Windows PowerShell 3.0 is just around the corner. If you've downloaded one of the Windows 8 previews, you've been able to kick version 3 around. Or you can download a beta candidate from Microsoft.

This PowerShell tutorial opens with an introduction to PowerShell scripting basics. It guides you through various topics, starting with launching PowerShell and preparing to run PowerShell scripts.

PowerShell can save you a lot of time on Windows admin tasks, but to use it effectively you need to understand how it works. Here’s a crash course in Windows PowerShell scripting basics to get you ...