I have a section of PowerShell code that reads a list of items from Azure, and formats them into a table for the user to choose from:
if ($SubscriptionArray.Count -eq 1) {
$SelectedSub = 1
}
# Get SubscriptionID if one isn't provided
while ($SelectedSub -gt $SubscriptionArray.Count -or $SelectedSub -lt 1) {
Write-host "Please select a subscription from the list below"
$SubscriptionArray | Select-Object "#", Id, Name | Format-Table
try {
$SelectedSub = Read-Host "Please enter a selection from 1 to $($SubscriptionArray.count)"
}
catch {
Write-Warning -Message 'Invalid option, please try again.'
}
}
When executed in the main area of the script, this outputs the expected result:
I want to use this logic multiple times, and therefore moved it into a method:
function Get-IndexNumberFromArray(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $True)]
[array]$selectArray,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $True)]
[string]$message
) {
[int]$SelectedIndex = 0
# use the current subscription if there is only one subscription available
if ($selectArray.Count -eq 1) {
$SelectedIndex = 1
}
# Get SubscriptionID if one isn't provided
while ($SelectedIndex -gt $selectArray.Count -or $SelectedIndex -lt 1) {
Write-Host "$message"
$selectArray | Select-Object "#", Id, Name | Format-Table
try {
$SelectedIndex = Read-Host "Please enter a selection from 1 to $($selectArray.count)"
}
catch {
Write-Warning -Message 'Invalid option, please try again.'
}
}
return $SelectedIndex
}
Everything in this method works great, except now my table is no longer outputting to the window. Instead, the user just get a prompt to pick a number from 1 to x with no context for what each number represents.
Why is the table working in the main area of the script, but not working in a function?
Format-Table actually doesn't print a table, it outputs objects that are then printed as the table. So if you're using a function, then the Format-Table output gets part of the return value of your function.
You can add Out-Host to the pipeline to force Format-Table's result to end up on the host, i.e. the console:
$selectArray | Select-Object "#", Id, Name | Format-Table | Out-Host
Related
function Show-Menu { #Create the Show-Menu function
param ([string]$Title = 'Functions') #Sets title
Clear-Host
Write-Host "`t6: Reboot History." -foregroundcolor white
Write-Host "`tQ: Enter 'Q' to quit."
} #close of create show menu function
#Begin Main Menu
do
{
Show-Menu #Displays created menu above
$Selection = $(Write-Host "`tMake your selection: " -foregroundcolor Red -nonewline; Read-Host)
switch ($selection) #Begin switch selection
{
#===Reboot History===
'6' {
$Workstation = $(Write-Host "Workstation\IP Address" -nonewline -foregroundcolor DarkGreen) + $(Write-Host "(Use IP for remote users)?: " -NoNewline; Read-Host)
$DaysFromToday = Read-Host "How many days would you like to go back?"
$MaxEvents = Read-Host "How many events would you like to view?"
$EventList = Get-WinEvent -ComputerName $Workstation -FilterHashtable #{
Logname = 'system'
Id = '41', '1074', '1076', '6005', '6006', '6008', '6009', '6013'
StartTime = (Get-Date).AddDays(-$DaysFromToday)
} -MaxEvents $MaxEvents -ErrorAction Stop
foreach ($Event in $EventList) {
if ($Event.Id -eq 1074) {
[PSCustomObject]#{
TimeStamp = $Event.TimeCreated
Event = $Event.Id
ShutdownType = 'Restart'
UserName = $Event.Properties.value[6]
}
}
if ($Event.Id -eq 41) {
[PSCustomObject]#{
TimeStamp = $Event.TimeCreated
Event = $Event.Id
ShutdownType = 'Unexpected'
UserName = ' '
}
}
}
pause
}
}
}
until ($selection -eq 'q') #End of main menu
Works perfectly fine if I remove the script from the switch and run it separately, but as soon as I call it from the switch it still asks for the workstation/IP, how many days, and max events, but just outputs nothing.
Here is what it looks like when it works:
How many days would you like to go back?: 90
How many events would you like to view?: 999
TimeStamp Event ShutdownType UserName
--------- ----- ------------ --------
12/23/2022 12:20:55 AM 1074 Restart Username
12/20/2022 1:00:01 AM 1074 Restart Username
12/17/2022 12:21:54 AM 1074 Restart Username
12/13/2022 8:57:40 AM 1074 Restart Username
This is what I get when I run it within the switch menu
Workstation\IP Address(Use IP for remote users)?: IP Address
How many days would you like to go back?: 90
How many events would you like to view?: 999
Press Enter to continue...:
I have tried just doing 1 day and 1 event, but same results. No errors or anything indicating a failure, so not sure how to troubleshoot this. I have had similar issues with switches in the past that were resolved with some researching into scopes, but I don't think this is the same case as it is all self contained within the switch itself.
