# powershell > Command-line shell and scripting language designed especially for system administration. > This command refers to PowerShell version 5.1 and below (also known as the legacy Windows PowerShell). To use the newer, cross-platform version of PowerShell (also known as PowerShell Core), use `pwsh` instead of `powershell`. > More information: . - Start an interactive shell session: `powershell` - Start an interactive shell session without loading startup configs: `powershell -NoProfile` - Execute specific commands: `powershell -Command "{{echo 'powershell is executed'}}"` - Execute a specific script: `powershell -File {{path/to/script.ps1}}` - Start a session with a specific version of PowerShell: `powershell -Version {{version}}` - Prevent a shell from exit after running startup commands: `powershell -NoExit` - Describe the format of data sent to PowerShell: `powershell -InputFormat {{Text|XML}}` - Determine how an output from PowerShell is formatted: `powershell -OutputFormat {{Text|XML}}`