Windows PowerShell | Scripts for Tech Support

Useful PowerShell Scripts for IT and Tech Support

This document contains a collection of PowerShell scripts to streamline system maintenance, automation, and troubleshooting. As a field tech support rep, I often use these scripts to simplify tasks like clearing caches, managing network connections, restarting services, and handling file operations.

1. Restart the Print Spooler and Clear Print Queue

Use Case: Fix stuck print jobs by clearing the print queue and restarting the print spooler.

Stop-Service -Name Spooler
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -Force
Start-Service -Name Spooler

2. Delete Downloads Older Than 14 Days

Use Case: Remove old files from the Downloads folder to free up space.

$path = "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads"
$days = 14
Get-ChildItem -Path $path -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-$days) } | Remove-Item -Force

3. Empty the Recycle Bin Every 30 Days

Use Case: Automatically clear the Recycle Bin to maintain disk space.

$Shell = New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application
$Shell.Namespace(0xA).Items() | ForEach-Object { $_.InvokeVerb("Delete") }

4. Restart OneDrive When Stuck in a Sync Loop

Use Case: Force OneDrive to restart when it gets stuck syncing.

taskkill /F /IM OneDrive.exe
Start-Process "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe"

5. Force Restart a Stuck Application (Any App)

Use Case: Automatically stop and restart an application.

$app = "notepad.exe"
Stop-Process -Name $app -Force
Start-Process $app

6. Clear Windows Temp Files to Free Up Space

Use Case: Remove temporary files to optimize system performance.

Remove-Item -Path "$env:TEMP\*" -Force -Recurse

7. Restart Windows Explorer (Fix Taskbar Issues)

Use Case: Restart the Windows Explorer process to fix UI-related issues.

Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force
Start-Process explorer

8. Force Group Policy Update

Use Case: Apply the latest Group Policy changes immediately.

gpupdate /force

9. Flush DNS Cache

Use Case: Clear cached DNS records to resolve connectivity issues.

Clear-DnsClientCache

10. Retrieve System and Disk Information

Use Case: Get details about system drives, file systems, and available space.

Get-PSDrive
Get-Volume

Additional Notes

These scripts are designed for Windows environments.
Some scripts require administrator privileges.
Always test scripts in a non-production environment before deploying them.