Remote Powershell script fails to install .exe

Question

EDIT2: **After much testing and reading I've realised this is a powershell limitation "environmental snag." (read more here). I've resolved the issue by running the .exe as a task via schtasks.exe **

EDIT: After much testing the problem seems to occur from a difference between a remote PowerShell and a local PowerShell... Problem is still not solved, so any help is more than welcomed!

I'm trying to do something rather simple, which is just not working for me.

I have 2 machines, MachineA and MachineB. Both running PowerShell v2 and are trusted sources of each other with enabled remoting.

I'm trying to run a script on MachineB through MachineA via this command:

invoke-command -computername MachineB { C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -noprofile -executionpolicy Bypass Script.ps1 }

The script itself tries to install an .exe file that has a silent installation option (based on a config file in its directory):

$arguments = "-i silent"
$InstallerPath = "Setup.exe" 
Start-Process $InstallerPath5 $arguments5 -verb runas

When I run the script locally on MachineB - all works fine and installation finishes successfully. However, when I run the script remotely (with the 1st command from MachineA) it just finishes instantly and nothing happens - the installers don't open in the task manager on MachineB at all. No error is produced and no logs.

Funnily enough, when I change the actual script to "& C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c Setup.exe -i silent" and run it remotely the setup starts up, works for 5-6 seconds on 50% cpu utilisation and then goes to 0% and hangs forever. Again, if I run it locally it all works perfectly...

If tried:

• Running the installer remotely directly (e.g. via invoke-command { & Setup.exe -i } )
• Editing the script to run without Start-Process ( e.g. & Setup.exe -i)
• Moving the script to MachineA and running it remotely to MachineB (e.g. invoke-command -filename sciprt.ps1 -computername MachineB)

All of these work if I do it locally on MachineB, but none work if done remotely via MachineA (with different problems though)? I'm going crazy.

I also checked if the remoteshell has admin rights via this:

([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal] [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] "Administrator")

It returns True. Plus, I can remotely edit the HKLM registry so I assume its working.

Any ideas are more than welcomed at this point!

Answer 1

After much testing and reading I've realised this is a powershell limitation "environmental snag." (read more here). I've resolved the issue by running the .exe as a task via schtasks.exe

Answer 2

I've currently been playing with this. I do a lot of remoting in and installing software for a couple hundred machines. We were experiencing an issue where users Java was getting deleted upon every reboot. Anyways, it probably takes 2-5 minutes to get the machine name from them and then install the software. I wrote this little piece (still in the works, but working) so all I need is their username, and roughly 1 and half minutes.

import-module ActiveDirectory
$username = Read-Host -prompt 'Username'
$dn = Get-ADUSER $username -properties * | SELECT -expand DistinguishedName
$results = Get-ADCOMPUTER -LDAPFilter "(ManagedBy=$dn)" -properties * | SELECT CN,ManagedBy
$results | Out-Host
$cn = Read-Host -prompt 'Choose a computerName from above'


#Copy the .exe to remote system
$source = 'C:\Scripts\Programs\JavaSetup8u151.exe'
$destination = '\\' + $cn + '\C$\Users\' + $username + '\Downloads'
Copy-Item -Recurse -Filter *.* -path $source -destination $destination -Force

#move to psTools directory for remote Install, you will need this directory
#tied into your  dir "C:\\psTools" for example


cd \psTools
#Ensures that remoting is activated on end client

.\psexec \\$cn -s powershell Enable-PSRemoting -Force

#Remote to machine

INVOKE-COMMAND -ComputerName $cn -ScriptBlock {

#Passing in local variable, mainly for directory movement purposes
$username = $using:username

#define SearchVariable to see if already install
$searchTerm = 'Java'

#Setup for uninstall
$app = Get-WMIObject -Class Win32_Product -Filter "Name LIKE '%$searchTerm%'"
IF ($app -eq $null) {
    WRITE-HOST 'Currently no programs containing' $searchTerm 'in their name.'
} ELSE {
    $app.uninstall()
    $app = Get-WMIObject -Class Win32_Product -Filter "Name LIKE '%$searchTerm%'"
    IF ($app -eq $null) {
        WRITE-HOST 'Successfully deleted all programs containing' $searchTerm '.'
    } ELSE {
        WRITE-HOST 'Failed to delete all programs containing' $searchTerm '. Please report errors to ADMIN.'
    }
}

cd \Users\$username\Downloads

#This was just me proving to myself that I was in the right dir and the file was actually copying over
$dir = Get-ChildItem -Force
$dir | Out-Host

#Install
cmd
.\JavaSetup8u151.exe INSTALL_SILENT=1 AUTO_UPDATE=0 REBOOT=0 SPONSORS=0 REMOVEOUTOFDATEJRES=1
Start-Sleep -s 60


#Reset variable so we can see if install was successful or not
$app = Get-WMIObject -Class Win32_Product -Filter "Name LIKE '%$searchTerm%'"
IF ($app -ne $null) {
    WRITE-HOST 'You have successfully installed' $searchTerm'.'
} else {
    WRITE-HOST 'You have failed to install' $searchTerm'.'
}
}

Sorry, not a good copy-paste over of the code. My problem was the exe not running; and I think it was trying to run IF ELSE check at the end before the install could finish. The Start-Sleep cmdlet was my answer. I ran it through cmd instead of ps, but I think it would work both ways now. 'EDIT: Works both ways.'

cmd 
.\JavaSetup8u151.exe INSTALL_SILENT=1 AUTO_UPDATE=0 REBOOT=0 SPONSORS=0 REMOVEOUTOFDATEJRES=1
 Start-Sleep -s 60

I would recommend using a:

Enter-PSSession -ComputerName $cn

To time how long it takes for the install. 45 seconds was just shy, so I opted for a full 60.