I am at a loss, any ideas? As always, any insight into my script is greatly appreciated, even if it doesn't resolve the problem at hand.
JosefZ has provided the crucial pointer:
force synchronous to-display output with, such as with Out-Host
if you neglect to do so, the pause statement will - surprisingly - execute before the [pscustomobject] instances emitted by the foreach statement, due to the asynchronous behavior of the implicitly applied Format-Table formatting - see this answer for details.
Here's a simplified example:
switch ('foo') {
default {
# Wrap the `foreach` statement in . { ... },
# so its output can be piped to Out-Host.
. {
foreach ($i in 1..3) {
[pscustomobject] #{ prop = $i }
}
} |
Out-Host # Without this, "pause" will run FIRST.
pause
}
}
Note:
For Out-Host to format all output together it must receive all output from the foreach loop as part of a single pipeline.
Since foreach is a language statement (rather than a command, such as the related ForEach-Object cmdlet) that therefore cannot directly be used at the start of a pipeline, the above wraps it in a script block ({ ... }) that is invoked via ., the dot-sourcing operator, which executes the script block directly in the caller's context and streams the output to the pipeline.
This limitation may be surprising, but is rooted in the fundamentals of PowerShell's grammar - see GitHub issue #10967.
An all-pipeline alternative that doesn't require the . { ... } workaround would be:
1..3 |
ForEach-Object {
[pscustomobject] #{ prop = $_ } # Note the automatic $_ var.
} |
Out-Host
Abstract
So I work for a company that has roughly 10k computer assets on my domain. My issue is the time it takes to query if a user exists on a computer to see if they've ever logged into said computer. We need this functionality for audits in case they've done something they shouldn't have.
I have two methods in mind I've researched to complete this task, and a third alternative solution I have not thought of;
-Method A: Querying every computer for the "C:\Users<USER>" to see if LocalPath exists
-Method B: Checking every computer registry for the "HKU:<SID>" to see if the SID exists
-Method C: You are all smarter than me and have a better way? XD
Method A Function
$AllCompFound = #()
$AllADComputer = Get-ADComputer -Properties Name -SearchBase "WhatsItToYa" -filter 'Name -like "*"' | Select-Object Name
ForEach($Computer in $AllADComputers) {
$CName = $Computer.Name
if (Get-CimInstance -ComputerName "$CName" -ClassName Win32_Profile | ? {"C:\Users\'$EDIPI'" -contains $_.LocalPath}) {
$AllCompFound += $CName
} else {
#DOOTHERSTUFF
}
}
NOTE: I have another function that prompts me to enter a username to check for. Where I work they are numbers so case sensitivity is not an issue. My issue with this function is I believe it is the 'if' statement returns true every time because it ran rather than because it matched the username.
Method B Function
$AllCompFound = #()
$AllADComputer = Get-ADComputer -Properties Name -SearchBase "WhatsItToYa" -filter 'Name -like "*"' | Select-Object Name
$hive = [Microsoft:Win32.RegistryHive]::Users
ForEach($Computer in $AllADComputers) {
try {
$base = [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey($hive, $Computer.Name)
$key = &base.OpenSubKey($strSID)
if ($!key) {
#DOSTUFF
} else {
$AllCompFound += $Computer.Name
#DOOTHERSTUFF
}
} catch {
#IDONTTHROWBECAUSEIWANTITTOCONTINUE
} finally {
if($key) {
$key.Close()
}
if ($base) {
$base.Close()
}
}
}
NOTE: I have another function that converts the username into a SID prior to this function. It works.
Where my eyes start to glaze over is using Invoke-Command and actually return a value back, and whether or not to run all of these queries as their own PS-Session or not. My Method A returns false positives and my Method B seems to hang up on some computers.
Neither of these methods are really fast enough to get through 10k results, I've been using smaller pools of computers in order to get test these results when requested. I'm by no means an expert, but I think I have a good understanding, so any help is appreciated!
First, use WMI Win32_UserProfile, not C:\Users or registry.
Second, use reports from pc to some database, not from server to pc. This is much better usually.
About GPO: If you get access, you can Add\Remove scheduled task for such reports through GPP (not GPO) from time to time.
Third: Use PoshRSJob to make parallel queries.
Get-WmiObject -Class 'Win32_USerProfile' |
Select #(
'SID',
#{
Name = 'LastUseTime';
Expression = {$_.ConvertToDateTime($_.LastUseTime)}}
#{
Name = 'NTAccount';
Expression = { [System.Security.Principal.SecurityIdentifier]::new($_.SID).Translate([System.Security.Principal.NTAccount])}}
)
Be careful with translating to NTAccount: if SID does not translates, it will cause error, so, maybe, it's better not to collect NTAccount from user space.
