If you're setting up a polished dev terminal experience with icons, custom fonts, and PowerShell 7 on Windows 11, here's a step-by-step guide that actually works. We'll install a Nerd Font, configure PowerShell 7 properly, and enable terminal icons in directory listings — all without pulling your hair out. If video is more your thing, check out my YouTube video on prettying up your terminal with terminal icons.

🚫 What Not to Do

Before we dive in, here are a few things that didn’t work and might trip you up:

• ❌ Don’t use Ctrl + Click + in Windows Terminal to open a new tab after install Powershell 7 — it likely opens PowerShell 5.1, not PowerShell 7.
• ❌ Don’t assume ls will show icons just because you installed a Nerd Font — PowerShell 7 uses a new formatting engine.
• ❌ Don’t include PS C:\Users\YourName> when pasting commands — only paste the command part.

✅ Step 1: Install PowerShell 7

If you have a new Win11 OS, it most likely has PowerShell 5 running by default. You can check by running:

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

Try running Start>pwsh which should show something like this if you run the above command:

If it's not PowerShell 7, then install it by running:

winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget

Once installed, open PowerShell 7 by searching for "PowerShell 7" in the Start Menu or running pwsh. If you normally just open Windows Terminal, make sure your startup profile is configured to use Powershell, not Windows Powershell (which is v5).

✅ Step 2: Install a Nerd Font

You can grab fonts from the web site:

1. Visit https://www.nerdfonts.com/font-downloads
2. Download a font you like (e.g. JetBrainsMono, FiraCode, CascadiaCode)
3. Extract the .zip file
4. Right-click the .ttf files and choose Install for all users

OR you can install them using PowerShell 7 (but not 5!):

Install-NerdFont -Name JetBrainsMono

The install command, assuming it works, takes care of downloading and registering the fonts.

✅ Step 3: Set Windows Terminal to Use the Nerd Font

1. Open Windows Terminal
2. Click the down arrow → Settings
3. Select your PowerShell 7 profile (probably just called Powershell)
4. Under Appearance > Font face, enter:

JetBrainsMono Nerd Font

(or your nerd font of choice)

5. Save and restart the terminal (start - run - pwsh)

✅ Step 4: Install Terminal-Icons for ls Output

In PowerShell 7, run the following (in an admin prompt) to install and enable terminal icons in directory listings:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Force
Install-Module PowerShellGet -Force -AllowPrerelease
Import-Module PowerShellGet -Force
Install-PSResource -Name Terminal-Icons -TrustRepository -Force
Import-Module Terminal-Icons

Then test it - launch a new window using start - run - pwsh.

ls

You should now see icons for files and folders 🎉! Example:

✅ Step 5: Make It Stick with Your PowerShell Profile

To automatically load Terminal-Icons and start in your preferred folder every time PowerShell launches:

notepad $PROFILE

Add these lines at the bottom (change the Set-Location to wherever you'd prefer to start when a new powershell terminal opens):

Import-Module Terminal-Icons
Set-Location "C:\dev"

Save and restart your terminal.

🧠 Bonus: Set PowerShell 7 as the Default Shell in Windows Terminal

If you didn't do this already, set up Windows Terminal so it default to PowerShell 7:

1. Open Windows Terminal > Settings
2. Go to the Startup section
3. Set Default profile to PowerShell (which points to PowerShell 7)

✅ Done!

You now have a fully configured PowerShell 7 terminal with:

• ✅ Nerd Font rendering
• ✅ Icon-enhanced ls output
• ✅ A consistent working folder (C:\dev)
• ✅ Clean, modern developer vibes 😎

Let me know if you want to go further with Oh My Posh or Starship for a fully themed and functional prompt.

Resources

• Nerd Fonts Repo
• Nerd Fonts Website
• Terminal Icons
• YouTube: Pretty Up Your Windows Terminal by @ardalis