Fix: PowerShell Has Stopped Working or Not Opening issue in Windows 11,10

Many users have reported an issue with Windows PowerShell where it stops working or is not opening at all. One of the most common reasons for seeing the PowerShell has stopped working message is the presence of a hidden virus on your computer. This in turn slows down your system and other processes on your system will stop running. The error message does not give any information about the cause of this issue so it gets difficult to resolve it.

If you are annoyed with the PowerShell not working or opening issues on your PC, then this article is for you. In this article, we have discussed some solutions that you can apply to fix this error.

Fix 1 – Disable and Re-enable Windows PowerShell

 

1. Open Task Manager using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination.

2. Locate PowerShell entry in the list of processes currently running.

3. Select PowerShell and click on the End task button to end the running process before proceeding with the next steps.

 

Task Manager Powershell End Task Min



 

4. Press the Windows and R keys to open the Run dialog.

5. Type optionalfeatures and hit Enter to open the Windows Features to Turn Windows features on or off.

 

Run Optional Features Min

 

6. Scroll down in the list and find Windows PowerShell.

7. Uncheck the box next to Windows PowerShell and click on OK.

 

Windows Features Uncheck Windows Powershell Min

 

8. Restart your system once the requested changes have been applied.

Now, try to open Powershell again. If it does not work, follow the steps given below

9. Repeat the steps above but now check the box next to Windows PowerShell on Step 7 to enable it.

 

Windows Features Check Windows Powershell Min

 

10. Try opening PowerShell to check if the problem is resolved.

Fix 2 -Try running Powershell as administrator

1 – Search Powershell in Taskbar search box.

2 -Do a right click on the Powershell icon which shows and then select run as administrator.

Powershell Admin Min

 

Fix 3 – Perform an SFC Scan

 

1. Press Windows + S and type command prompt in the Windows search box.

2. Right-click on Command Prompt in the search result and choose Run as administrator.

 

Open Command Prompt As Admin Min

 

3. Type the command below and hit Enter.

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

4. Wait for the scan process to complete and fix any issues if present.

 

Sfc Scan Command Prompt Min

 

5. Restart your computer.

Check if the problem with PowerShell is fixed.

Fix 4 – Restore your system

1 – Search RSTRUI in windows search box.

2 -Now, Click on RSTRUI appearing in search result.

Rstrui Min

 

3 -Now, restore your system to an earlier date

Fix 5 – Perform a Clean Boot

 

1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run dialog.

2. Type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.

 

Run Msconfig1 Min

 

3. Go to the General tab.

4. Uncheck the option Load startup items below Selective startup.

 

System Configuration General Selective Startup Min

 

5. Select the Services tab.

6. Check the option Hide all Microsoft services.

7. Then, click on Disable all.

 

System Configuration Services Hide All Disable Min

 

8. Go to the Startup tab.



9. Click on the link Open Task Manager here.

 

System Configuration Startup Opne Task Manager Min

 

10. Disable all startup programs in the Task Manager one at a time. Right-click on the program and choose the option Disable.

 

Task Manager Disable Startup Programs Min

 

11. Save all these changes and close the open windows.

12. Restart your PC and check if PowerShell opens without any errors.

Thanks for reading.

Comment and let us know the fix that helped you resolve this issue on your PC

Fix 6 – Run a Full System Antivirus Scan

 

1. Firstly, boot your system into Safe Mode with networking.

2. Use any antivirus software and run a complete system scan.

3. If there is any malware attack, then the scan will automatically delete the virus from your system.

4. Check if this resolves the issue with PowerShell.