Coder Legion - Recent posts tagged powershell

A Complete Guide to Install XAMPP, Configure Apache & MySQL Services, and Deploy WordPress Using Pow

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:21:11 +0000

Setting up a reliable local web development environment is one of the first steps for anyone working with WordPress, PHP, MySQL, or Apache. While XAMPP makes this process easier by bundling the required components into a single package, configuring the environment properly, especially through the command line, can still be challenging.

Many online tutorials focus only on the graphical interface and often skip essential configuration steps, troubleshooting techniques, or service management. As a result, beginners frequently encounter issues with Apache, MySQL, PHP compatibility, phpMyAdmin, or WordPress installation.

To address these challenges, I created a comprehensive guide that demonstrates how to install, configure, and manage an entire XAMPP and WordPress development environment using Windows PowerShell.

Whether you're a student learning web technologies, an educator preparing laboratory sessions, or a developer looking for a repeatable deployment process, this guide provides a structured approach from start to finish.

Why This Guide?

A properly configured local development environment saves hours of troubleshooting and creates a consistent workflow for development, testing, and learning.

Instead of relying solely on mouse clicks, this guide introduces a command-driven approach that helps users understand what happens behind the scenes while also making the installation process easier to reproduce across multiple machines.

The guide follows a complete workflow covering installation, service management, WordPress deployment, version upgrades, and troubleshooting.

What You'll Learn

The guide covers every major step required to build a local WordPress development environment.

1. XAMPP Installation

Learn how to install XAMPP using PowerShell commands, verify the installation, and safely uninstall and reinstall it when necessary.

Topics include:

Downloading XAMPP
Silent installation
Installation verification
Troubleshooting incomplete installations
Safe uninstallation

2. Apache Service Configuration

Apache is configured as a Windows Service, allowing it to be managed directly through PowerShell.

You'll learn how to:

Install Apache as a service
Verify service status
Start and stop Apache
Manage services efficiently
Troubleshoot service-related issues

3. MySQL Service Installation

Database configuration is an essential part of every WordPress deployment.

This section explains how to:

Install MySQL as a Windows Service
Verify successful installation
Start and stop the service
Prepare the database environment for WordPress

4. WordPress Deployment on XAMPP

One of the largest sections of the guide walks through deploying WordPress on a local server.

Topics include:

Creating WordPress databases
Configuring users and permissions
Downloading WordPress
Extracting and organizing files
Running the installation
Configuring the initial website
Accessing the WordPress dashboard

5. Upgrading PHP

Modern WordPress versions require newer PHP releases.

The guide explains how to safely:

Replace outdated PHP versions
Configure php.ini
Enable required PHP extensions
Update Apache configuration
Verify the installation

6. Upgrading phpMyAdmin

Many bundled XAMPP installations include older versions of phpMyAdmin.

The guide demonstrates:

Installing the latest release
Preserving existing configurations
Migrating settings safely
Verifying successful upgrades

7. Daily Service Management

Instead of opening the XAMPP Control Panel every time, the guide shows how to manage services directly from PowerShell.

This includes:

Starting Apache
Starting MySQL
Opening WordPress
Accessing phpMyAdmin
Stopping services after development

Why Use PowerShell Instead of Only the XAMPP Control Panel?

Learning to manage services through PowerShell provides several long-term advantages.

Faster setup
Easier automation
Better troubleshooting
Repeatable deployments
Improved understanding of Windows service management
Practical DevOps and system administration skills

These skills become increasingly valuable when working with larger development environments or automating deployments.

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is suitable for:

Web Developers
WordPress Developers
PHP Developers
Computer Science Students
Information Technology Students
Software Engineering Undergraduates
Lecturers and Instructors
System Administrators
Beginners learning local web development

It is especially useful in academic environments where students need to deploy multiple local development environments using consistent procedures.

GitHub Repository

The complete guide and supporting resources are available on GitHub.

GitHub Repository:

XAMPP-WordPress-PowerShell-Guide

If you find this resource useful, consider giving the repository a star. It helps increase visibility and encourages further improvements.

Also Published On

This article is also available on the following platforms:

LinkedIn: Read on LinkedIn
Medium: Read on Medium
AWS: Read on AWS
DEV Community: Read on DEV Community

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Madusanka Mithrananda for his invaluable guidance, encouragement, and continuous support throughout the development of this guide and the article. His expertise, constructive feedback, and mentorship were instrumental in shaping this work and deepening my understanding of XAMPP, PowerShell, and WordPress deployment.

I truly appreciate his dedication to teaching, willingness to share knowledge, and the encouragement provided throughout this journey. His guidance has been an invaluable part of the successful completion of this guide.

Final Thoughts

Documentation is one of the most valuable yet overlooked contributions to the developer community. A clear, repeatable guide can save countless hours for students, developers, and educators trying to build reliable development environments.

This project was created with the goal of simplifying the setup process while encouraging developers to understand the underlying configuration instead of simply following GUI-based installation steps.

I hope it serves as a practical reference for anyone working with XAMPP, Apache, MySQL, PHP, PowerShell, and WordPress.

If you have suggestions, discover improvements, or would like to contribute, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.

Happy coding!

Let's check out the different methods to check PowerShell Version on Windows 11 with clear steps.

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 04:59:16 +0000

How to Check PowerShell Version on Windows 11?

Check PowerShell Version on Windows 11: Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language built on top of the .NET Framework. Unlike the Command Prompt, PowerShell allows users to automate tasks, manage system configurations, and control Windows more effectively. The Automation in Windows PowerShell is extensive, supporting scripts, Loops, Functions, and Modules. Microsoft initially introduced it as Monad in its beta phase, which later became Windows PowerShell 1.0 on its 2006 official launch.

