How to Invoke-Command and pass path to command as parameter

Question

I'm tearing my hair out trying to invoke-command but pass the path to the exe as a parameter

eg: I want to take this command

powershell Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($command ) C:\windows\system32\getmac.exe /$command } -ArgumentList ?

and translate it into a form like this

powershell Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($path, $command ) $path\getmac.exe /$command } -ArgumentList C:\windows\system32,?

I've tried all manner of quoting, ampersands and other contortions but can't get it to work. The above attempt results in

Unexpected token '\getmac.exe' in expression or statement. At line:1 char:97

(I don't really want to invoke getmac on localhost, this is the runnable, SO distilled version)

Mitul · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-19 14:29:49Z

7

Try this option. It shows me help for cscript.exe.

C:\>powershell.exe Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($path, $command ) cmd /c $path $command } -args '"C:\windows\system32\cscript.exe"','"/?"'

I tried other options using & and then path and arguments and it was giving me missing } exception. Then using cmd /c instead of & inside scriptblock fixed the issue.

edited Sep 19, 2013 at 14:29

answered Sep 18, 2013 at 2:53

Mitul

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1 Comment

fiat Over a year ago

thanks - this works. Was hoping to not have to use the cmd trick but it is the only working solution I've found.

Simon M · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-19 00:38:43Z

1

Powershell won't parse a string as a command that way. For e.g. if you do this:

$path="C:\Windows\System32"
$path\getmac.exe

You would get the same error. The trick to work around this is to use the invoke operator &:

&$path\getmac.exe

or in your example, like this (also note that for a command that you pass to the powershell executable, you must wrap it in scriptblock braces):

powershell -command {Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { param($path, $command ) &$path\getmac.exe /$command } -ArgumentList C:\windows\system32,?}

edited Sep 19, 2013 at 0:38

Simon M

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answered Sep 18, 2013 at 5:16

zdan

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5 Comments

fiat Over a year ago

I tried this tack but adding & to the invoke-command changes the error to 'Missing closing '}' in statement block.' (try running your example with localhost for server).

zdan Over a year ago

@fiat just noticed you were executing through powershell executable, try wrapping the whole command in braces.

fiat Over a year ago

no joy :( similar missing closing '}' error. Note that without the $path param it works fine without the outer braces.

fiat Over a year ago

hmmm. I was running PS2.0, upgraded to PS3.0, same result. OS=Win7, running from command prompt, not PS prompt. tweaked your answer to run against localhost so exact copy paste repro.

Mitul Over a year ago

@fiat did you check my solution by replacing & with cmd /c and including your parameters in quotes?

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