PowerShell 🐢

Professional-grade version of my scripts, written from the perspective of an IT Support / SysAdmin / Helpdesk Level 1–2 role.
I keep the scripts realistic, explain why each command exists, add common variations, and point out best practices you would be expected to know in interviews or production.

1️⃣ User Management – Create a New Active Directory User

Purpose (Professional Context)

This script automates user provisioning in Active Directory.
Typical use cases:
• New employee onboarding
• Bulk user creation (HR-driven processes)
• Reducing manual errors in ADUC

Prerequisites

• RSAT installed
• ActiveDirectory module loaded
• Sufficient AD permissions

Import-Module ActiveDirectory

Improved Script (Secure & Production-Ready)

# User identity variables

$FirstName  = "John"

$LastName   = "Doe"

$SamAccount = "jdoe"

$UPNSuffix  = "example.com"

$OU         = "OU=Users,DC=example,DC=com"

# Prompt securely for password (BEST PRACTICE)

$SecurePassword = Read-Host "Enter temporary password" -AsSecureString

# Create the AD user

New-ADUser `

    -Name "$FirstName $LastName" `

    -GivenName $FirstName `

    -Surname $LastName `

    -SamAccountName $SamAccount `

    -UserPrincipalName "$SamAccount@$UPNSuffix" `

    -Path $OU `

    -AccountPassword $SecurePassword `

    -Enabled $true `

    -ChangePasswordAtLogon $true

Key Concepts Explained

• SamAccountName → legacy login (DOMAIN\user)
• UserPrincipalName (UPN) → modern login (user@domain)
• ChangePasswordAtLogon → security compliance
• Read-Host -AsSecureString → avoids storing passwords in plain text

Real-World Variation

Bulk creation from CSV:

Import-Csv users.csv | ForEach-Object {

    New-ADUser -Name "$($_.FirstName) $($_.LastName)" -SamAccountName $_.Sam

}

2️⃣ User Management – Reset an Active Directory Password

Purpose (Professional Context)

Used for:
• Locked-out users
• Forgotten passwords
• Security incidents

Improved Script

Import-Module ActiveDirectory

$User = "jdoe"

# Secure password prompt

$NewPassword = Read-Host "Enter new password" -AsSecureString

# Reset password

Set-ADAccountPassword `

    -Identity $User `

    -NewPassword $NewPassword `

    -Reset

# Force password change at next login

Set-ADUser -Identity $User -ChangePasswordAtLogon $true

Why This Matters

• -Reset bypasses the old password
• Helps comply with ISO 27001 / SOC2 style controls
• Common Tier-1 helpdesk task

3️⃣ System Monitoring – Check Disk Space on a Remote Server

Purpose (Professional Context)

Used to:
• Prevent outages
• Monitor servers before patching
• Validate alerts from RMM tools

Modern Version (CIM instead of WMI)

$ServerName = "RemoteServer"

Get-CimInstance Win32_LogicalDisk -ComputerName $ServerName -Filter "DriveType=3" |

Select-Object `

    DeviceID,

    @{Name="FreeGB";Expression={[math]::Round($_.FreeSpace / 1GB,2)}},

    @{Name="TotalGB";Expression={[math]::Round($_.Size / 1GB,2)}} |

Format-Table -AutoSize

Why Get-CimInstance?

• Faster
• Uses WS-Man (firewall friendly)
• WMI is deprecated

Interview Tip

Mention disk thresholds (ex: alert below 15%).

4️⃣ System Monitoring – Monitor CPU Usage (Real-Time)

Purpose (Professional Context)

Used when:
• Diagnosing performance complaints
• Validating load after deployments
• Confirming CPU spikes

Improved Script with Exit Control

$ServerName = "RemoteServer"

Write-Host "Press CTRL+C to stop monitoring"

while ($true) {

    $CPU = Get-CimInstance Win32_Processor -ComputerName $ServerName |

           Measure-Object LoadPercentage -Average |

           Select-Object -ExpandProperty Average

    Write-Host "$(Get-Date -Format HH:mm:ss) CPU Usage: $CPU %"

    Start-Sleep -Seconds 5

}

Best Practice

CPU > 85% sustained → investigate:
• Services
• Scheduled tasks
• Malware
• Misconfigured applications

5️⃣ System Monitoring – Get Installed Software on a Remote Server

Purpose (Professional Context)

Used for:
• Asset inventory
• Security audits
• License compliance
• Incident response

Reliable Registry-Based Method

$ServerName = "RemoteServer"

Invoke-Command -ComputerName $ServerName -ScriptBlock {

    Get-ItemProperty `

        HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*,

        HKLM:\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* |

    Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher |

    Where-Object { $_.DisplayName } |

    Sort-Object DisplayName

}

Why Not Win32_Product?

