I am trying to install the Tenable Nessus agent via PowerShell script and am running into no end of issues because the Nessus MSI syntax requires a mix of no quotes and double quotes. The problem I am running into is that PowerShell needs me to escape the double quotes which seems to break the syntax understood by msiexec.exe. Let me show you what I am doing and what I have tried. I am not a strong PowerShell person, and the solution is escapes me.
Here is the code block where I set the variable with all the MSI arguments. The Nessus syntax requires that all its configs be surrounded by double quotes except for NESSUS_KEY. Earlier in the script I define the other variables.
$MSI_Arguments = #(
"/i"
"$Install_File"
"NESSUS_KEY=$Nessus_Key"
"NESSUS_SERVER=""cloud.tenable.com:443"""
"NESSUS_NAME=""$FQDN"""
"NESSUS_GROUPS=""$Nessus_Group"""
# The colon in front of a variable needs special treatment ({}).
"NESSUS_PROXY_SERVER=""${Proxy_Server}:${Proxy_Port}"""
"NESSUS_OFFLINE_INSTALL=""yes"""
"/qn"
"/norestart"
"/L*v ""$LogPath\Tenable_MSI.log"""
)
I then try running the command like so. This command does not work properly - the install proceeds, but because the parameters in -ArgumentList needs to be surrounded by double quotes, it does not get all the parameters, resulting in a broken installation.
$MSI_Command = Start-Process -Wait -NoNewWindow -PassThru -FilePath "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList $MSI_Arguments
When I put $MSI_Arguments in double quotes, I then break how PowerShell deals with the double quotes in the variable code block. I have tried the following, but none work.
$MSI_Command = Start-Process -Wait -NoNewWindow -PassThru -FilePath "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList "$MSI_Arguments"
$MSI_Command = Start-Process -Wait -NoNewWindow -PassThru -FilePath "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList "$$(MSI_Arguments)"
$MSI_Command = Start-Process -Wait -NoNewWindow -PassThru -FilePath "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList "${MSI_Arguments}"
I have even tried just running the command straight-up, no variables, just to try and figure out the syntax. I tried two double quotes (similar to what I am trying in the variable code block) and it it works.
Start-Process -Wait -NoNewWindow -PassThru -FilePath "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList "/i C:\temp\NessusAgent-7.7.0-x64.msi NESSUS_KEY= NESSUS_SERVER=""cloud.tenable.com:443"" NESSUS_NAME=""foo"" NESSUS_GROUPS=""bar"" NESSUS_PROXY_SERVER=""proxy.company.com:80"" NESSUS_OFFLINE_INSTALL=""yes"" /qn /norestart /L*v ""C:\temp\Tenable_MSI.log"""
Now that I have a working command, I cannot figure out how to modify the variable block to work. If I just add more doubled double quotes, I get errors. If I add "" I get errors. If I add " I get errors... I am so close, yet so far.
Please, rescue me from this hell I am in. At this point I am wondering if Passing double quotes through PowerShell + WinRM has the answer, and I should base64 encode the install string, but that may be beyond my skillset given how I use variables...
Related
Here i trying to install MSI package with argument in powershell where i have to pass few special characters as below:
$msi="/I mypkg.msi TARGETAPPPOOL='.NET v4.5 Classic' /L mai.log /qn"
Start-process "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList $msi -wait -nonewwindow -PassThru
Showing "1639" error code - A command line option passed to the installer is invalid.
Installation working well with default value, if I remove "TARGETAPPPOOL='.NET v4.5 Classic'”
Can you please suggest how we can write it?
Thanks
Pass the arguments as an array like this:
$msi = '/I', 'mypkg.msi', 'TARGETAPPPOOL=".NET v4.5 Classic"', '/L', 'mai.log', '/qn'
Start-process "msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList $msi -wait -nonewwindow -PassThru
PowerShell automatically adds space separator between the arguments.
I'm trying to pass arguments from an installshield setup file, what am I doing wrong ?
$STExecute = "C:\Files\setup.exe"
$STArgument = '/s /f2"c:\windows\setuplogs\inst.log"'
Start-Process Powershell.exe -Credential "Domain\userTempAdmin" `
-ArgumentList "-noprofile -command &{Start-Process $($STExecute) $($STArgument) -verb runas}"
I get the blow error, as you can see it removes the double quotes, that needs to be there, I cant even get it to pass the /s argument in the 2nd start-process:
Start-Process : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument '/f2c:\windows\setuplogs\dmap110_inst.log'
This is happening because the inner instance is seeing /s and /f2"c:\windows\setuplogs\inst.log" as two separate positional parameters. You need to wrap the arguments for the inner Start-Process with quotes. I'd also suggest using splatting to make it easier to understand what is happening:
$STExecute = "C:\Files\setup.exe"
$STArgument = '/s /f2"c:\windows\setuplogs\inst.log"'
$SPArgs = #{
FilePath = 'powershell.exe'
ArgumentList = "-noprofile -command Start-Process '{0}' '{1}' -Verb runas" -f
$STExecute, $STArgument
}
Start-Process #SPArgs
I have also used the format operator here, as it allows us to inject values without using subexpressions. As long as there are no single quotes in $STArgument, or you escape them properly (four quotes '''' per quote in this case), it should work for you.
I am trying to install msi from commandline using powershell command. My msi path contains R character after parenthesis. Due to this powershell throws below error.
PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass Start-Process -Wait -FilePath msiexec -ArgumentList /i, `"c:\program files\xxx (R) xxx.msi`"
If my path contain no parenthesis, it is working fine. Can someone help me resolve this issue.
