Changing console window properties are not being saved

[NJ-Dude]

Steps to reproduce

1. Open the PowerShell Core console
2. Click on the PS icon on the left top corner
3. Click on Properties
4. Change the Font size (whatever value you like)
5. Click OK

Expected behavior

The values will be saved.

Actual behavior

The following error occurs and no changes are saved:

Environment data

> $PSVersionTable
Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      6.1.0
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    6.1.0
OS                             Microsoft Windows 10.0.17134
Platform                       Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

[mklement0]

Re formatting:

The picture isn't showing in your initial post, because you placed the markdown expression inside a fenced code block (e.g., ```powershell...```), where it isn't recognized and treated as a literal.

Generally, please only put code or code output in fenced code blocks, not images and prose such as "The values will be saved."

[mklement0]

The problem stems from the fact that the shortcut that you're trying to modify is located in a folder that requires elevation (running as an administrator) in order to write to it ("$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\PowerShell").

In other words: this is a permissions problem, but the error message is woefully inadequate.

Note that the issue only occurs if you launch PS Core from the Start Menu.

---

As for workarounds:

If you copy the shortcut file (*.lnk file) to a user location, the problem goes away, and this can be done implicitly:

• Either: Launch PS Core via the Start Menu, pin it to the Task Bar, and launch PS Core from there in the future.

• Or: Drag the PS Core shortcut file from the Start Menu to your Desktop, for instance, and launch PS Core from there in the future.

Future windows launched this way will not exhibit the problem, because their originating shortcut is now in a location that even your non-elevated processes can write to.

An ad-hoc alternative is to stick with the Start Menu shortcut, but invoke it as an administrator in order to change the window properties (right-click on the icon in the Start Menu and select Run as Administrator) - but note you'll have to do that every time you want to make changes.

---

As for what needs fixing:

• The PowerShell installer could create a per-user Start Menu shortcut for PS Core instead of a single, shared one that requires elevation to modify (as an aside, if multiple users try to customize the shortcut, the customizations could collide).

  • This is how cmd.exe already does it for its Command Prompt shortcut, which is placed in "$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools" - for every user.

• The Windows (GUI) Shell should improve the wording of the error message - not sure where to report that.

[thezim]

You can also explore using HKCU:\Console in the interim which is under your control.

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2017/06/20/understanding-windows-console-host-settings