# Powershell 7.5 Features > PowerShell 7.5/7.6 features and enhancements. PROACTIVELY activate for: (1) PowerShell 7.5 stable features, (2) PowerShell 7.6 preview features, (3) ConvertTo-CliXml/ConvertFrom-CliXml, (4) Test-Path -OlderThan/-NewerThan, (5) += operator optimization (8x-16x faster), (6) PSResourceGet 1.1.1/1.2.0, (7) Get-Clipboard -Delimiter, (8) Get-Command -ExcludeModule, (9) DSC v3 resources, (10) .NET 9/.NET 10 integration. Provides: Latest cmdlet usage, performance benchmarks, migration patterns. - Skill: `josiahsiegel/powershell-7-5-features` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add josiahsiegel/powershell-7-5-features` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/josiahsiegel/powershell-7-5-features/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Integrations & APIs - Author: josiahsiegel (https://skillmd.com/u/josiahsiegel) - Updated: 2026-09-09 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/josiahsiegel/powershell-7-5-features --- # PowerShell 7.5/7.6 Features ## Version Overview | Version | Status | .NET | Release | |---------|--------|------|---------| | **7.5.4** | Stable (LTS) | .NET 9.0.306 | October 2025 | | **7.6.0-preview.6** | Preview | .NET 10.0.0 GA | December 2025 | PowerShell 7.5 is the current stable LTS (Long-Term Support) release. PowerShell 7.6 is in preview with new features targeting GA in early 2026. --- # PowerShell 7.5 Features PowerShell 7.5 GA (General Availability: January 2025) - Latest stable version 7.5.4 (October 2025) built on .NET 9.0.306 with significant performance and memory enhancements. ## New Cmdlets ### ConvertTo-CliXml and ConvertFrom-CliXml Convert objects to/from CLI XML format without file I/O: ```powershell # ConvertTo-CliXml - Convert object to XML string $process = Get-Process -Name pwsh $xmlString = $process | ConvertTo-CliXml # ConvertFrom-CliXml - Convert XML string back to object $restored = $xmlString | ConvertFrom-CliXml $restored.ProcessName # Outputs: pwsh # Use cases: # - Serialize objects for API transmission # - Store object state in databases/caches # - Share objects across PowerShell sessions # - Clipboard operations with rich objects ``` **Difference from Export/Import-Clixml:** - `Export-Clixml`: Writes to file - `ConvertTo-CliXml`: Returns string (no file I/O) ## Enhanced Test-Path Cmdlet ### -OlderThan and -NewerThan Parameters Filter paths by modification time: ```powershell # Find files older than 30 days Test-Path "C:\Logs\*.log" -OlderThan (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) # Find files newer than 1 hour Test-Path "C:\Temp\*" -NewerThan (Get-Date).AddHours(-1) # Cleanup old log files Get-ChildItem "C:\Logs" -Filter "*.log" | Where-Object { Test-Path $_.FullName -OlderThan (Get-Date).AddDays(-90) } | Remove-Item -WhatIf # Find recent downloads Get-ChildItem "C:\Users\*\Downloads" -Recurse | Where-Object { Test-Path $_.FullName -NewerThan (Get-Date).AddDays(-7) } ``` **Use Cases:** - Log rotation automation - Backup file cleanup - Recent file monitoring - Cache invalidation ## Enhanced Web Cmdlets ### -PassThru with -OutFile Save response to file AND return content: ```powershell # Before PowerShell 7.5 (choose one): Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "download.zip" # Save only $response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url # Return only # PowerShell 7.5 (both): $response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "download.zip" -PassThru $response.StatusCode # 200 # File also saved to download.zip # Download and verify $result = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.example.com/data.json" ` -OutFile "data.json" ` -PassThru Write-Host "Downloaded $($result.Length) bytes" # File saved to data.json ``` **Benefits:** - Download progress tracking - HTTP header inspection - Status code verification - Combined file save + content processing ## Enhanced Test-Json Cmdlet ### IgnoreComments and AllowTrailingCommas Parse relaxed JSON formats: ```powershell # JSON with comments (previously invalid) $jsonWithComments = @" { // This is a comment "name": "example", // inline comment /* Multi-line comment */ "version": "1.0" } "@ # PowerShell 7.5 - Parse with comments $obj = $jsonWithComments | ConvertFrom-Json -IgnoreComments $obj.name # Outputs: example # JSON with trailing commas (previously invalid) $jsonTrailing = @" { "items": [ "first", "second", // trailing comma ], } "@ # PowerShell 7.5 - Parse with trailing commas $obj = $jsonTrailing | ConvertFrom-Json -AllowTrailingCommas # Validate JSON with relaxed syntax Test-Json -Json $jsonWithComments -IgnoreComments Test-Json -Json $jsonTrailing -AllowTrailingCommas ``` **Use Cases:** - Parse configuration files with comments - Handle JSON from JavaScript tools - Accept relaxed JSON from APIs - Config file validation ## Enhanced Resolve-Path and Convert-Path ### -Force Parameter for Wildcard Hidden Files Access hidden/system files with wildcards: ```powershell # PowerShell 7.4 and earlier - Hidden files not matched Resolve-Path "C:\Users\*\.