Get-ChildItem<\/code><\/pre>\nThis returns a collection of objects representing files and folders, which you can further manipulate or filter. To look at a specific directory, supply a path:<\/p>\n
Get-ChildItem \"C:\\Users\\Public\"<\/code><\/pre>\nExploring Options and Parameters<\/h2>\n
PowerShell provides numerous parameters to customize the output of Get-ChildItem<\/b>. Here are some useful ones:<\/p>\n\n- -Recurse<\/b>: Lists all files and directories in the specified location and all subdirectories.<\/li>\n
- -File<\/b>: Displays only files, excluding directories.<\/li>\n
- -Directory<\/b>: Displays only directories, excluding files.<\/li>\n
- -Filter<\/b>, -Include<\/b>, and -Exclude<\/b>: Allow filtering by file name or extension.<\/li>\n
- -Hidden<\/b>: Includes hidden items in the result.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Below is an example that displays all `.txt` files in a specific folder and its subfolders:<\/p>\n
Get-ChildItem \"C:\\Logs\" -Filter *.txt -Recurse<\/code><\/pre>\nYou can also combine these parameters for more targeted results. For instance:<\/p>\n
Get-ChildItem \"C:\\Projects\" -Recurse -File -Include *.ps1<\/code><\/pre>\nThis command finds all PowerShell script files in the Projects directory and all its subfolders.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/savethevideo.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/logo-ffmpeg-nvidia-transcoding-command-line.jpg\")
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Working With Output<\/h2>\n
One of PowerShell’s greatest strengths is treating the output as objects. This means you can pass the output of Get-ChildItem<\/b> to other cmdlets using the pipeline (|<\/code>) to perform additional operations:<\/p>\nGet-ChildItem -Path \"C:\\Data\" -Recurse -File | Where-Object {$_.Length -gt 1MB}<\/code><\/pre>\nThis command filters for files larger than 1 MB in the C:\\Data<\/i> folder and its subdirectories.<\/p>\n
Want to sort files by size?<\/p>\n
Get-ChildItem -Path C:\\Videos -File | Sort-Object Length -Descending<\/code><\/pre>\nThis will arrange all video files in descending order of their size.<\/p>\n
Using Get-ChildItem Remotely<\/h2>\n
When combined with PowerShell remoting, you can use Get-ChildItem<\/i> to explore file systems on remote machines:<\/p>\nInvoke-Command -ComputerName \"Server01\" -ScriptBlock { Get-ChildItem \"D:\\Logs\" -Recurse }<\/code><\/pre>\nJust ensure PowerShell remoting is enabled on the target machine using Enable-PSRemoting<\/i>.<\/p>\nPractical Use Case: Cleaning Up Old Files<\/h2>\n
Here’s a real-world scenario\u2014removing all files older than 90 days:<\/p>\n
Get-ChildItem \"C:\\Temp\" -Recurse -File | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-90) } | Remove-Item<\/code><\/pre>\nThis is especially useful for system administrators managing temporary directories or log files that pile up over time.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/savethevideo.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-envelope-on-white-surface-computer-cleanup-file-comparison-backup-folders.jpg\")
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Tips and Best Practices<\/h2>\n