Powershell - get console output into variable (not stdout, not stderror)

Question

I have the exe from Lenovo that only provides command line output when run from a cmd window but not from PowerShell. The output seems to come from a ghost source other than StdOut or StdErr.
https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/n2hgc06w.exe (you have to run and click install but all that does is unzip to c:\drivers\win\touchpadfw). Be sure to cancel the install prompt after extract.

This command gives me output to the console

& cmd.exe /c c:\drivers\win\touchpadfw\touchpadfw_aug2019\synreflash.exe /v /S 2

This also gives me output the the console and nothing in the variable

$var = (& cmd.exe /c c:\drivers\win\touchpadfw\touchpadfw_aug2019\synreflash.exe /v /S 2) 2>&1

Same here

$var = (& cmd.exe /c c:\drivers\win\touchpadfw\touchpadfw_aug2019\synreflash.exe /v /S 2 2>&1)

I feel like this exe is outputting in some other way than StdOut and StdErr but I don't know what. Nothing I've tried can capture what it is outputting. Is there a third method of output?

This is where it gets weird. Using "start cmd" to open a cmd window from the admin PowerShell, I run the exe directly in the cmd window but the output goes to the parent powershell console. I cannot get any output if I start the cmd window as admin directly.

@Iconiu, let me know if the updated solution below answers your questions, if yes, you can click the green tickbox to mark as resolved. Cheers !! — Clint
– Clint, Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 18:42

Clint · Accepted Answer · 2020-02-07 09:13:25Z

1

Look at the SynReflash usage below you will notice that you would need to pass the last arg as /S 3 explicitly, to print to Standard Output as opposed to /S 2 is a silent mode

$cmdOutput = cmd.exe /c "C:\DRIVERS\WIN\TouchpadFW\n2hgc06w\synreflash.exe" /v /S 3 '2>&1'

OR


proc = [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start([System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo]@
{
    'FileName'               = "cmd.exe"
    'Arguments'              = "/C " + """C:\DRIVERS\WIN\TouchpadFW\n2hgc06w\synreflash.exe"" /v /s 3"
    'CreateNoWindow'         = $true
    'UseShellExecute'        = $false
    'RedirectStandardOutput' = $true   # to get stdout to $proc.StandardOutput
    'RedirectStandardError'  = $true   # to get stderr to $proc.StandardError
})
$output = $proc.StandardOutput
$error1 = $proc.StandardError
write-host $output.ReadToEnd()

Output

FW Version: 1.2

edited Feb 7, 2020 at 9:13

answered Feb 3, 2020 at 18:57

Clint

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3 Comments

Iconiu Over a year ago

I appreciate your efforts but they do not work with this executable. The first example looks like you are redirecting to a file then trying to read it's content. The sample variable of $stdderror= "Error" is confusing as start-process wants a file name. Giving it one results in empty files. It does output to the console of the parent powershell window, the one used to start powershell_ISE. In the second example, both standardoutput and standarderror remain empty. I changed the /s 2 to /s 1 to make sure the exe was running and will output in it's own window.

Clint Over a year ago

In my first example variable thats storing Get-Content was incorrect, I edited my answer

Clint Over a year ago

@Iconiu Can you please confirm if the updated solution answered your questions, if yes, you can mark as resolved

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