 operating systems.

As a Managed IT Services Provider (MSP) we can save hours using PowerShell commands, especially when provisioning tens of servers for our data center or customer infrastructure. As we find more commands that are practical for the more common scenarios we will add them to the list below. Please note that many of our PowerShell commands listed below will also work for Windows 10 operating systems.

Obtain your Active Direcotry Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) for your Office 365 domain

Get-ADDomain

# Look for your ObjectGUID in the results. You can also run Get-ADDomain on a locally joined workstation.

Default Execution Policy - set to unrestricted

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted  

Disable Windows Error Reporting

Disable-WindowsErrorReporting

Disable Automatic Windows Updates

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU -Name AUOptions -Value 1

Disable Windows Reboot Schedule (Active hours)

1) Open Windows Powershell by right click > run as administrator
2) Type: SCONFIG and hit enter
3) Press 5 (Windows Update Settings)
4) Press D (Download Only mode)
5) Close Powershell

Useful and Secure PowerShell Commands (CMDs) For Windows 2016 & 2019 Server
Disabling Windows Server Active Hours for Automatic Reboot Schedule

Enabling Remote Desktop with PowerShell Remotely

Invoke-Command -ComputerName client01 {Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server'` -Name "fDenyTSConnections" -Value 0; `Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop"}

Restart Windows Service with PowerShell

Restart-Service <service-name>

EXAMPLES

Restart the spooler (printing) service:

restart-service spooler -force

Find all the network services on the computer (starting with "net...") and restart any that are stopped:

get-service net* | where {$_.Status -eq "Stopped"} | restart-service

Enable and Disable Windows Defender Firewall with PowerShell

To enable Windows Defender Firewall for all network profiles:

Set-NetFirewallProfile -Enabled True

To disable it for all, use:

Set-NetFirewallProfile -Enabled False

Enable and Disable Windows Defender Antivirus with PowerShell

Enable Windows Defender Antivirus:

Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $false

Disable Windows Defender Antivirus:

Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $true

Uninstall Windows Defender Antivirus:

Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name Windows-Defender

Disable Windows Display, Monitor Timeout to Never

powercfg -change -monitor-timeout-ac 0


PowerShell Command to Check TLS Version in Windows

Copy the code below and save it into a text file with the extension .PS1 (PowerShell script). Execute the script in an elevated PowerShell window.

---------

$ServerName = Read-Host -Prompt 'Input your server  name'$Port = Read-Host -Prompt 'Input your server TCP port number (443 is most common)'nmap --script ssl-enum-ciphers -p $Port $ServerName

Script to disable old TLS versions

Copy the code below and save it into a text file with the extension .PS1 (PowerShell script). Execute the script in an elevated PowerShell window.

---------

function disable-ssl-2.0
{
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Server' -Force
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Server' -name 'Enabled' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Client' -name 'Enabled' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 2.0\Client' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value '1' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   Write-Host 'Disabling SSLv2'
}
function disable-ssl-3.0
{
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0\Server' -Force
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\SSL 3.0\Server' -name 'Enabled' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   Write-Host 'Disabling SSLv3'
}
function disable-tls-1.0
{
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Server' -Force
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Client' -Force
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Server' -name 'Enabled' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Server' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value '1' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Client' -name 'Enabled' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.0\Client' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value '1' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   Write-Host 'Disabling TLSv1.0'
}
function enable-tls-1.1
{
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Server' -Force
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Client' -Force
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Server' -name 'Enabled' -value '1' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Server' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Client' -name 'Enabled' -value '1' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Client' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   Write-Host 'Enabling TLSv1.1'
}
function enable-tls-1.2
{
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server' -Force
   New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client' -Force
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server' -name 'Enabled' -value '1' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client' -name 'Enabled' -value '1' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value '0' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
   Write-Host 'Enabling TLSv1.2'
}
function enforce-tls-versions
{
   New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\PPP\EAP\13' -Name 'TlsVersion'  -value 'F00' –PropertyType 'DWORD'
}

disable-ssl-2.0
disable-ssl-3.0
disable-tls-1.0
enable-tls-1.1
enable-tls-1.2
enforce-tls-versions

Latest posts

OpenAI Browser vs Chrome: AI Revolution in Web Browsing 2025
July 9, 2025

OpenAI Browser vs Chrome: AI Revolution in Web Browsing 2025

OpenAI is set to launch an AI-powered web browser within weeks, directly challenging Google Chrome's dominance. Built on Chromium but featuring ChatGPT integration, the browser promises to revolutionize how users interact with the web—replacing traditional clicking and navigation with conversational AI that can complete tasks autonomously. With 400 million ChatGPT users potentially making the switch, this move could disrupt Google's advertising empire and reshape the entire internet landscape. Learn what this means for businesses and how to prepare for the AI browser revolution.
Meta's $100M AI Talent War: Why Top Researchers Say No
July 9, 2025

Meta's $100M AI Talent War: Why Top Researchers Say No

In an unprecedented move that's reshaping Silicon Valley's talent landscape, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is offering eye-popping $100 million signing bonuses to lure top AI researchers from competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic. These astronomical compensation packages—totaling up to $300 million over four years—represent the most aggressive talent acquisition strategy in tech history.
Claude vs ChatGPT Business Comparison
July 1, 2025

Claude vs ChatGPT Business Comparison

This in-depth comparison guide analyzes Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's ChatGPT from a business perspective, helping enterprises make informed AI platform decisions. The article covers feature comparisons, pricing analysis, security considerations, industry-specific recommendations, and includes interactive tools like a decision framework and ROI calculator. Claude excels in analytical reasoning and compliance-heavy environments, while ChatGPT dominates in creative content and integrations. The guide provides practical implementation strategies and real-world scenarios to help businesses choose the platform that best aligns with their strategic objectives and operational requirements.