diff --git a/src/PlatformEngines.jl b/src/PlatformEngines.jl
index 813ae7e..c554e38 100644
--- a/src/PlatformEngines.jl
+++ b/src/PlatformEngines.jl
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ function probe_cmd(cmd::Cmd; verbose::Bool = false)
         @info("Probing $(cmd.exec[1]) as a possibility...")
     end
     try
-        success(cmd)
-        if verbose
+        res = success(cmd)
+        if res && verbose
             @info("  Probe successful for $(cmd.exec[1])")
         end
-        return true
+        return res
     catch
         return false
     end
@@ -260,17 +260,17 @@ function probe_platform_engines!(;verbose::Bool = false)
                 \$webclient.DownloadFile("$url", "$path")
                 """
                 replace(webclient_code, "\n" => " ")
-                return `$psh_path -NoProfile -Command "$webclient_code"`
+                return `$psh_path -Version 3 -NoProfile -Command "$webclient_code"`
             end
         end
 
         # We want to search both the `PATH`, and the direct path for powershell
         psh_path = "C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell"
         prepend!(download_engines, [
-            (`$psh_path -Command ""`, psh_download(psh_path))
+            (`$psh_path  -Version 3 -NoProfile -Command ""`, psh_download(psh_path))
         ])
         prepend!(download_engines, [
-            (`powershell -Command ""`, psh_download(`powershell`))
+            (`powershell -Version 3 -NoProfile -Command ""`, psh_download(`powershell`))
         ])
 
         # We greatly prefer `7z` as a compression engine on Windows
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ function probe_platform_engines!(;verbose::Bool = false)
     end
 
     for path in sh_engines
-        if probe_cmd(`$path --help`; verbose=verbose)
+        if probe_cmd(`$path -c ""`; verbose=verbose)
             gen_sh_cmd = (cmd) -> `$path -c $cmd`
             if verbose
                 @info("Found sh engine $(path.exec[1])")
@@ -385,7 +385,11 @@ function probe_platform_engines!(;verbose::Bool = false)
     if !download_found
         errmsg *= "No download engines found. We looked for: "
         errmsg *= join([d[1].exec[1] for d in download_engines], ", ")
-        errmsg *= ". Install one and ensure it  is available on the path.\n"
+        errmsg *= ". Install one and ensure it is available on the path.\n"
+        if Sys.iswindows()
+            errmsg *= "Ensure Windows Management Framework 3.0 or later "
+            errmsg *= "is installed and that Windows PowerShell can be started.\n"
+        end      
     end
 
     if !compression_found