Windows PowerShell command on Get-command Get-Item

NAME

Get-Item

SYNOPSIS

Gets files and folders.

SYNTAX

Get-Item [-Credential ] [-Exclude ] [-Filter ] [-Force] [-Include ]

-LiteralPath [-Stream ] [-UseTransaction] []

Get-Item [-Path] [-Credential ] [-Exclude ] [-Filter ] [-Force]

[-Include ] [-Stream ] [-UseTransaction] []

Get-Item [-Stream ] []

DESCRIPTION

The Get-Item cmdlet gets the item at the specified location. It does not get the contents of the item at the

location unless you use a wildcard character (*) to request all the contents of the item.

This cmdlet is used by Windows PowerShell providers to navigate through different types of data stores.

In the file system, the Get-Item cmdlet gets files and folders.

Note: This custom cmdlet help file explains how the Get-Item cmdlet works in a file system drive. For information

about the Get-Item cmdlet in all drives, type "Get-Help Get-Item -Path $null" or see Get-Item at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113319.

PARAMETERS

-Stream

Gets the specified alternate NTFS file stream from the file. Enter the stream name. Wildcards are supported.

To get all streams, use an asterisk (*). This parameter is not valid on folders.

Stream is a dynamic parameter that the FileSystem provider adds to the Get-Item cmdlet. This parameter works

only in file system drives. This parameter is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0. Required? false Position? named Default value No alternate file streams Accept pipeline input? false Accept wildcard characters? false

-Credential

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, you will be prompted for a password.

This parameter is not supported by any providers installed with Windows PowerShell. Required? false Position? named Default value None

Accept pipeline input? True (ByPropertyName)

Accept wildcard characters? false

-Exclude

Specifies, as a string array, an item or items that this cmdlet excludes in the operation. The value of this

parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as *.txt. Wildcards are

permitted. The Exclude parameter is effective only when the command includes the contents of an item, such as

C:\Windows\*, where the wildcard character specifies the contents of the C:\Windows directory.

Required? false Position? named Default value None Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-Filter

Specifies a filter in the provider's format or language. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. The syntax of the filter, including the use of wildcards, depends on the provider. Filters are more efficient than other parameters, because the provider applies them when this cmdlet gets the objects, rather than having Windows PowerShell filter the objects after they are retrieved. Required? false Position? named Default value None Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-Force []

Indicates that this cmdlet gets items that cannot otherwise be accessed, such as hidden items. Implementation varies from provider to provider. For more information, see about_Providers. Even using the Force parameter, the cmdlet cannot override security restrictions. Required? false Position? named Default value False Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-Include

Specifies, as a string array, an item or items that this cmdlet includes in the operation. The value of this

parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as *.txt. Wildcards are

permitted. The Include parameter is effective only when the command includes the contents of an item, such as

C:\Windows\*, where the wildcard character specifies the contents of the C:\Windows directory.

Required? false Position? named Default value None Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-LiteralPath

Specifies a path to the item. Unlike the Path parameter, the value of LiteralPath is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. 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. Required? true Position? named Default value None

Accept pipeline input? True (ByPropertyName)

Accept wildcard characters? false

-Path

Specifies the path to an item. This cmdlet gets the item at the specified location. Wildcards are permitted. This parameter is required, but the parameter name ("Path") is optional.

Use a dot (.) to specify the current location. Use the wildcard character (*) to specify all the items in the

current location. Required? true Position? 0 Default value None

Accept pipeline input? True (ByPropertyName, ByValue)

Accept wildcard characters? false

-UseTransaction []

Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is in progress. For more information, see Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is in progress. For more information, see Required? false Position? named Default value False Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug, ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable, OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).

INPUTS

System.String[ ]

You can pipe a path to the Get-Item cmdlet.

OUTPUTS

System.IO.FileInfo, System.IO.DirectoryInfo, Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AlternateStreamData

In the file system, Get-Item returns files and folders. If you use the Stream parameter, it returns

AlternateStreamData objects.

NOTES

* You can also refer to this cmdlet by its built-in alias, "gi". For more information, see about_Aliases.

This cmdlet does not have a Recurse parameter, because it gets only an item, not its contents. To get the

contents of an item recursively, use Get-ChildItem.

To navigate through the registry, use this cmdlet to get registry keys and the Get-ItemProperty to get

registry values and data. The registry values are considered to be properties of the registry key. This cmdlet 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.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------

C:\PS>Get-Item C:\Users\User01\Downloads\InternetFile.docx -Stream *

FileName: C:\Users\User01\Downloads\InternetFile.docx

Stream Length

------ ------

:$DATA 45056

Zone.Identifier 26 Description

-----------

This command gets all stream data from a file that was downloaded from the Internet. The Zone.Identifier stream

identifies a file that originated on the Internet. The $DATA stream is the default.

The Stream parameter is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------

C:\PS>Get-Item C:\ps-test\* -Stream Zone.Identifier -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

FileName: C:\ps-test\Copy-Script.ps1

Stream Length

------ ------

Zone.Identifier 26

FileName: C:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1

Stream Length

------ ------

Zone.Identifier 26 Description

-----------

This command gets Zone.Identifier stream data from all files in the C:\ps-test directory. The command uses the

Stream parameter to specify the alternate stream and he ErrorAction parameter with a value of SilentlyContinue to

suppress non-terminating errors that are generated when a file has no alternate data streams.

The Stream parameter is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------

C:\PS>Get-Item .

Directory: C:\

Mode LastWriteTime Length Name

---- ------------- ------ ----

d---- 7/26/2006 10:01 AM ps-test

Description

-----------

This command gets the current directory. The dot (.) represents the item at the current location (not its contents).

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------

C:\PS>Get-Item *

Directory: C:\ps-test

Mode LastWriteTime Length Name

---- ------------- ------ ----

d---- 7/26/2006 9:29 AM Logs

d---- 7/26/2006 9:26 AM Recs

-a--- 7/26/2006 9:28 AM 80 date.csv

-a--- 7/26/2006 10:01 AM 30 filenoext

-a--- 7/26/2006 9:30 AM 11472 process.doc

-a--- 7/14/2006 10:47 AM 30 test.txt

Description

-----------

This command gets the current directory of the C: drive. The object that is retrieved represents only the directory, not its contents.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------

C:\PS>Get-Item C:\

Description

-----------

This command gets the items in the C: drive. The wildcard character (*) represents all the items in the container,

not just the container.

In Windows PowerShell, use a single asterisk (*) to get contents, instead of the traditional "*.*". The format is

interpreted literally, so "*.*" would not retrieve directories or file names without a dot.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 6 --------------------------

C:\PS>(Get-Item C:\Windows).LastAccessTime

Description

-----------

This command gets the LastAccessTime property of the C:\Windows directory. LastAccessTime is just one property of

file system directories. To see all of the properties of a directory, type "(Get-Item ) |

Get-Member".

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 7 --------------------------

C:\PS>Get-Item C:\Windows\. -Exclude w*

Description

-----------

This command gets items in the Windows directory with names that include a dot (.), but do not begin with w*. This

command works only when the path includes a wildcard character (*) to specify the contents of the item.

Get-Item (generic); http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113319

FileSystem Provider

Add-Content

Clear-Content

Get-Content

Get-ChildItem

Get-Content

Get-Item

Remove-Item

Set-Content

Test-Path