How to remove powershell

Question

How to remove powershell

Ben Ensink 0

Windows Powershell starts up every time I start my computer. Powershell is not listed in the startup apps. I have Windows 11 installed with all available windows updates. Powershel is not visible in Autoruns. Is it save to completely remove powershell and how to do that?

Horace Wiggins 530 Reputation points

2026-09-14T13:36:10.91+00:00

Type Power shell in the search box on the taskbar. If you are an administrator, select Run as administrator. Unless you know what, you need to do, it's best to leave it alone. https://techterms.com/definition/powershell

3 answers

Your answer

Horace Wiggins 530 Reputation points

2026-09-14T13:36:10.91+00:00

Type Power shell in the search box on the taskbar. If you are an administrator, select Run as administrator. Unless you know what, you need to do, it's best to leave it alone. https://techterms.com/definition/powershell

Answer 1

_AW_ 69,211 Volunteer Moderator

Open Task Manager and select the Startup apps tab.

Scroll down to Terminal and if it's Enabled, right click and Disable it.

_AW_ 69,211 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-14T13:49:51.07+00:00

Hi Ben, did you check whether Terminal was enabled?

Answer 2

DaveM121 931.2K Independent Advisor

Do not try to uninstall PowerShell from Windows, PowerShell is not causing the problem, it is an integral component in Windows that is used for many purposes, including updating apps and resolving problems in Windows.

The PowerShell app appearing on startup is usually caused by a corrupt app updater that loads when Windows starts.

You indicate you have Autoruns on your PC, please provide a screenshot of all entries on the Logon tab and the Scheduled Tasks tabs in Autoruns.

Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:04:01.42+00:00

the screenshot of autoruns is like this.
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T12:08:17.2766667+00:00

Hi Ben, your screenshots did not appear, pelase try inserting the screenshots into your next reply.
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T12:15:19.3233333+00:00

If you are unable to insert the images into your reply, please upload the images to OneDrive or ay other cloud service and then provide a share link here.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:16:31.73+00:00

this tme as jpg

Hope this helps
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T12:23:15.4333333+00:00

Thank you for the screenshots,

On the Logon tab in Autoruns, one at a time, un-tick each of the options indicated below, then restart (not shut down) your PC after disabling each option, to apply the change to test if that resolves the problem, to try to find which process is generating the PowerShell window.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:44:09.56+00:00

Sorry for the delay but it took some time to remove all five options one by one. Unfortunately the problem remains the same and I still get the nasty popup. Any other suggestions??
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:45:33.0833333+00:00

Is it save to continue unhooking all other options one by one, and in what order then?
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T12:56:53.1366667+00:00

Please re-enable those entries if that did not resolve the PowerShell popup.It is safe to temporarily disable the other entries, except the ones indicated below, one at a time to try to find the cause of the problem.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T13:21:48.4033333+00:00

Unfortunately again without result. I unselected all app's one by one except the four mentioned above and each time I still get the popup screen from powershell. Do you run out of options now?

Anyway, thanks so far for all sugestions. Maybe I have to live with it
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T13:31:20.28+00:00

Okay, please re-enable those entries again in Autoruns and close Autoruns.

Then start your system, when the PowerShell window appears, do not close it.

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

Select the Processes tab.

Right click the CPU column header on the Processes tab and enable the Command Line column.

Expand the Command Line column so all text in that column is visible.

Please provide a screenshot of that Processes tab showing the PowerShell process and the associated text in the Command Line column.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T13:40:19.8+00:00

Is there a difference between Powershell and Terminal? I noticed that the popup screen said it is from powershell but if I startup Powershell myself the screen looks different from the one that is opened by the system during startup. If I startup Terminal however, the popup screen appears to be exactly the same as during system startup. The difference with the one from powershell is that on the powershell popup the version number is not displayed whereas in the Terminal popup (and the popup at startup) the versionnumber 10/0.6200.9445 is shown. See below

the window at startup time and when you enter : terminal

the window if you start powershell
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T13:44:42.7166667+00:00

No, there is no real difference between the two, except one is in Administrator mode and the other is in user mode.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T13:55:12.87+00:00

there was no process called powershell, however there was one called Terminal. Below is a screenshot from the expanded process and it commenline text. Hope this is what you meant.

slightly bigger letters. Hpe you can read them
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T14:02:48.7566667+00:00

Thank you for the screenshot, there is no indication of the process causing PowerShell to appear on startup, this is proving difficult to solve.

