Configure Windows PowerShell to display only the current folder name in the shell prompt

Change the prompt to show current folder without full path and greater than symbol at the end:

One way could be:

Function Prompt { "$( ( get-item $pwd ).Name )>" } 

Or:

Function Prompt { "$( Split-Path -leaf -path (Get-Location) )>" } 

Or:

Function Prompt { "$( ( Get-Location | Get-Item ).Name )>" } 

As an additional note, I couldn't do Synetech's command until I first created the $profile.

1. Open PowerShell

2. Type $profile and hit enter. This will display the profile path PowerShell relies on, even if it doesn't exist (it didn't for me). My path was different than what Synetech posted.

    >$profile C:\Users\[username]\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 

3. I had to create both the WindowsPowerShell folder and the Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 file.

4. Add Synetech's code and restart PowerShell.

Note:

If you're using posh-git (which is installed when using GitHub desktop), Synetech's script will override the posh-git prompt. Additional prompt scripts for posh-git here.

I found this was pretty easy - combining Synetech's answer and the information found at PowerShell profiles. Because I am a newbie to PowerShell. My steps (for Visual Studio Code):

1. test-path $profile (in the PowerShell command prompt - is there a profile set up?)

2. new-item -path $profile -itemtype file -force (assuming the answer to the above is false)

3. notepad $profile (opens Notepad)

4. Paste in

    function prompt { $p = Split-Path -leaf -path (Get-Location) "$p> " } 

5. Save (you shouldn't have to chose a location; it is already done for you)

6. Reload Visual Studio Code - you will probably get a message about running scripts (or just do next step before reload)

7. Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser (at your PowerShell prompt, from the Super User answer)

8. Reload Visual Studio Code

So it is mostly Synetech's answer with a bit to get started easily - especially step 2 makes this very easy.

I wanted a more elaborate prompt and constructed a new prompt. This answer is not meant to replace the current answer, but more as an addition for those who stumble upon this later. This prompt will have full support over network paths and looks very elegant.

function Prompt { write-host "PS " -ForegroundColor Magenta -NoNewline write-host (get-date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss") -ForegroundColor Yellow -NoNewline write-host " | " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline write-host "\\$env:COMPUTERNAME " -NoNewline write-host " | " -ForegroundColor DarkGray -NoNewline if( (Get-Location).Drive -ne $null) { write-host (Get-Location) $networkdrive = $false } else { $networkdrive = $true $first, $second, $third, $folder = (Get-Location).path.Split("\") write-host "\" -NoNewline $folder | foreach-object { write-host "\$_" -NoNewline } write-host } write-host "PS " -ForegroundColor Magenta -NoNewline if( (Get-Location).Drive -ne $null) { write-host "$((Get-Location).Drive):\" -NoNewline } else { write-host "\\$((Get-Location).path.Split("\")[3])\" -NoNewline } if( (Get-Location).path.Split("\").Count -gt 2 -and $networkdrive -eq $false) { write-host "…\" -NoNewline } if( (Get-Location).path.Split("\").Count -gt 5 -and $networkdrive -eq $true) { write-host "…\" -NoNewline } write-host "$((Get-Location).path.Split("\")[-1])" -NoNewline write-host ">" -NoNewline return " " } 

It will show a prompt like this:

PS 2021-03-24 02:03:39 | \\MYPC | \\Server\Share\Folder1\Folder2 PS \\Server\…\Folder2> cd c:\Users\User PS 2021-03-24 02:03:39 | \\MYPC | C:\Users\User PS C:\…\User> 

The below single line works fine for me:

(Get-Location | Get-Item).Name 

For posh-git the best way I've found is to customize the $GitPromptSettings.DefaultPromptPath.Text property.

In the profile:

 $GitPromptSettings.DefaultPromptPath.Text = '$(Split-Path -leaf -path ($ExecutionContext.SessionState.Path.CurrentLocation))' 

Results in this (can't embed images yet, seemingly):

posh-git prompt showing only current directory

I created this neat prompt to that shows the drive and last folder.

For you example it would render as

PS C:\Users\b.HQ\Desktop\tsdev\my_folder> 

as

PS C:\...\my_folder> 

The prompt function is:

function prompt {"PS " + (get-location).drive.name+":\...\"+ $( ( get-item $pwd ).Name ) +">"} 

If you are using anaconda then you probably want to change your profile function to

function Prompt { $p = Split-Path -leaf -path (Get-Location) "$env:CONDA_PROMPT_MODIFIER $p> " } 

Although I think that just splitting on the last path component is a bit too much. The problem that I'm trying to solve is paths that take up an entire line (actually quite common in a codebase)

function Prompt { $maxLength = 50 $p = (Get-Location).Path if ($p.Length -gt $maxLength) { $s = Split-Path -leaf -path (Get-Location) if ($s.Length -gt $maxLength - 1) { $p = $s } else { $p = "...$($p.Substring($p.Length - $maxLength + 3))" } } "$env:CONDA_PROMPT_MODIFIER $p> " } 

You can ditch the $env:CONDA_PROMPT_MODIFIER if you don't use Anaconda

I write a function that provides three styles {None, Name, Fulllpath} so you can easily change the prompt anytime.

<# .Description It can simplify the prompt, so if your path is too long still okay. Implement: You are only to modify the "Prompt" function then done. .Parameter style You can use tab to select the style. - None: do not show any text except ">" (this is default options) - Name: show the basename only - Fullpath: show the full path .Outputs The output type is "string" so you must use "Invoke-Expression" to make it effective. .Example Set-Prompt | iex Set-Prompt | Invoke-Expression .Example Set-Prompt -style Name | iex Set-Prompt -style Fullpath | iex .Example Set-Prompt -Verbose #> function Set-Prompt { param ( [Parameter()] [ValidateSet('None', 'Name', 'Fullpath')] [string]$style = "None" ) [string]$myPromptFunc = "" switch ($style) { "None" { $myPromptFunc = 'function Prompt { ">" }' } "Name" { $myPromptFunc = @" function Prompt { "`$((Get-Item `$pwd).Name)>" } "@ } "Fullpath" { $myPromptFunc = 'function Prompt { Write-Output "$($pwd.Path)>" }' } } if ($VerbosePreference -eq "Continue") { Write-Host "Call " -NoNewLine Write-Host 'Set-Prompt | Invoke-Expression' -ForegroundColor Yellow -NoNewLine Write-Host " to apply." Write-Host "The prompt function will be changed as follow" -ForegroundColor Green } Write-Output $myPromptFunc } 

demo

# Example1 default: None PS C:\Windows\System32> Set-Prompt | iex > # Example1 Name PS C:\Windows\System32> Set-Prompt -style Name | iex System32>cd .. Windows> # Example3 fullpath PS C:\Windows\System32> Set-Prompt -style Fullpath | iex C:\Windows\System32>cd .. C:\Windows> 

You don't have to copy-paste every time. You can create a source directory ^{try to search psd1, psm1} and then add the path to PSModulePath, and you can use it directly next time.

for powershell5, you may need to Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -F before you use the command.

For PowerShell 7, you can use it directly.

in 2024, the function below in your PowerShell profile (>Notepad $profile) still works, and bonus: it affects the PowerShell inside VS Code as well.

function prompt { $p = Split-Path -leaf -path (Get-Location) "$p> " }

Happy Day With Jeremy