PowerShell Command to Copy File on Remote Machine - powershell

Question

I have a requirement to copy file from local machine to remote machine using PowerShell. I can copy the file to remote computer using following command:
copy-item -Path d:\Shared\test.txt -Destination \\server1\Shared
the above command uses network share path to copy the file. I don't want to use network share option as the folder will not be shared on the remote machine. I tried following commands but not working.
copy-item -Path d:\Shared\test.txt -Destination \\server1\c$\Shared
Invoke-Command -ComputerName \\server -ScriptBlock {
copy-item -Path D:\Shared\test.txt -Destination C:\Shared
}
Please let me know how to make it working without using UNC path. I have full permissions on that folder on the remote machine.

Answer 1

Quickest way I found to this, since the account being used is Administrator, is to do the following:
New-PSDrive -Name X -PSProvider FileSystem -Root \\MyRemoteServer\c$\My\Folder\Somewhere\
cd X:\
cp ~\Desktop\MyFile.txt .\
## Important, need to exit out of X:\ for unmouting share
cd c:\
Remove-PSDrive X
Works every time.

Answer 2

You must have a shared folder to be able to copy files from one host to another, either on the remote host if you want to push the file:
Copy-Item -Path D:\folder\test.txt -Destination \\server1\remoteshare\
or on the local host if you want to pull the file:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName server1 -ScriptBlock {
Copy-Item -Path \\localcomputer\localshare\test.txt -Destination C:\Shared\
}
Administrative shares (\\server1\c$) can only be used if your account has admin privileges on that particular computer.

Answer 3

If there is not an accessible share, you'll have to make the file content itself an argument to the script:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName \\server -ScriptBlock {
$args[0] | Set-Content C:\Shared\test.txt
} -ArgumentList (Get-Content D:\Shared\test.txt -Raw)

Answer 4

Powershell 5 (Windows Server 2016)
Also downloadable for earlier versions of Windows. -ToSession can also be used.
$b = New-PSSession B
Copy-Item -FromSession $b C:\Programs\temp\test.txt -Destination C:\Programs\temp\test.txt
Earlier versions of PowerShell
Does not require anything special, these hidden shares exist on all machines.
Copy-Item -Path \\serverb\c$\programs\temp\test.txt -Destination \\servera\c$\programs\temp\test.txt

Answer 5

Invoke-Command -ComputerName compname -Credential $cred -ScriptBlock { Get-Content C:\myfolder\result.txt } >>res.txt
Note the C:\myfolder\result.txt is on the remote computer

Answer 6

Here's a script that worked for me for small files. Run as admin.
#pre 5.0 powershell copy-item to remote computer
Write-Host "Remote copy a file"
$servers = #("server01.dot.com", "server02.dot.com")
foreach($server in $servers) {
$username = 'USERNAME'
$password = 'PASSWORD'
$pw = ConvertTo-SecureString $password -AsPlainText -Force
$cred = New-Object Management.Automation.PSCredential ($username, $pw)
$myfile = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes("C:\Temp\srctest.txt")
$s = New-PSSession -computerName $server -credential $cred
Enter-PSSession $s
Invoke-Command -Session $s -ArgumentList $myfile -Scriptblock {[System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes("C:\Temp\desttest.txt", $args)}
Write-Host "Completed"
Remove-PSSession $s
}