Why Should you Check your PowerShell Version on Windows 11?

Different PowerShell Versions support different cmdlets, exhibit scripting capabilities, and provide security updates. For example, Windows 11 is pre-installed with PowerShell 5.1, which is compatible only with Windows. All of its cmdlets, modules, and scripts are designed for the Windows Ecosystem, whereas the latest Windows PowerShell Version 7 and above have cross-platform ability, and it allows users to run PowerShell 7 and above on other operating systems such as Linux and macOS.

Additionally, PowerShell Version 5 receives only legacy security updates, whereas PowerShell 7 receives frequent security patches, performance improvements, and bug fixes. Each version has its own advantages and disadvantages, and in this article, let's discuss them in detail. Let's get started.

Different Methods to Check PowerShell Version on Windows 11

To determine which version of Windows PowerShell you are using, you can either use Windows PowerShell or you can use outside PowerShell methods.

Check PowerShell Version using PowerShell Commands
Get PowerShell Version outside Windows PowerShell
Easily Check Version on PowerShell 7

How to Determine PowerShell Version using PowerShell Commands?

In PowerShell, you can use various commands to get the PowerShell Version. The following are the steps.
Firstly, let's open Windows PowerShell using the Run Command. We can use the keyboard shortcut Win Key + R.
In the Run, execute the following command to open Windows PowerShell. powershell
Open PowerShell using the Run Command
The Run command will open PowerShell on Windows 11.

In PowerShell, we can use the following commands to determine PowerShell Version on Windows 11.

1 Using $PSVersionTable

Execute the command $PSVersionTable in Windows PowerShell.

Note: If you only want to see the PowerShell version, then you can use the following command in the PowerShell $PSVersionTable.PSVersion. This command will precisely provide the determined PowerShell Version and related information. Kindly refer to the following image.

With the above command, only the essential information, such as Major Version, Minor Version, Build, and Revision Number, will be displayed.

2 Get PowerShell Version using the Get-Host Command

The Get-Host Command on Windows PowerShell provides information about the Console Host. The information is not related to the detailed PowerShell Version, however, we will get the PowerShell Version here.

To get the PowerShell Version using the Get-Host command, please execute it in PowerShell.
Execute the Get-Host Command in PowerShell

The output will have the following information. Name, Version, InstanceID, UI, CurrentCulture, CurrentUICulture, Private Data, Debugger Enabled, IsRunspacePushed, Runspace. Here, the version determines PowerShell Version.

3 Determine PowerShell Version Directly using $host.version

This command provides straightforward output similar to $PSVersionTable.PSVersion.
Execute the following command in PowerShell. $host.version
The output will contain the following information. Major Build Number, Minor Build Number, Build Version, and Revision Version.
I am currently running Windows PowerShell 5.1.26100.6682.

How to Determine PowerShell Version Outside of PowerShell?

Alright, the above methods explain how to check PowerShell Version using Windows PowerShell itself. Here, we can check how to check the Windows PowerShell Version outside of PowerShell, such as the Command Prompt and Registry Editor.

Get PowerShell Version using Command Prompt:

Go to the Run and open Command Prompt using the following command. cmd
In the Command Prompt, kindly execute the command powershell -Command "$PSVersionTable.PSVersion"
Now, the Command Prompt will display the PowerShell Version. In my case, I am on PowerShell 5.1.26100.6682.

How to Check Windows PowerShell Version on Windows 11 using Registry Editor?

To open the registry editor on Windows 11, we will use the Run Command.
In the Run, execute the command regedit
Open Registry Editor using the Run Command
The User Account Control will confirm and open Registry Editor.
Navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\3\PowerShellEngine
Once you navigate to the above path, you can find the file "PowerShellVersion". You can view the version next to it.
You can also open it to view the PowerShell Version. That's it.

How to check the Version in the latest PowerShell 7?

Windows PowerShell 7 is the modern, cross-platform form of PowerShell. Unlike the legacy PowerShell 5, which is built into Windows 11, we have to install PowerShell 7 separately. There are different methods available to install PowerShell 7 on Windows 11, from the Microsoft Store to Winget, MSI, and more. Here, we will explain how to check the PowerShell 7 version.

Install PowerShell 7 using WinGet on Windows 11

Open Command Prompt, and run the following command. winget search powershell
Winget will search the Microsoft Community Repository and Microsoft Store and provide the results.
From the results, you can locate the official stable build and install it using the following command. At the time of this article, the latest version of PowerShell is 7.5.3.0. It is the stable and official release. Kindly note down its ID. The ID is Microsoft.PowerShell
Locate official and stable PowerShell 7 and note down its ID
Next, we will install PowerShell 7 using the following command in the Command Prompt. winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell
This command will install PowerShell 7 from the official GitHub repository. The process will take some time to complete. Kindly be patient.
Once the package is successfully installed, you can start using Windows PowerShell 7. You can explicitly access it via the Start menu or by using the command pwsh

Note: You can also download and install Windows PowerShell 7 using the MSI installer from the official GitHub Repository.

Determine PowerShell 7 version using pwsh command

The following command will work only on the latest PowerShell 7 version.
In PowerShell 7, execute the following command. pwsh --version
PowerShell will display the version now.

Note: In PowerShell 7, other legacy methods such as Get-Host, PSVersionTable will work flawlessly. Additonally, you can get PowerShell 7 version using the following command as well. pwsh -v

Take Away

Whether you are using Legacy PowerShell 5 or the Modern PowerShell 7, the above article covers different methods and detailed steps to check the PowerShell Version on all variations. We hope you are satisfied with our article on How to Check PowerShell Version on Windows 11, and if you have any queries, kindly let us know in the Comments.

For more interesting articles, stay tuned to Winsides.com. Happy Scripting! Peace out!