Powershell: permanently import module

Question

Every time I open a new powershell console and import-module a library (e.g AWSPowershell - yes it is old/big but I can’t use the new one without downloading it) it takes some time to fully import the module.

As soon as I close the window and open a new console, I have to repeat the wait.

I have tried examples such as adding the import to profile but this does not remove the wait time. Instead it means every time I open a powershell window there will be an automatic delay before I can start entering commands

Is there a way where I can perform a one-time import where I have access to the module regardless of closing and opening windows (whether permanent or needing to do once every time the server is restarted) ?

No, you can't persist a module import beyond the lifetime of the hosting application's process — Mathias R. Jessen
– Mathias R. Jessen, Commented May 8 at 12:42

mklement0 · Accepted Answer · 2025-05-09 00:01:33Z

As Mathias notes in a comment, you cannot keep modules loaded across multiple PowerShell sessions - loading modules is invariably scoped to a given session (process).
- Hypothetically, you could create a hidden background PowerShell process that persists for the entire OS user session, which individual foreground PowerShell sessions could communicate with - analogous to how PowerShell background jobs work - but doing so isn't worthwhile, as the necessary IPC (inter-process communication) negatively impacts both performance and type fidelity.
Therefore, I suggest the following approach:
- Create a shortcut file (.lnk) in your Startup folder that asynchronously launches a minimized PowerShell session and imports the module of interest every time you log on.
- Use this session whenever you need access to the module of interest, and keep it open.

The following code creates such a shortcut file, with custom title AWS PowerShell; consider customizing the shortcut file further, e.g. with distinct colors (use Start-Process shell:startup to open the folder in File Explorer):

$shortcutFilePath = 
  Join-Path ([System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('Startup')) 'AwsPowerShell.lnk'

$shortcut =
  (New-Object -ComObject 'Wscript.Shell').CreateShortcut($shortcutFilePath)

$shortcut.TargetPath = 'powershell.exe'
$shortcut.Arguments =
  '-NoExit -c [Console]::Title = \"AWS PowerShell\"; Import-Module AWSPowerShell'
$shortcut.WindowStyle = 7 # minimize the window and don't activate it.
$shortcut.Save()

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