Open File Explorer.

Paste this into the address bar and press Enter. Please provide a screenshot of the resulting folder.

%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T14:06:23.5233333+00:00

I get the follwing errormessage:

In Eh In English : Can't find the startup folder. Check spelling try again
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T14:09:44.7133333+00:00

That folder should exist on all Windows installations.

In File Explorer, on the top menu, select View - Show - Hidden Files.

Then try manually navigating to this folder.

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T14:10:34.4833333+00:00

In Dutch the name is Menu Start. Here is a display of that folder. There is no startup directory in it.

So the powershell is not invoked through any startup via the menu
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T14:14:40.5266667+00:00

I cannot find any process that would be causing PowerShell to start with Windows on your system, I think the best option is to download the free version of Malwarebytes and run a full scan with that utility.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T14:17:32.02+00:00

I check show hidden files and directories and still no startup folder visible.

Have you read the comment by buldog below as answer to my original question?

Is it save to also uncheck the first CMD.EXE in the autoruns login lines?
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T14:21:11.32+00:00

The cmd.exe process exists on all Windows systems, that is not a startup entry, it is the alternative shell in Windows, do not disable that.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T14:41:11.82+00:00

Fortunately MalwareBytes does not find any leaks or malware on my system. Shal we leave it as is. A anoying anomily? Thanks for thinking with me and your time. I will leave CMD.exe checked.
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T14:43:22.4833333+00:00

I will try one more thing, in Autoruns, please provide a screenshot of all entries on the 'Scheduled Tasks' tab.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T15:41:19.5666667+00:00
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-13T15:47:30.7066667+00:00

Thank you for the screenshot, try unchecking these step entries then restart to test if one of them is the underlying cause of the problem, those are the only two I see that may be causing this.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T15:52:34.9566667+00:00

unfortunately no effect. still popup screen
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-14T05:16:08.1833333+00:00

In File Explorer, on the top menu, select View - Show - Hidden Files.

Then try manually navigating to this folder (replace xxx with your user name.

C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Please provide a screenshot of the contents of that startup folder.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-14T07:17:09.71+00:00

No Startup directory there.
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-14T07:24:15.47+00:00

If there is no startup folder in that location, there is something wrong with your Windows system, that folder should exist, and that may be causing the problem.

I think the best option is to perform an in-place repair with the Windows 11 ISO.

Please ensure you download the ISO in the same language as you use for the Windows UI, follow the steps, this is then not like re-installing Windows, it is just like an update and your personal files, settings and installed software will not be affected.

Click this link:

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

to download the Windows 11 ISO

When the ISO file completes downloading

Disconnect from the Internet

Disconnect all external devices with the exception of a mouse or keyboard.

Temporarily disable any 3rd party Anti-virus you may have installed

Then, in Windows File Explorer, double click the ISO and then run Setup.exe and select the Install option.

Very Important - ensure you select the option to keep your files and apps.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-14T12:55:39.2+00:00

Hi Dave, the advice you give is risky for me. I am not that familiar with re-installing Windows and maybe I break more than is broken now. It is just one click to remove a popup when I startup my PC in the morning. Everything else works okay and fast. I think I leave it as it is now. I appreciated your help very much. Please consider the manner closed and thanks again
DaveM121 931.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-14T12:58:07.3033333+00:00

Okay, I understand, glad to help!

Answer 3

Bulldog 4,640

The Powershell window wants to run a command. It's important to know which command it wants to run. That command explains what Windows is trying to do. If you can post a screenshot of the window, that would be very helpful.

Unfortunately, Windows users cause problems for themselves by thinking "I don't like something, I don't understand it, how do I delete it." In Windows, things happen for a reason, and the best solution addresses the underlying reason.

Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:10:18.9333333+00:00

Including pictures does not work. Here is a list of autorun apps: cmd.exe as safeboot alternate shell, EvtMgr (Logitech), Logioptions and RtkAudUServcide (Realtek Audio) and TrayProcess (EaseUS Backup) all in Currentversion Run and GoogleDrive, Microsift Lists and Onedrive, Raidrive and Winget
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:12:34+00:00

picture as file maybe?
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:24:36.6666667+00:00

The popup window looks like this
Bulldog 4,640 Reputation points

2026-09-13T12:49:25.5566667+00:00

Thank you - that was very helpful.

The window is the last step of an earlier process that did not terminate completely or correctly. You should be cautious, because a professionally coded app doesn't normally terminate this way.

Here are the possibilities:

It's part of a process that you initiated. No, I don't think so. You would know if you were trying to do something on your computer and it didn't work out well.

It's the remnant of an install or an uninstall. Possible but unlikely - you would know if you recently installed or uninstalled something.

It's something suspicious. This is certainly possible. The startup entry

cmd.exe as safeboot alternate shell

is not something that normally starts with Windows. It's instructing Windows to launch a command prompt as the primary user interface instead of the normal graphical interface when Windows starts in Safe Mode. That might be useful to a professional diagnosing a problem on your computer - or someone trying to plant malware on your computer. Do you have any ideas for that?
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-13T14:20:38.6533333+00:00

is it save to uncheck CMD.EXE in autoruns login ?
Bulldog 4,640 Reputation points

2026-09-13T19:00:28.1666667+00:00

No one can know if it's safe, without understanding how it got there in the first place. You can try unchecking it in Autoruns, but that won't explain how it got there, and that might not solve your original problem.

The way I work, stopping the symptom is not stopping the problem. Just because you're not seeing something, that doesn't mean it's gone. Not everyone in Microsoft Q&A works that way. Here, they're focused on making the customer happy, which means doing whatever to make the symptom go away.

There's only so much back-and-forth that you can do in a community forum. Often, you need to have someone sitting with you at the computer to figure out what really happened and solve it. To answer some of your earlier questions:

The Command shell (cmd.exe) and Powershell (powershell.exe) are the same, but different. The Command shell is a way to gave commands to the operating system without the Windows graphical user interface. Powershell is the 'next generation' of the Command shell, with added abilities.

Terminal is the interface, the black box. That's where you type your commands. The shell - either the command shell of the Powershell - is what interprets the command you type and sets them in motion.
Bulldog 4,640 Reputation points

2026-09-13T22:19:12.05+00:00

If you still want to try things on your own:

1- Another thing you can do is to restart your computer in Safe Mode. Safe Mode means your computer is running bare-bones Windows, with no third-party software (other than your anti-malware software). If the Powershell box does not appear in Safe Mode, that means whatever is causing it to appear comes from third-party software that starts with Windows.

2- When you launch Autoruns, are you running it as an Administrator? Similarly, when you launch Task Scheduler, are you running it as Administrator? Running as Administrator gives you results from the Administrator's point of view, which can provide additional information. Running Autoruns as Administrator gives you results not only for your account, but also for the Administrator account and every other account on the computer (including your Microsoft account) and the same for Task Scheduler.
Ben Ensink 0 Reputation points

2026-09-14T12:48:47.1166667+00:00

thanks for the advice. I can live with clicking away one pop-up screen when I start my computer. Risky fiddelling in the registry or autoruns is not my kind of thing. Thanks anyway
Bulldog 4,640 Reputation points

2026-09-14T13:09:02.8766667+00:00

I'm with you. Fiddling with the registry or other parts of the operating system can lead to big problems. Which I learned from experience, unfortunately.

Just the same, you don't have to live with this. You won't lose anything that you have backed up.

Backing up is a big topic, worth investing the time to learn. Windows comes with rudimentary backup ability, but you really want to use third-party software, which is much more capable and reliable, but does have a learning curve. But once you know how to backup, and how to restore your backup, which is the whole idea, the 'fear factor' of a computer goes away.