If you have no other variants, parallel jobs using PoshRSJob
Example for paralleling ( maybe there are some typos )
$ToDo = [System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentQueue[string]]::new() # This is Queue (list) of computers that SHOULD be processed
<# Some loop through your computers #>
<#...#> $ToDo.Enqueue($computerName)
<#LoopEnd#>
$result = [System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentBag[Object]]::new() # This is Bag (list) of processing results
# This function has ComputerName on input, and outputs some single value (object) as a result of processing this computer
Function Get-MySpecialComputerStats
{
Param(
[String]$ComputerName
)
<#Some magic#>
# Here we make KSCustomObject form Hashtable. This is result object
return [PSCustomObject]#{
ComputerName = $ComputerName;
Result = 'OK'
SomeAdditionalInfo1 = 'whateverYouWant'
SomeAdditionalInfo2 = 42 # Because 42
}
}
# This is script that runs on background. It can not output anything.
# It takes 2 args: 1st is Input queue, 2nd is output queue
$JobScript = [scriptblock]{
$inQueue = [System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentQueue[string]]$args[0]
$outBag = [System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentBag[Object]]$args[1]
$compName = $null
# Logging inside, if you need it
$log = [System.Text.StringBuilder]::new()
# we work until inQueue is empty ( then TryDequeue will return false )
while($inQueue.TryDequeue([ref] $compName) -eq $true)
{
$r= $null
try
{
$r = Get-MySpecialComputerStats -ComputerName $compName -EA Stop
[void]$log.AppendLine("[_]: $($compName) : OK!")
[void]$outBag.Add($r) # We append result to outBag
}
catch
{
[void]$log.AppendLine("[E]: $($compName) : $($_.Exception.Message)")
}
}
# we return log.
return $log.ToString()
}
# Some progress counters
$i_max = $ToDo.Count
$i_cur = $i_max
# We start 20 jobs. Dont forget to say about our functions be available inside job
$jobs = #(1..20) <# Run 20 threads #> | % { Start-RSJob -ScriptBlock $JobScript -ArgumentList #($ToDo, $result) -FunctionsToImport 'Get-MySpecialComputerStats' }
# And once per 3 seconds we check, how much entries left in Queue ($todo)
while ($i_cur -gt 0)
{
Write-Progress -Activity 'Working' -Status "$($i_cur) left of $($i_max) computers" -PercentComplete (100 - ($i_cur / $i_max * 100))
Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
$i_cur = $ToDo.Count
}
# When there is zero, we shall wait for jobs to complete last items and return logs, and we collect logs
$logs = $jobs | % { Wait-RSJob -Job $_ } | % { Receive-RSJob -Job $_ }
# Logs is LOGS, not result
# Result is in the result variable.
$result | Export-Clixml -Path 'P:/ath/to/file.clixml' # Exporting result to CliXML file, or whatever you want
Please be careful: there is no output inside $JobScript done, so it must be perfectly done, and function Get-MySpecialComputerStats must be tested on unusual ways to return value that can be interpreted.
I am trying to build a custom script for URL monitoring. I am able to run the URL's from the file and enter the same in a logfile(named with time stamp).
Till here I have completed
Issue is when I compare the values from present(present timestamp) and previous logfile(previous timestamp).
This portion is not working fine. Please help me correct it.
Here is my code trying to compare value line by line from present logfile and previous logfile and run commands to generate output:
# New log is new logfile data
$Newlog = Get-Content $URLlogfile
$old_file = Dir C:\Scripts\logs | Sort CreationTime -Descending | Select Name -last 1
# Old log is Old logfile data
$oldlog = Get-Content $old_file -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Foreach($logdata in $Newlog) {
$url = ($logdata.Split(" "))[0]
$nodename = ($logdata.Split(" "))[1]
$statuscheck = ($logdata.Split(" "))[2]
$description = ($logdata.Split(" "))[3]
$statuscode = ($logdata.Split(" "))[4]
Foreach($log1data in $oldlog) {
$url1 = ($log1data.Split(" "))[0]
$nodename1 = ($log1data.Split(" "))[1]
$statuscheck1 = ($log1data.Split(" "))[2]
$description1 = ($log1data.Split(" "))[3]
$statuscode1 = ($log1data.Split(" "))[4]
While ($url = $url1) {
if ($statuscheck = $statuscheck1 ) {
write-output "output is same"
} elseif ($statuscheck = Fail) {
While ($statuscheck1 = Pass) {
write-output "$url is down at $nodename1- testing event sent"
}
} elseif ($statuscheck = Pass) {
While ($statuscheck1 = Fail) {
write-output "$url is up at $nodename1- testing event sent"
}
}
}
Break
}
}
#At end am clearing the old logs except present one
dir C:\Scripts\logs -recurse | where { ((get-date)-$_.creationTime).minutes -gt 3 } | remove-item -force
Per the comment from BenH, the following part of your code needs correcting as follows:
If ($url -eq $url1) {
if ($statuscheck -eq $statuscheck1 ) {
write-output "output is same"
} elseif ($statuscheck -eq 'Fail' -and $statuscheck1 -eq 'Pass') {
write-output "$url is down at $nodename1- testing event sent"
} elseif ($statuscheck -eq 'Pass' -and $statuscheck1 -eq 'Fail') {
write-output "$url is up at $nodename1- testing event sent"
}
}
Corrections:
In your comparison statements the = needs to be -eq. In PowerShell = always assigns a value.
