PowerShell For Loop

A loop runs a block of code repeatedly. The for loop is a counter-controlled loop — it runs a specific number of times based on a start value, a condition, and a step. Use the for loop when the exact number of iterations is known in advance.

How the for Loop Works

  for (initializer; condition; iterator) {
      # Code block runs on each iteration
  }

  Step 1: Run initializer  →  $i = 0
  Step 2: Check condition  →  $i -lt 5  →  True? Run body. False? Stop.
  Step 3: Run body block
  Step 4: Run iterator     →  $i++
  Step 5: Go back to Step 2

Basic for Loop


for ($i = 1; $i -le 5; $i++) {
    Write-Host "Count: $i"
}

Output:


Count: 1
Count: 2
Count: 3
Count: 4
Count: 5

Breaking Down Each Part

PartCodeMeaning
Initializer$i = 1Set the counter to 1 before the loop starts
Condition$i -le 5Keep looping while $i is less than or equal to 5
Iterator$i++Add 1 to $i after each iteration

Counting Downward


for ($i = 5; $i -ge 1; $i--) {
    Write-Host "Countdown: $i"
}
Write-Host "Launch!"

Output:


Countdown: 5
Countdown: 4
Countdown: 3
Countdown: 2
Countdown: 1
Launch!

Custom Step Size


# Step by 2 (only even numbers)
for ($i = 0; $i -le 10; $i += 2) {
    Write-Host "Even: $i"
}

Output:


Even: 0
Even: 2
Even: 4
Even: 6
Even: 8
Even: 10

Looping Through an Array with Index


$servers = @("Web01", "DB01", "Cache01", "Mail01")

for ($i = 0; $i -lt $servers.Count; $i++) {
    Write-Host "Server $($i + 1): $($servers[$i])"
}

Output:


Server 1: Web01
Server 2: DB01
Server 3: Cache01
Server 4: Mail01

Nested for Loops

A nested loop places one loop inside another. The inner loop completes all its iterations for each single iteration of the outer loop.


# Print a multiplication table
for ($row = 1; $row -le 3; $row++) {
    for ($col = 1; $col -le 3; $col++) {
        $product = $row * $col
        Write-Host "$row x $col = $product"
    }
    Write-Host "---"
}

Output:


1 x 1 = 1
1 x 2 = 2
1 x 3 = 3
---
2 x 1 = 2
2 x 2 = 4
2 x 3 = 6
---
3 x 1 = 3
3 x 2 = 6
3 x 3 = 9
---

The break Statement

The break keyword exits the loop immediately, even if the condition is still true.


for ($i = 1; $i -le 10; $i++) {
    if ($i -eq 6) {
        Write-Host "Stopping at $i"
        break
    }
    Write-Host "Number: $i"
}

Output:


Number: 1
Number: 2
Number: 3
Number: 4
Number: 5
Stopping at 6

The continue Statement

The continue keyword skips the current iteration and moves immediately to the next one.


# Skip odd numbers – print only even numbers
for ($i = 1; $i -le 10; $i++) {
    if ($i % 2 -ne 0) {
        continue    # Skip odd numbers
    }
    Write-Host "Even: $i"
}

Output:


Even: 2
Even: 4
Even: 6
Even: 8
Even: 10

Real-World Example – File Naming with a Counter


$basePath = "C:\Reports"

for ($month = 1; $month -le 12; $month++) {
    $monthName = (Get-Date -Month $month -Day 1).ToString("MMMM")
    $fileName  = "$basePath\Report_$monthName`_2026.txt"
    Write-Host "Creating: $fileName"
    # New-Item -Path $fileName -ItemType File -Force
}

Output:


Creating: C:\Reports\Report_January_2026.txt
Creating: C:\Reports\Report_February_2026.txt
Creating: C:\Reports\Report_March_2026.txt
...
Creating: C:\Reports\Report_December_2026.txt

Real-World Example – Retry Logic


$maxRetries = 3
$success    = $false

for ($attempt = 1; $attempt -le $maxRetries; $attempt++) {
    Write-Host "Attempt $attempt of $maxRetries..."

    # Simulated connection test
    $connected = $false   # Change to $true to simulate success

    if ($connected) {
        Write-Host "Connected successfully!"
        $success = $true
        break
    } else {
        Write-Host "Connection failed."
    }
}

if (-not $success) {
    Write-Host "All $maxRetries attempts failed. Check the network."
}

Output:


Attempt 1 of 3...
Connection failed.
Attempt 2 of 3...
Connection failed.
Attempt 3 of 3...
Connection failed.
All 3 attempts failed. Check the network.

for vs foreach – When to Use Each

Use for when...Use foreach when...
The number of iterations is fixed and knownIterating over all items in a collection
The index position is neededNo index is needed — just the value
Custom stepping (by 2, 5, 10…)Simply processing each item in a list
Counting up or downWorking with arrays, files, or pipeline output

Summary

The for loop runs code a set number of times using an initializer, a condition, and an iterator. It handles counting sequences, index-based array access, nested iterations, and retry logic. The break keyword exits early. The continue keyword skips the current iteration. For scenarios where every item in a list needs processing — and the index does not matter — the foreach loop is a better fit.

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