How to Get the Current Directory or Script Path in PowerShell?

As a professional working with PowerShell, I frequently receive questions to get the current directory from the script. PowerShell, Microsoft’s versatile scripting language, is integrated deeply into the Windows operating system. This makes it incredibly potent for handling file and directory manipulation tasks, making it important to know the current path you are working from. So, In this guide, we’ll walk you through the various ways to get the current directory, script directory, and script path using PowerShell. Whether you want the path of the existing script or the full path of the current location, we’ve got you covered.

Understanding the Current Directory in PowerShell

In PowerShell, the current directory refers to the directory that you are currently working in. This is important because many cmdlets and scripts work with files and directories relative to the current directory. For example, if you are in the “C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop” directory, and you run a script that accesses a file in the Documents directory, the script will look for the file in C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop\Documents instead of C:\Users\Thomas\Documents. One can easily create, move, rename, and delete directories in PowerShell. But before you can work with directories effectively, you need to know where you currently are. That’s where the “Get Current Directory” operation steps into the spotlight.

The current directory is not the same as the PowerShell installation directory or the user profile directory. You can change the current directory using the Set-Location cmdlet or navigate to a new directory using the cd command.

How to get the current directory in PowerShell?

Whether you’re dealing with files, making configuration changes, or working with scripts, being cognizant of your current directory is critical. The current directory, or working directory, is the directory (folder) in which your PowerShell environment is currently operating. It defines the point from which relative paths originate and plays a crucial role in file management tasks.

Method 1: Using the Get-Location Cmdlet

The most direct way to obtain your current directory in PowerShell is by employing the Get-Location cmdlet. This cmdlet retrieves the current working location, i.e., the path of the directory you’re in. This cmdlet returns the Path of the current directory, including the path and the provider (file system or registry). To use it, type “Get-Location” and press Enter. The system will display the full path of the current directory in the PowerShell prompt.

The syntax for the Get-Location cmdlet goes like this:

#Syntax 1
Get-Location
   [-PSProvider <String[]>]
   [-PSDrive <String[]>]
   [<CommonParameters>]

#Syntax 2
Get-Location
   [-Stack]
   [-StackName <String[]>]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Here is the list of nifty parameters of this cmdlet.

It can move between PowerShell drives, different drives, Windows directories, etc. Here’s an example to get the current directory path using the Get-Location command:

PS C:\Users\Thomas> Get-Location

Path
----
C:\Users\Thomas

This example shows that the current Windows directory is C:\Users\Thomas. You can also use the alias “pwd” to get the current directory. You use the pwd (short for “print working directory”) cmdlet to display the current directory in the PowerShell console. To use it, type “pwd” and press Enter. The full path of the current directory will be displayed.

PS C:\Users\Thomas> pwd

Path
----
C:\Users\Thomas

When you run this command, PowerShell returns the path of your current directory. This serves as your springboard, the starting point from which all relative paths are defined.

Method 2: Getting the script directory in PowerShell using $PSScriptRoot variable

The script directory is the directory where the currently running script is located. This is useful for accessing other files or scripts in the same directory as the script. To get the script directory in PowerShell, you can use the $PSScriptRoot variable. This variable contains the full path of the directory where the script is located. Here’s an example: Say you have a PowerShell script file called “CopyFiles.ps1” with the below content:

Echo $PSScriptRoot

Executing the script retrieves the current location where the script is stored.

PS C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop> .\CopyFiles.ps1

C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop

This example shows that the script directory is C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop\. Note that the $PSScriptRoot variable is only available in scripts, not in the PowerShell console or PowerShell ISE.

Method 3: Getting the script path in PowerShell

The script path is the full path of the currently running script, including the drive letter and any subdirectories. To get the script path in PowerShell, you can use the $MyInvocation variable. This variable contains information about the current script, including the path and the command line arguments. Here’s an example:

#Get Script Path
$MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path

#Get the folder of the script
Split-Path -Path $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path -Parent

Here is what you’ll see when running the script:

PS C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop> .\MyScript.ps1

C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop\MyScript.ps1
C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop

This example shows the absolute path of the script: C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop\MyScript.ps1. Note that the $MyInvocation variable is only available in scripts, not in the PowerShell console.

Method 4: Using the $PWD Variable

Another way to get the current directory in PowerShell is by using the $PWD variable. This variable holds the current working directory as a PowerShell object. To display the current directory using this method, type “$PWD” and press Enter. The full path of the current directory will be displayed.

$pwd | Select -ExpandProperty Path

Method 5: Using the [Environment]::CurrentDirectory Property

Finally, you can also get the current directory in PowerShell by using the [Environment]::CurrentDirectory property. This property returns the path of the current directory as a string. To display the current directory using this method, type “[Environment]::CurrentDirectory” and press Enter. The full path of the current directory will be displayed.

[Environment]::CurrentDirectory 

Method 6: Get the current directory path using Get-Item cmdlet

You can get the current directory path using the Get-Item cmdlet using the following command:

(Get-Item .).FullName

Here, the dot (.) specifies the current directory.

Common mistakes to avoid when working with directories in PowerShell

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when working with directories in PowerShell:

1. Assuming that the current directory is always the same. The current directory can be changed by scripts, cmdlets, or user input.
2. Using relative paths without considering the current directory. Relative paths are resolved relative to the current directory, so changing the current directory can affect the results.
3. Forgetting to handle errors when accessing files or directories. PowerShell provides many error handling mechanisms, such as the Try-Catch-Finally statement and the -ErrorAction parameter.

Conclusion and final thoughts

In conclusion, there are several ways to get the current directory in PowerShell, ranging from simple commands like pwd and Get-Location to using variables and properties. In this guide, I have explained the concept of the current directory in PowerShell and shown you how to get the current directory, script directory, and script path using PowerShell. Whether you need the full path or script directory, it’s quick and easy to get in PowerShell. Experiment with these methods to find the one that works best for your needs.

To change the location to a different path, Use the Set-Location cmdlet (E.g., Set-Location C:\Temp). More here: How to Change the current Directory in PowerShell?