Show current folder
Windows · PowerShell · A terminal cannot find a local project file.
Get-LocationA path is displayed.
This built-in command should ordinarily succeed.
ADVANCED / Programming
PowerShell and the terminal
A shell runs typed commands from a current directory; PATH helps locate installed commands.
Why use it
Useful for quick diagnostics, tool versions, file navigation, Git and simple automation on Windows.
- read-only diagnostics
- PATH checks
- Git workflows
Windowsoptionalactive
Getting started
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal. Start with Get-Location and a targeted diagnostic snippet only when needed.
Check: Get-Location displays a directory; $PSVersionTable.PSVersion displays the running PowerShell version.
Official links
Optional diagnostic commands
Show PowerShell version
Windows · PowerShell · A command behaves differently across shells.
$PSVersionTable.PSVersionA version object appears.
If this syntax fails, you may not be running PowerShell.
List COM port names
Windows · PowerShell · Arduino IDE does not show a port.
[System.IO.Ports.SerialPort]::GetPortNames()One or more COM names, such as COM3; no output means none were returned.
No output can mean a charge-only cable, disconnected board, driver problem, or a device that has not enumerated. It does not diagnose which one.
Inspect Windows port devices
Windows · PowerShell · A board is powered but no COM port is apparent.
Get-PnpDevice -Class Ports | Select-Object FriendlyName, Status, InstanceIdRows with a friendly name, status, and instance ID when Ports-class devices exist.
No rows or an error can mean no Ports-class devices, an unavailable PnpDevice cmdlet, or device/driver issues; compare before and after plugging in the board.