I accidentally deleted the C:WindowsSystem32Powershell folder while trying to troubleshoot a different issue. I thought there was nothing important in it since it only contained a .txt and a .dll file, and I figured I could restore it from the recycle bin later. Unfortunately, it wasn't there. Is there any way to get the folder back without having to reinstall the operating system?
4 Answers
If you can, try re-enabling remoting in PowerShell 7. You might need to unregister the PowerShell.7 configuration first. You can do this with the command: `Get-PSSessionConfiguration -Name PowerShell.7 | Unregister-PSSessionConfiguration`, then follow it up with `Enable-PSRemoting`. This should help you get the folder back!
You might want to try running `sfc /scannow` or using DISM. Those tools could help fix the situation. Though, it's rare that SFC actually fixes something like this, it’s worth a shot!
Honestly, it's never a good idea to remove anything from the `system32` folder. If you want to try to fix this, you could go to 'Add or Remove Features' and try to uninstall and reinstall PowerShell, but that’s a hit or miss. If you’ve got a backup, restoring from there is your best bet. You could also try copying it from another machine if you have access to one, but again, that might not work.
By the way, the PowerShell folder you're inquiring about was created by PowerShell 7, so reinstalling Windows won't necessarily recreate it. You might have to remove the session configurations and re-enable remoting in PowerShell 7 to get it back.
And let’s not forget the NERAFTSF mnemonic for future reference: Never Ever Remove Anything From The System Folder!
Alternatively, you could just download and install the latest version of PowerShell. That way you’ll get everything set up fresh without too much hassle.
Right? This is probably one of those rare moments SFC would actually come to the rescue.