In your comparison statements Pass and Fail need to be surrounded by single quotes so they are treated as strings (otherwise they are treated like function statements, for functions which don't exist).
I've replaced the While statements with If statements. I'm not sure what the intent of those was but I think they'd just get stuck in an infinite loop as the variable they test is never changed from within the loop.
A bit of context, I am trying to get a list of users from a security group, then check if any of those users do not have an assigned XenDesktop.
Please forgive me, I only started using Powershell yesterday so my formatting is off. It first grabs the users from the AD group then checks if that user has an assigned desktop, which works but I what I can't seem to get working is that if the user is found in that list, I want it to move onto the next username, instead it continues to check against every machine and then onto the final bits of code.
$checkusernames = Get-ADGroupMember "***AD security Group***" | Select SamAccountName
$desktops = get-brokerdesktop -DesktopGroupName Personal_WIN8 | Select MachineName, #{Name='AssociatedUserNames';Expression={[string]::join(“;”, ($_.AssociatedUserNames))}}
foreach ($username in $checkusernames.SamAccountName) {
foreach ($desktop in $desktops) {
If ($desktop.AssociatedUserNames -like "*$username*") {
write-host $username "is assigned to" $desktop.machinename
}
write-host $username "is not assigned to a desktop"
}
Write-host $username "is not assigned to anything"
pause
}
If you want to exit from a ForEach loop early you can do so with the Break keyword. For example:
$checkusernames = Get-ADGroupMember "***AD security Group***" | Select SamAccountName
$desktops = get-brokerdesktop -DesktopGroupName Personal_WIN8 | Select MachineName, #{Name='AssociatedUserNames';Expression={[string]::join(“;”, ($_.AssociatedUserNames))}}
foreach ($username in $checkusernames.SamAccountName) {
$machine = ''
foreach ($desktop in $desktops) {
If ($desktop.AssociatedUserNames -like "*$username*") {
$machine = $desktop.machinename
break
}
}
If ($machine) {
write-host $username "is assigned to" $desktop.machinename
} Else {
write-host $username "is not assigned to a desktop"
pause
}
}
This will stop the current cycle of the inner ForEach loop (once it has completed in it's entirety) without interrupting the ongoing cycle of the outer one.
Per the dicussion in the comments, i've also reorganised the code so that you only get a single output dependent on whether a desktop is matched to a user or not and it only pauses if it does not find a match.
I have the below bit of code, it is designed to simply ask for a Windows ProcessName, and then return a list of all instances of that process that are running.
$processName = Read-Host 'Please Enter the Process Name, as shown in Task Manager (not inc *32)'
if (!$processName)
{
"No Process Given"
}
else
{
"You Entered "+$processName
$filter = "name like '%"+$processName+"'"
$result = Get-WmiObject win32_process -Filter $filter | select CommandLine
$counter=1
foreach($process in $result )
{
write-host "$counter) $process"
$counter++
}
}
It works fine up until the point where it outputs the list.
If I do
echo $process
then I get what I am after e.g.
"C:\folder\AppName.exe"
"C:\folder\AppName.exe instance1"
If however I try to concatenate the $counter in front of it I get:
1) #{CommandLine="C:\folder\AppName.exe" }
2) #{CommandLine="C:\folder\AppName.exe instance1" }
I've tried write-host, write-output, echo, various combinations of "", +, but I can't get rid of the #{CommandLine= xxx } when I try to combine it with another variable
Is there a way to get what I am after? e.g.:
1) "C:\folder\AppName.exe"
2) "C:\folder\AppName.exe instance1"
try write-host "$counter) $($process.commandline)"
OR modify your selection :
$result = Get-WmiObject win32_process -Filter $filter | select -expandproperty CommandLine
explanation : without expandproperty you get a psobject with expandproperty you have a string