The idea here is to uninstall a program silently. Unfortunately the program's msi is custom and executes a batch file during the uninstall process. What I am trying to do is prevent this window from displaying during the powershell uninstall script. I'm using wmi uninstall method because the msi that the program uses doesn't respond to quite or uninstall flags (/q, /x, /uninstall). I have attempted to run it as a background job but the window still appears. The script looks as follows:
start-job -scriptblock `
{(Get-WmiObject -class Win32_Product |? {$_Name -eq "Annoying1"}).uninstall()} `
-Name Uninstall1
$job = get-job -name Uninstall1
wait-job $job
receive-job $job
This will run mostly hidden until the uninstall job gets to the point where the batch file is executed, at which point a cmd window will appear and run. Any ideas of how to run this script without displaying extra windows?
The script is ran with -windowstyle hidden as well.
Be indulgent, I'am not proud of this, but I'am quite sure that if you try to localy run your script using remoting the window will not be seen by the user :
I just try :
$sess = New-PSSession -ComputerName localhost
Invoke-Command -Session $sess -ScriptBlock {calc.exe}
get-process "calc"
In your case try :
$sess = New-PSSession -ComputerName localhost
$job = Invoke-Command -Session $sess -ScriptBlock {(Get-WmiObject -class Win32_Product |? {$_Name -eq "Annoying1"}).uninstall()} -asjob -Name Uninstall1
wait-job $job
receive-job $job
Related
I'm trying to run a command on a VM using Invoke-Command. The command should stop a program that processes jobs after it finishes its current job. It works if I run it in the terminal using RDC.
& 'C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Vault Client 2021\Explorer\JobProcessor.exe' /stop
But if I run it from a different machine using Invoke-Command nothing seems to happen.
$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName 'hostname' -Credential (Get-Credential)
Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock {
& 'C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Vault Client 2021\Explorer\JobProcessor.exe' /stop
}
However Process Monitor shows the command come in for both cases, but the program is still running.
I have also tried using Start-Process with the same result, i.e. it works in the terminal on the VM but not using Invoke-Command.
Start-Process -FilePath 'C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Vault Client 2021\Explorer\JobProcessor.exe' -ArgumentList '/stop'
I've been stuck for many days and I've exhausted my googlable knowledge for this problem.
Are you sure that file exists on the remote computer?
For simplicity, I rewrote your command to a known executable that is always there in Windows and returns unique info for any given computer.
C:\> & 'C:\Windows\system32\HOSTNAME.EXE'
server1
C:\> icm {& 'C:\Windows\system32\HOSTNAME.EXE'}
server1
C:\> icm {& 'C:\Windows\system32\HOSTNAME.EXE'} -ComputerName server2
server2
Here's your script with some error handling.
$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName 'hostname' -Credential (Get-Credential)
Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock {
$exe = 'C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Vault Client 2021\Explorer\JobProcessor.exe'
$ok = Test-Path $exe
if ($ok) {& $exe /stop} else {
Write-Warning "EXE not present on $($env:COMPUTERNAME)!"
}
}
Learn how to add error handling and you'll be well on your way to solving your problems faster and getting more stuff done.
I am trying to invoke a remote bat file from my local machine that should start and run the bat in a remote machine terminal. My script is able to connect and show me the output. However, it is invoking the remote bat file but waiting on my screen with bat file output. and my idea is the bat file should invoke and running in the remote machine rather than showing the output on my terminal local terminal. What should be the way here?
loop{
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -credential $cred -ErrorAction Stop -ScriptBlock { Invoke-Expression -Command:"cmd.exe /c 'C:\apacheserver.bat'" }
}
From what I understand you want the .bat file to not show you the result. If so, you should do it with the Out-Null or by redirecting STDOUT and STDERR to NULL.
IE: Invoke-Expression -Command:"cmd.exe /c 'C:\apacheserver.bat'" | Out-Null
If I'm understanding correctly, you want to suppress the output from the .bat file inside your local console? If so, redirecting to some form of $null is the way to go. You also shouldn't need Invoke-Expression as Invoke-Command can run the file directly:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -Credential $cred -ErrorAction Stop -Scriptblock {
cmd.exe /c 'C:\apacheserver.bat' | Out-Null
}
You could also use > $null instead of Out-Null if you prefer.
