In the Windows operating system, there are several optional features that can be enabled or disabled based on the user's requirements. These features provide additional functionalities and capabilities to enhance the overall user experience. One of the PowerShell cmdlets that allows users to enable or disable these optional features is "Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature". This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on how to use this cmdlet efficiently and effectively in the Windows environment.

Examples:

1. Enable a specific optional feature:

   Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName "Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux"

   This example demonstrates how to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature. It is essential to run this command with administrative privileges to successfully enable the feature.

2. Enable a specific optional feature with additional options:

   Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName "Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux" -Online -All

   In this example, the "-Online" parameter ensures that the feature is enabled on the online image of the operating system. The "-All" parameter enables all parent features required by the specified feature.

3. Enable a specific optional feature with a restart:

   Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName "Microsoft-Hyper-V" -All -Restart

   This example illustrates how to enable the Hyper-V feature and automatically restart the system if necessary. The "-All" parameter ensures that all parent features are enabled, and the "-Restart" parameter triggers a restart if required.