PowerShell error Method invocation failed - powershell

Question

I have a strange problem where I have existing code that works on Windows 7x86 PowerShell 2.0 but will not work on Windows 10x86 using PowerShell 5.0.
The error states:
Method invocation failed because
[System.Management.Automation.PSRemotingJob] does not contain a method named 'op_Addition'.
At
C:\Build\AmazingCharts\Working\Building\Installer\WiseInstaller\Obfusated
Projects\ObfuscateFiles.ps1:211
char:13 + $Jarray +=
Start-Job -name ObfuscateFiles $ScriptBlock - ...
+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation:
(op_Addition:String) [], Runti
meException +
FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodNotFound
This is stating that the overloaded operator += doesn't seem to be defined but I find it very difficult to believe that the += overloaded addition operator would be deprecated in PowerShell 5.0 for arrays.
Further, the code seems to still execute and produce a correct output.
In my case I use a jobs array to execute Red Gate Smart Assembly to obfuscate build files. Below is a code snippet
$Jarray = #() #initialize jobs array
foreach ($file in $farray_) {
$params = $file,$cwd,$bldLog #parameters that are passed to script block
$nCount = (get-job -state "Running").Count #determines num of running jobs
if (-not $nCount) {$ncount=0} #initialize variable if null
if ($nCount -le $MAX_INSTANCES) {
#The line below is the one that generates the error
$Jarray += Start-Job -name ObfuscateFiles $ScriptBlock -ArgumentList $params
Start-Sleep -s 1 #gives the system time for process to start
} else {
$nCount = (get-job -state "Running").Count
if (-not $nCount) {$nCount=0}
while ($nCount -ge $MAX_INSTANCES) {
Start-Sleep -s 1 #gives time to recognize the job has started
$nCount = (get-job -state "Running").Count
if (-not $nCount) {$nCount=0}
}
$Jarray += Start-Job -name ObfuscateFiles $ScriptBlock -ArgumentList $params
}
}
When this execute it correctly generates all of the obfuscated files and in a timely manner so I know it is building in parallel up to the MAX_INSTANCES value. I even have code (not included above) that verifies that the number of expected obfuscated files is correct. The 'Method invocation failed' error reports back to CruiseControl.NET and my build fails.
Another frustration is that executing the same .ps1 file in PowerGUI completes successfully without any errors.
I have made sure that my array gets initialized. I have tried suggestions to specify that the array be of type [PSObject] but I get the same results.
Does anyone have any ideas what I can check for this?
Thank you.
EDIT:
I tested this in the PowerShell IDE
-- When tested running from a command prompt, I get the errors
-- When tested running the debugger, I do not get errors
I checked the $Jarray type and it is a System.Object[], which is what I would expect for an array.
I checked the $Jarray value during debug and the jobs are being created but the error still persists as if it doesn't understand the += overloaded Addition operator. My only guess is that this is a bogus error masking something else.
I added a try/catch block around the call to $Jarray. I had tried ErrorAction Ignore but that did not work because the call does not know what to do with the error. The try/catch block successfully masks the error; fortunately I have another method to determine if my call is successful. Needless to say this does not 'solve' the issue, it only masks the issue because right now it is not critical.
I will continue to update this area with things I have tested.

Answer 1

Just an idea, but might want to make sure your new machine has a relaxed policy for remoting AND enabling scripts:
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted &
Enable-PSRemoting