Get-Process

List running processes on Windows.

Windowspassive

Get-Process returns the processes on the local (or remote) machine with CPU/memory and IDs — core triage and IR cmdlet.

Syntax

Get-Process [-Name {pattern}]

Example

Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 10

Shows the top 10 processes by CPU usage.

Options & flags

What each switch does. Toggle them in the builder below to assemble a command.

-Name <chrome*>Filter by process name (wildcards ok).
-Id <1234>Filter by PID.
-IncludeUserName <value>Show the owning user (needs admin).
-ComputerName <HOST>Query a remote host.

Command builder

Tick options (and fill any values) to build a ready-to-copy command.

get-process

Usage examples

Get-Process | Sort CPU -Desc | Select -First 10

Top 10 processes by CPU.

Get-Process -Name powershell

Find PowerShell processes.

Advantages
  • Built into Windows
  • Rich object output for piping
  • Sort/filter/format easily
Disadvantages
  • Local by default (remoting for others)
  • Limited detail vs Sysinternals
  • Needs rights for some processes
Tags
#windows#process#triage

Official docs: Get-Process

Related commands

Frequently asked questions

What is Get-Process used for?
Get-Process returns the processes on the local (or remote) machine with CPU/memory and IDs — core triage and IR cmdlet.
What is an example Get-Process command?
A common example is: Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 10 — Shows the top 10 processes by CPU usage.
Is Get-Process part of a standard install?
Get-Process runs on Windows. It is typically available by default.
What category of security tool is Get-Process?
Get-Process is a PowerShell tool with a passive-risk profile when run against a live target.

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