Get-Item
SYNOPSIS
Gets the item at the specified location.
SYNTAX
Path (Default)
Get-Item [-Path] <String[]> [-Filter <String>] [-Include <String[]>] [-Exclude <String[]>] [-Force]
[-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Stream <String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]
LiteralPath
Get-Item -LiteralPath <String[]> [-Filter <String>] [-Include <String[]>] [-Exclude <String[]>] [-Force]
[-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Stream <String[]>] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
The `Get-Item` cmdlet gets the item at the specified location. It doesn't 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 PowerShell providers to navigate through different types of data stores.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Get the current directory
Get-Item .
Directory: C:\
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
d---- 7/26/2006 10:01 AM ps-test
Example 2: Get all the items in the current directory
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
Example 3: Get the current directory of a drive
Get-Item C:
Example 4: Get items in the specified drive
Get-Item C:\*
In PowerShell, use a single asterisk (` `) to get contents, instead of the traditional ` .*`. The format is interpreted literally, so ` . ` wouldn't retrieve directories or filenames without a dot.
Example 5: Get a property in the specified directory
(Get-Item C:\Windows).LastAccessTime
Example 6: Show the contents of a registry key
Get-Item HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Powershell\1\Shellids\Microsoft.Powershell\
Example 7: Get items in a directory that have an exclusion
Get-Item C:\Windows\*.* -Exclude "w*"
Example 8: Getting hardlink information
Get-Item C:\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe | Format-Table -view childrenWithHardLink
Directory: C:\Windows\System32
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
la--- 5/12/2021 7:40 AM 10848576 ntoskrnl.exe
The `Mode` property identifies the hardlink by the `l` in `la---`
Example 9: Output for Non-Windows Operating Systems
PS> Get-Item /Users
Directory: /
UnixMode User Group LastWriteTime Size Name
-------- ---- ----- ------------- ---- ----
drwxr-xr-x root admin 12/20/2019 11:46 192 Users
The new properties that are now part of the output are:
- UnixMode is the file permissions as represented on a Unix system - User is the file owner - Group is the group owner - Size is the size of the file or directory as represented on a Unix system
> [!NOTE] > This feature was moved from experimental to mainstream in PowerShell 7.1.
PARAMETERS
-Credential
> [!NOTE] > This parameter isn't supported by any providers installed with PowerShell. > To impersonate another user, or elevate your credentials when running this cmdlet, > use Invoke-Command (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/Invoke-Command.md).
Type: System.Management.Automation.PSCredential
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: Current user
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`. Wildcard characters 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.
Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Filter
Specifies a filter to qualify the Path parameter. The FileSystem (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_FileSystem_Provider.md)provider is the only installed PowerShell provider that supports filters. Filters are more efficient than other parameters. The provider applies filter when the cmdlet gets the objects rather than having PowerShell filter the objects after they're retrieved. The filter string is passed to the .NET API to enumerate files. The API only supports `*` and `?` wildcards.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Force
Indicates that this cmdlet gets items that can't otherwise be accessed, such as hidden items. Implementation varies from provider to provider. For more information, see about_Providers (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Providers.md). Even using the Force parameter, the cmdlet can't override security restrictions.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
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`. Wildcard characters 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.
Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-LiteralPath
Specifies a path to one or more locations. The value of LiteralPath is used exactly as it's typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.
For more information, see about_Quoting_Rules (../Microsoft.Powershell.Core/About/about_Quoting_Rules.md).
Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: LiteralPath
Aliases: PSPath, LP
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. Wildcard characters 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.
Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: Path
Aliases:
Required: True
Position: 0
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByPropertyName, ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Stream
> [!NOTE] > This Parameter is only available on Windows.
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 isn't 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.
Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: No alternate file streams
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
CommonParameters
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -InformationAction, -InformationVariable, -OutVariable, -OutBuffer, -PipelineVariable, -Verbose, -WarningAction, and -WarningVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.
INPUTS
System.String
You can pipe a string that contains a path to this cmdlet.
OUTPUTS
System.Object
This cmdlet returns the objects that it gets. The type is determined by the type of objects in the path.
NOTES
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 (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Providers.md).