Do not suggest some other method to do it. I would like to know the path issue as it works when my msi path doesnt have parenthesis.
From PowerShell:
# Note that parameter -FilePath is implied for `msiexec`, and
# -ArgumentList for `'/i ...'`
Start-Process -Wait msiexec '/i "c:\program files\xxx (R) xxx.msi"'
The most robust approach is to use a single -ArgumentList (-Args) argument that encodes all arguments, using embedded quoting, rather than passing arguments individually, due to a long-standing bug detailed in this answer.
From cmd.exe, there's no reason to involve PowerShell in this case; the built-in start command will do:
start /wait msiexec /i "c:\program files\xxx (R) xxx.msi"
Could someone please help me on this. I have created two powershell script one is suppose to call the other one lets call it script2.ps1
script2.ps1 - accepts two arguments computername and the type of remediation
example:
list=get-content c:\computer.txt
foreach ($pc in $list){
start-process powershell.exe -ArgumentList "-noexit", "-file `C:\temp\client fix\script2.ps1`", "-type install", "-computer $i"
}
The intention is for each computer in the list to execute script2.ps1 on separate process. The script runs fine if start-process is not being used example:
powershell.exe -file 'C:\temp\client fix\Script2.ps1' -type install -computer $i
The Start-Process help explains:
Specifies parameters or parameter values to use when this cmdlet starts the process. If parameters or parameter values contain a space, they need surrounded with escaped double quotes.
Your file paramater does not have an escaped double quote, but a backtick that is doing nothing.
start-process powershell.exe -ArgumentList "-noexit", "-file `"C:\temp\client fix\script2.ps1`"", "-type install", "-computer $i"
Furthermore you mix arguments for powershell.exe (-noexit, -file) with arugments for your script (-type, -computer). Also your variable $i is never assigned.
Anyways, more important is to know, that there is no reason for start-process. Simplify your script by using the call operator &.
$list=get-content c:\computer.txt
foreach ($pc in $list){
& "C:\temp\client fix\script2.ps1" -type install -computer $pc
}
I am new to Powershell and, of course, trying to learn on the fly for a project- No pressure, right! :-)
I am working on a script to run an MSI package in quiet mode, passing it an activation code as an argument, that I have to extract from an XML file.
So far, I have everything working except for getting Start-Process to run the MSI with the arguments being passed in a Variable.
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
[System.Xml.XmlDocument]$XML_Doc = new-object System.Xml.XmlDocument
$XML_Doc.load('c:\myfolder\Configinfo.XML')
$ActivationID = $XML_Doc.CONFIGINFO.SITEINFO.ACTIVATEID
write-host "Activation Id is: $ActivationID"
$InstallString = "`'/I C:\myfolder\myinstaller.msi akey="+'"'+$ActivationID+'"'''
#$InstallString = "`'/I C:\myfolder\myinstaller.msi akey=`"$($ActivationID)`"'"
write-host "$InstallString"'''
Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList $InstallString -Wait -NoNewWindow
#Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList '/I C:\myfolder\myinstaller.msi akey="12345678-abcd-1a1b-x9x1-a1b2c3d4e5f6"' -Wait -NoNewWindow
Above is the code I am working with now. The last line that is commented out is an activation string that works.
I have verified that $ActivationID is pulling back the correct value, and that $InstallString mirrors the argument list in the commented version of the Start-Process string.
Any help would be appreciated!
The Start-Process commands aren't necessary. PowerShell is a shell. It can run commands. Just put the commands you want to run directly in the script.
msiexec /i "C:\myfolder\myinstaller.msi" "AKEY=$ActivationID"
I quoted the parameters to msiexec.exe in case any of them contain spaces. PowerShell will automatically expand the $ActivationID variable into the string inside the double quotes.
Your ArgumentList is being passed incorrectly.
[Xml]$XML_Doc = Get-Content -Path 'C:\myfolder\Configinfo.xml'
$ActivationID = $XML_Doc.CONFIGINFO.SITEINFO.ACTIVATEID
Write-Host "Activation Id is: $ActivationID"
$Path = 'msiexec'
$ArgList = #('/i','"C:\path\file.msi"',"akey=`"$ActivationID`"")
Write-Host "$Path $ArgList"
Start-Process -FilePath $Path -ArgumentList $ArgList -Wait -NoNewWindow
First off, let me welcome you to Powershell! It's a great language and a great community gathered around a common cause.
Since you're new to the language, you can still learn new tricks and that's a good thing, because it's generally accepted that the Write-Host cmdlet is nearly always a poor choice. If you don't trust me, you should trust the inventor of Powershell.
Now that that's out of the way, we should look at your MSI command. With Powershell, we don't have to directly open msiexec, and we can call the MSI directly. I would break the path to the installer into its own variable, and then we can add all of our arguments on top of it. Also, don't forget the "/qn" switch which will actually make all of this silent. All in all, your new script will look something like this:
[System.Xml.XmlDocument]$XML_Doc = new-object System.Xml.XmlDocument
$XML_Doc.load('c:\myfolder\Configinfo.XML')
$ActivationID = $XML_Doc.CONFIGINFO.SITEINFO.ACTIVATEID
Write-Verbose "Activation Id is: $ActivationID"
$msipath = "C:\myfolder\myinstaller.msi"
$args = #("akey=$ActivationID", "/qn")
Write-Verbose "Install path is $msipath"
Write-Verbose "Activation key is $akey"
Start-Process $msipath -ArgumentList $args -Wait -NoNewWindow