If you want to redirect the output of the Invoke-Command call to the remote console instead, that kind of defeats the purpose of the cmdlet. You could try redirecting the console output to a file on the remote computer if you want a local record:
$remoteFile = '\\server\C$\Path\To\Output.txt'
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -Credential $cred -ErrorAction Stop -Scriptblock {
cmd.exe /c 'C:\apacheserver.bat' > $remoteFile
}
If I understand you, you want to run the script in the background and not wait for it:
Invoke-Command $computer -Credential $cred { start-process C:\apacheserver.bat }
In the event you have computers that are unreachable with Invoke-Command either because WinRm is not running or PsRemoting is disabled here is a good, sure way I've found works everytime, in my environement at least:
$target_comp = "abc1234"
Invoke-WmiMethod -ComputerName $target_comp -Path win32_process -Name create -ArgumentList "powershell.exe -command Enable-PSRemoting -SkipNetworkProfileCheck -Force"
Invoke-WmiMethod -ComputerName $target_comp -Path win32_process -Name create -ArgumentList "powershell.exe -command winrm quickconfig -quiet"
do {
$testpsremoting = invoke-command -computername $target_comp -scriptblock {"test"}
} while (!$testpsremoting)
#REST OF CODE
Explanation :
-Declare variable of your computer name.
-Run the two commands to enable PsRemoting and setup WinRM via Invoke-WmiMethod.
*Since Invoke-WmiMethod returns instantly without WAITING for the commands to actually be done:
-Make a loop that runs until PsRemoting is enabled (until the test Invoke-Command works).
No more Invoke-Command problems! Enjoy and fine tune to your heart's content.
You could use Get-wmi to get the result directly
Get-WmiObject Win32_service -ComputerName $poste | select State,Name,DisplayName
Question changed to provide answer and useful fix for the community.
I am trying to run following script with job but the code in the block only executes 1st command and exits. Job is displayed completed on my computer
$computers = get-adcomputer -filter * | where { ($_.DNSHostName -match 'server')}
foreach ($computer in $computers) {
$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName $computer.DNSHostName
Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock {
Stop-Service W3SVC -Force
Remove-Item "C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\Temporary ASP.NET Files\root" -Force -Recurse
Start-Service W3SVC
} -asjob -jobname IIS_Maintenance
Remove-PSSession -Session $session
}
If I comment out -asjob -jobname IIS_Maintenance job runs fine but it's synchronous. It takes several seconds to stop IIS but I am not sure why job is not waiting on that.
Thoughts?
Creating the session induces a lot of delay. Why did you chose to use the -Session instead of directly using -ComputerName ?
I think using the -ComputerName way will be more efficient to run with Start-Job. Either way, Since you are invoking the jobs on remote machines, your workstation would have no clue on the progress of the jobs.
If you want to track the progress of the jobs, you shouldn't be using Invoke-Command at all.
OK I figured it out... the point of confusion was:
1) I didn't know I can send block of code without Session and yes session implementation is slow
2) I also didn't know I send invoke-command to several computers are once without foreach. Thank you for that Ansgar Wiechers!
Hey I am very new to PowerShell and found one of Ed Wilson's helpful scripts on his blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2012/11/12/force-a-domain-wide-update-of-group-policy-with-powershell.aspx.
I needed to customize it a little for my needs and just need some help getting the right code down.
I will just use his code because all I did was replace it with my credentials and AD info:
$cn = Get-ADComputer -filt *
$cred = Get-Credential iammred\administrator
$session = New-PSSession -cn $cn.name -cred $cred
icm -Session $session -ScriptBlock {gpupdate /force}
What I added was the next two lines to attempt to pause the script to allow the gpupdate to process then restart the computer(s):
Start-Sleep -s 120
Restart-Computer -ComputerName $cn.name
When I run the script all together it seems to just hang after I enter my credentials. My guess would be it doesn't like the way I present the Start-Sleep cmdlet because I can run the Restart-Computer cmdlet with success without Start-Sleep. The problem is it doesn't wait for gpupdate to finish so the policy doesn't get pushed. I do not get any errors when I run the script, it just hangs. I have left it running for about 10 minutes with no success.
I appreciate any help or suggestions to make this script work properly. Thanks in advance for any input.
There's nothing wrong with your sleep invocation but it isn't the best way to go. You can wait on the job to finish with a timeout (in case the command hangs) e.g.:
$job = icm -Session $session -ScriptBlock {gpupdate /force} -AsJob
Wait-Job $job -Timeout 120
Remove-PSSession $session
Restart-Computer $cn.name
#Keith Hill is right, sleep looks good. Another thing you can do is push the sleep/restart commands onto your target machines:
icm -Session $session -ScriptBlock {
gpupdate /force; Start-Sleep -s 120; Restart-Computer -Force}