Microsoft published a new support document with details about the removal of PowerShell 2.0 from Windows. It is a legacy component from the Windows 7 era, and it was deprecated all the way back in 2017. Now, Microsoft is getting ready to remove PowerShell 2.0, and the new support document has everything you need to know about it.
Microsoft will remove PowerShell 2.0 from Windows 11 version 24H2 later this month (likely in the upcoming non-security update) and next month from Windows Server 2025. All the following Windows releases will not include PowerShell 2.0, just like the current Windows Insider builds (Windows 11 Canary build 27891 from July 3, 2025, removed PowerShell 2.0). Microsoft says it decided to remove the old PowerShell version to clean up legacy code, reduce the complexity of the ecosystem, and improve Windows security.
According to the support document, most users will not notice the change. Also, the removal of PowerShell 2.0 does not affect PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7.x. However, if you have scripts or apps that rely on PowerShell 2.0, Microsoft urges you to take action and update to a new version. Since PowerShell 5.1 (default mode) is backward compatible, most scripts should work as expected. As for apps, if a certain program specifically requires PowerShell 2.0, it might fail to install. As such, Microsoft asks users to use more recent versions to avoid compatibility issues.
It also appears that Windows 11 version 23H2 and older will keep PowerShell 2.0 as an optional component. You can find all the details about the removal of PowerShell 2.0 in the official support document. Also, Microsoft has a blog post from 2017 that offers more technical information about PowerShell 2.0 deprecation, how to prepare for its removal, and more.