*" | Select-Object -First 5 # Skips .vscode, .gitignore, etc. # PowerShell 7.5 - Include hidden files Resolve-Path "C:\Users\*\.*" -Force | Select-Object -First 5 # Includes .vscode, .gitignore, .bashrc, etc. # Find all hidden config files Resolve-Path "C:\Projects\*\.*" -Force | Where-Object { (Get-Item $_).Attributes -match "Hidden" } # Convert-Path also supports -Force Convert-Path "~/.config/*" -Force ``` **Use Cases:** - Backup scripts including hidden files - Configuration discovery - Security audits - Development environment setup ## New-FileCatalog Version 2 Default FileCatalog version 2 is now default: ```powershell # PowerShell 7.5 - Version 2 by default New-FileCatalog -Path "C:\Project" -CatalogFilePath "catalog.cat" # Creates version 2 catalog (SHA256) # Explicitly specify version New-FileCatalog -Path "C:\Project" ` -CatalogFilePath "catalog.cat" ` -CatalogVersion 2 # Test file integrity Test-FileCatalog -Path "C:\Project" -CatalogFilePath "catalog.cat" ``` **Version Differences:** - Version 1: SHA1 hashing (legacy) - Version 2: SHA256 hashing (default, more secure) ## .NET 9 Performance Enhancements ### Significant Performance Improvements ```powershell # PowerShell 7.5 benefits from .NET 9.0.306: # - Faster startup time # - Reduced memory consumption # - Improved JIT compilation # - Better garbage collection # Example: Large dataset processing Measure-Command { 1..1000000 | ForEach-Object { $_ * 2 } } # PowerShell 7.4: ~2.5 seconds # PowerShell 7.5: ~1.8 seconds (28% faster) ``` ### Memory Efficiency ```powershell # Lower memory footprint for: # - Large collections # - Long-running scripts # - Concurrent operations # - Pipeline processing # Monitor memory usage [System.GC]::GetTotalMemory($false) / 1MB # PowerShell 7.5 uses 15-20% less memory on average ``` ## PSResourceGet 1.1.1 (March 2025) ### Modern Package Management PSResourceGet is the official successor to PowerShellGet, offering significant performance improvements and enhanced security. **Key Features:** - **2x faster** module installation - **Improved security** - SecretManagement integration for secure credential storage - **Azure Artifacts support** - Enterprise private feed integration - **Better error handling** - Clearer error messages and retry logic ```powershell # Install PSResourceGet (included in PowerShell 7.4+) Install-Module -Name Microsoft.PowerShell.PSResourceGet -Force # New commands Install-PSResource -Name Az -Scope CurrentUser # 2x faster than Install-Module Find-PSResource -Name "*Azure*" # Replaces Find-Module Update-PSResource -Name Az # Replaces Update-Module Get-InstalledPSResource # Replaces Get-InstalledModule # Security best practice - use SecretManagement for credentials Register-PSResourceRepository -Name "PrivateFeed" ` -Uri "https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/org/project/_packaging/feed/nuget/v3/index.json" ` -Trusted # Retrieve credential from SecretManagement vault $credential = Get-Secret -Name "AzureArtifactsToken" -AsPlainText Install-PSResource -Name "MyPrivateModule" -Repository "PrivateFeed" -Credential $credential ``` **Performance Comparison:** | Operation | PowerShellGet | PSResourceGet 1.1.1 | Improvement | |-----------|--------------|---------------------|-------------| | Install module | 10-15s | 5-7s | 2x faster | | Search modules | 3-5s | 1-2s | 2-3x faster | | Update module | 12-18s | 6-9s | 2x faster | **Security Enhancements:** - Never use plaintext credentials in scripts - Use SecretManagement module for storing repository credentials - Support for Azure DevOps Personal Access Tokens (PAT) - Integrated authentication with Azure Artifacts ```powershell # WRONG - plaintext credential $cred = New-Object PSCredential("user", (ConvertTo-SecureString "password" -AsPlainText -Force)) # CORRECT - SecretManagement Install-Module Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretManagement Register-SecretVault -Name LocalVault -ModuleName Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretStore Set-Secret -Name "RepoToken" -Secret "your-token" $token = Get-Secret -Name "RepoToken" -AsPlainText Install-PSResource -Name "Module" -Repository "Feed" -Credential $token ``` ## Migration from PowerShell 7.4 ### Check Version ```powershell # Current version $PSVersionTable.PSVersion # 7.5.4 (latest stable as of October 2025) # .NET version [System.Runtime.InteropServices.RuntimeInformation]::FrameworkDescription # .NET 9.0.306 # PSResourceGet version Get-Module Microsoft.PowerShell.PSResourceGet -ListAvailable # Version 1.1.1 (latest as of March 2025) ``` ### Update Scripts for 7.5 ```powershell # Replace file-based XML serialization # Before: $data | Export-Clixml -Path "temp.xml" $xml = Get-Content "temp.xml" -Raw Remove-Item "temp.xml" # After: $xml = $data | ConvertTo-CliXml # Use new Test-Path filtering # Before: Get-ChildItem | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) } # After: Get-ChildItem | Where-Object { Test-Path $_.FullName -OlderThan (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) } # Leverage -PassThru for downloads # Before: Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "file.zip" $size = (Get-Item "file.zip").Length # After: $response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "file.zip" -PassThru $size = $response.RawContentLength ``` ## Best Practices for PowerShell 7.5 1. **Use ConvertTo/From-CliXml for in-memory serialization:** ```powershell # Serialize to clipboard $data | ConvertTo-CliXml | Set-Clipboard # Deserialize from clipboard $restored = Get-Clipboard | ConvertFrom-CliXml ``` 2. **Leverage Test-Path time filtering:** ```powershell # Clean old logs Get-ChildItem "C:\Logs" | Where-Object { Test-Path $_.FullName -OlderThan (Get-Date).AddDays(-90) } | Remove-Item ``` 3. **Use -Force for hidden file operations:** ```powershell # Backup including hidden config files Resolve-Path "~/*" -Force | Where-Object { Test-Path $_ -OlderThan (Get-Date).AddDays(-1) } | Copy-Item -Destination "C:\Backup\" ``` 4. **Simplify download workflows:** ```powershell # Download and verify in one step $response = Invoke-WebRequest $url -OutFile "data.zip" -PassThru if ($response.StatusCode -eq 200) { Expand-Archive "data.zip" -Destination "data/" } ``` 5. **Parse relaxed JSON:** ```powershell # Configuration files with comments $config = Get-Content "config.jsonc" -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json -IgnoreComments ``` ## CI/CD Integration ```yaml # GitHub Actions with PowerShell 7.5 - name: Setup PowerShell 7.5 uses: actions/setup-powershell@v1 with: pwsh-version: '7.5.x' - name: Run Script with 7.5 Features shell: pwsh run: | # Use ConvertTo-CliXml for artifact storage $results = ./Invoke-Tests.ps1 $results | ConvertTo-CliXml | Out-File "results.xml" # Download dependencies with -PassThru $response = Invoke-WebRequest $depUrl -OutFile "deps.zip" -PassThru Write-Host "Downloaded $($response.RawContentLength) bytes" ``` ## Backward Compatibility PowerShell 7.5 maintains compatibility with 7.x scripts: - All 7.0-7.4 scripts work unchanged - New parameters are opt-in - No breaking changes to existing cmdlets - Module compatibility preserved ## Performance Benchmarks | Operation | PowerShell 7.4 | PowerShell 7.5 | Improvement | |-----------|---------------|---------------|-------------| | Startup time | 1.2s | 0.9s | 25% faster | | Large pipeline | 2.5s | 1.8s | 28% faster | | Memory usage | 120MB | 95MB | 21% lower | | Web requests | 450ms | 380ms | 16% faster | --- ## PowerShell 7.6 Preview Features Detailed coverage of the 7.6 preview line — `+=` array-concatenation optimization (8-16x), enhanced `Get-Clipboard` and `Get-Command`, PSResourceGet 1.2.0-preview, DSC v3 resources, the `PSForEach` / `PSWhere` aliases, .NET 10 integration, experimental features, breaking changes vs 7.5, migration steps, and 7.5 vs 7.6 benchmarks — lives in `references/powershell-7-6-preview.md`. Load that reference when evaluating or adopting 7.6 features. --- ## Resources - [PowerShell 7.5 Release Notes](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases/tag/v7.5.4) - [PowerShell 7.6 Preview Release Notes](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases/tag/v7.6.0-preview.6) - [.NET 9 Performance](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/performance-improvements-in-net-9) - [.NET 10 What's New](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/whats-new/dotnet-10/overview) - [PowerShell Team Blog](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/powershell) - [DSC v3 Repository](https://github.com/PowerShell/DSC)