🚫 Triggers MSI repair
🚫 Extremely slow
🚫 Can break applications

Export to CSV (Common Task)

... | Export-Csv "InstalledSoftware.csv" -NoTypeInformation

Professional Summary (What This Demonstrates)

• Active Directory administration
• Secure credential handling
• Remote management via PowerShell
• Monitoring & diagnostics
• Real-world IT operational skills

These scripts align directly with Helpdesk L1–L2, Junior SysAdmin, and IT Analyst expectations.

Below is an interview-ready training module built from your PowerShell scripts.
Each section contains:
1️⃣ a spoken answer (what you say out loud)
2️⃣ a technical deepening (what impresses a technical interviewer)
3️⃣ common follow-up questions
4️⃣ PowerShell + productivity tips

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1️⃣ Create a New Active Directory User

⭐ Spoken answer (concise, professional)
“When onboarding a new employee, I use PowerShell to create the Active Directory account with standardized attributes such as name, UPN, OU location, and a temporary password. I enable the account and force a password change at first login to meet security requirements.”

⭐ Technical deepening (what shows expertise)
• I use the ActiveDirectory module via RSAT
• I avoid hard-coded passwords and prompt securely
• I assign the correct OU to apply GPOs automatically
• I use UPN for modern authentication compatibility (M365, SSO)

⭐ Follow-up questions interviewers ask
• How would you bulk-create users from HR data?
• Why separate OU placement matters?
• Difference between SamAccountName and UPN?

⭐ PowerShell tip
Ctrl + Space → autocomplete cmdlets and parameters
Get-ADUser -Filter * | Select Name → quick validation

2️⃣ Reset a User Password

⭐ Spoken answer
“For password resets, I securely reset the account using Set-ADAccountPassword and force a password change at next login. This prevents password reuse and supports compliance policies.”

⭐ Technical deepening
• -Reset bypasses the old password
• Used during lockouts or identity verification
• Often paired with account unlock (Unlock-ADAccount)

⭐ Common follow-ups
• Difference between reset and change?
• How do you verify user identity?
• How do you unlock an AD account?

⭐ PowerShell tip

Unlock-ADAccount -Identity jdoe

3️⃣ Check Disk Space on a Remote Server

⭐ Spoken answer
“I remotely check disk usage using CIM queries to proactively detect low disk space, especially before patching or deployments.”

⭐ Technical deepening
• I use Get-CimInstance instead of WMI
• I filter DriveType=3 (local disks only)
• I convert bytes to GB for readability

⭐ Follow-ups
• What disk threshold is critical?
• How would you automate alerts?
• How does this integrate with RMM tools?

⭐ PowerShell + automation tip

| Where-Object { $_.FreeGB -lt 15 }

4️⃣ Monitor CPU Usage Remotely

⭐ Spoken answer
“When users report slowness, I monitor CPU usage in real time to determine whether the issue is system load, a process spike, or external dependency.”

⭐ Technical deepening
• Uses average CPU across cores
• Time-based sampling avoids false positives
• Helps isolate scheduled tasks or runaway services

⭐ Follow-ups
• What CPU percentage is considered unhealthy?
• How do you identify the process causing it?
• Difference between CPU and memory bottlenecks?

⭐ PowerShell tip

Get-Process | Sort CPU -Descending | Select -First 5

5️⃣ Get Installed Software on a Remote Server

⭐ Spoken answer
“I retrieve installed software via registry queries instead of Win32_Product to avoid triggering MSI repairs and performance issues.”

⭐ Technical deepening
• Queries both 32-bit and 64-bit uninstall keys
• Used for asset inventory and security audits
• Exportable to CSV for compliance reports

⭐ Follow-ups
• Why avoid Win32_Product?
• How do you detect unauthorized software?
• How would you uninstall remotely?

⭐ PowerShell productivity tip

Export-Csv software.csv -NoTypeInformation

English Improvement – Interview Language Polishing

⭐ Original style
“I use PowerShell to do user creation.”

⭐ Improved
“I automate Active Directory user provisioning using PowerShell to reduce manual errors and enforce consistency.”

⭐ Why better
• Uses action verbs
• Shows intent and outcome
• Sounds senior, not mechanical

Keyboard Shortcuts for Live Interviews

⭐ Ctrl + R → reverse search previous commands
⭐ Tab → fastest way to avoid typos
⭐ Get-Help Cmdlet -Examples → instant recall under stress

Final Interview Pattern (Memorize This)

⭐ Action → what you do
⭐ Tool → PowerShell / AD / CIM
⭐ Reason → security, automation, reliability
⭐ Result → reduced errors, faster resolution

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@mikefrobbins

https://x.com/mikefrobbins?t=2Zel2V5I4lVZa47beLlVxg&s=09

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