Issue Description

Root Cause Analysis

1. Windows 11 comes with Windows PowerShell 5.1 by default

2. Cursor IDE has compatibility issues with older PowerShell versions

3. This is a common issue reported in the community, especially in Windows environments

Solutions

Solution 1: Upgrade PowerShell (Recommended)

1. Upgrade to PowerShell 7.5 (latest stable version)

2. Upgrade method:

3. Verify installation:

Solution 2: Switch Terminal

1. PowerShell 7.x
• Advantages:
• Deep Windows integration
• Powerful scripting capabilities
• Native .NET ecosystem support
• Use cases:
• Windows system administration
• .NET development
• Scenarios requiring PowerShell-specific features

2. Git Bash
• Advantages:
• Lightweight, fast startup
• Basic Unix commands
• Seamless Git integration
• Use cases:
• Need for basic Unix commands
• Frontend development (npm/pnpm, etc.)
• Git command-line operations

3. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
• Advantages:
• Complete Linux environment
• Support for most Linux toolchains
• Multiple Linux distributions available
• Use cases:
• Need for complete Linux toolchain
• Linux package managers
• Simulating Linux production environments
• Notes:
• Projects should be stored in WSL filesystem (not /mnt/c/)
• WSL2 may be slow when accessing Windows filesystem

Recommendations

1. Choose based on tech stack
• Web/JavaScript development: PowerShell 7.x or Git Bash is usually sufficient
• Python development: WSL provides better package management and environment support
• .NET development: PowerShell 7.x is the best choice
• System tools development: Choose PowerShell or WSL based on target platform

2. Choose based on work environment
• Collaborative projects: Try to maintain terminal consistency with your team
• Cross-platform deployment: Use a terminal similar to production (usually WSL)
• Windows-specific services: PowerShell may provide better integration

3. Flexible switching strategy
• Use the command palette in Cursor (Ctrl+Shift+P) to quickly switch terminals
• Consider configuring different default terminals for different projects
• Learn basic commands for each terminal to adapt quickly

Reference Links

• PowerShell Official Documentation

• Cursor IDE Documentation

• WSL Official Documentation

Conclusion