Creating Folders (If Not Exists) with PowerShell

If you need to create folders or subfolders in PowerShell only when they don’t already exist, this quick script will help. The script uses Test-Path to check if the folder exists before running the New-Item command.

This snippet is ideal for anyone searching for a fast and reliable way to ensure directories are created without errors.

PowerShell to Create a Folder If Not Exists

Here’s the code to create a folder (e.g., C:\temp\demo) which tests if it exists first before creating:

# create folder if not exists .ps1
$path = "c:\temp\demo"
If(!(Test-Path $path) ){
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $path
}

How It Works

> $path: Set this to the directory you want to create.
> Test-Path: Checks if the folder exists.
> New-Item: Creates the folder if Test-Path returns false.
> -Force: Ensures the command runs even if parts of the directory (like C:\temp) don’t exist yet.

More Tips

> Nested Directories: PowerShell will create parent directories automatically with the -Force parameter. For example, if C:\temp doesn’t exist, it will be created alongside C:\temp\demo.
> Custom Paths: Update the $path variable to match the folder you need for your use case.
> Reusable Code: Save this script as a .ps1 file for quick reuse.
> Error Handling: Wrap the script in a try-catch block if you want to handle any potential errors gracefully.

Check out my PowerShell Blog Category for more random tips like this one!