Microsoft will take away PowerShell 2.0 from Home windows beginning in August, eight years after asserting its deprecation and retaining it round as an non-obligatory function.
The 14-year-old command processor launched with Home windows 7 was already eliminated for Home windows Insiders as of July 2025, with the discharge of Home windows 11 Insider Preview Construct 27891 to the Canary Channel.
As detailed in a help doc printed on Monday, Microsoft will completely take away PowerShell 2.0 from Home windows 11 model 24H2, beginning in August, and from Home windows Server 2025 in September.
“For many customers and organizations, this alteration will likely be uneventful – newer variations of PowerShell corresponding to PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7.x proceed to be obtainable and supported. Nonetheless, when you’ve got legacy scripts or software program that explicitly will depend on PowerShell 2.0, you have to to take motion and replace them or use a workaround to stop any disruptions,” Microsoft stated.
“PowerShell 2.0 will likely be eliminated in a later launch beginning in August 2025 for Home windows 11, model 24H2 and a September 2025 launch for Home windows Server 2025. All later releases for Home windows 11 and Home windows Server 2025 is not going to embody PowerShell 2.0.”
This transfer is a part of a broader effort to take away legacy code, lowering system complexity, and bettering Home windows safety, in response to Microsoft.
Removing impacts prospects utilizing legacy scripts and software program
Microsoft prospects who use legacy functions, together with older Microsoft server merchandise corresponding to Alternate, SharePoint, and SQL Server, that depend on PowerShell 2.0 scripting, will likely be immediately impacted by this alteration.
Though legacy scripts trying to launch PowerShell 2.0 will mechanically default to PowerShell 5.1, which is backward-compatible for many instructions and modules, these utilizing such instruments are suggested to replace their techniques to stop disruptions.
The corporate added that prospects ought to migrate their scripts and instruments to PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7 and change outdated software program that can’t operate with out PowerShell 2.0 help, since some older third-party installers could fail on newer Home windows variations when trying to allow PowerShell 2.0 throughout setup.
“By utilizing the newer and supported PowerShell 7 or PowerShell 5.1, you’ll be able to assist be certain that scripts run safer,” Microsoft added in a brand new message heart publish.
“In case you have legacy scripts or software program that explicitly rely upon PowerShell 2.0, you will have to both replace them or use a workaround to stop disruptions.”
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