Start-process raises an error when providing Credentials - possible bug

powershell start-process
chris picture chris · Sep 6, 2011 · Viewed 42.6k times · Source

Would you possibly know why this error is being raised in response to the code below. User-name and password have been verified as correct.

$secPassword = ConvertTo-SecureString "Password" -AsPlaintext -Force 
$farmCredential = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PsCredential "SharePoint\SP_Farm",$secPassword

Start-Process $PSHOME\powershell.exe -Credential $FarmCredential -ArgumentList "-NoExit","-Command `"&{`$outvar1 = 4+4; `"write-output `"Hello:`"`$outvar1`"}`"" -Wait

the error;

Start-Process : This command cannot be executed due to the error: The directory name is invalid.
At C:\Users\Administrator.SHAREPOINT\AppData\Local\Temp\fb2956d7-87fc-4235-9f3c-742698cafe9f.ps1:8 char:14
+ Start-Process <<<<  $PSHOME\powershell.exe -Credential $FarmCredential -ArgumentList "-NoExit","-Command `"&{`$outvar1 = 4+4; `"write-output 
`"Hello:`"`$outvar1`"}`"" -Wait
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [Start-Process], InvalidOperationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidOperationException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartProcessCommand

however, this works just fine.

Start-Process $PSHOME\powershell.exe -ArgumentList "-NoExit","-Command `"&{`$outvar1 = 4+4; `"write-output `"Hello:`"`$outvar1`"}`"" -Wait

NOTE: this is when executing from within PowerGUI or the ISE ide's The file fb2956d7-87fc-4235-9f3c-742698cafe9f.ps1 does exist at the path location, so for some reason the ide is having dificulty with this. Yet it DOES work when ran directly within the power shell command prompt/shell. I was logged in with a local machine account that is running as local admin, the script directs execution to a domain account which does not have admin rights and would run with just user permissions.

Is this a bug, since as a developer the IDE should not be tripped up by this as it works when i run the block in the powershell command prompt window??

Answer

Dionysoos picture Dionysoos · Jun 6, 2014

I have the same bug.

This function is OK with Powershell ISE, but doesn't work with PowerGUI

Start-Process -FilePath "C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmd.exe" -Credential $credential -ArgumentList ("/c $sFileExecutable")

It works with the WorkingDirectory parameter

Start-Process -FilePath 'cmd.exe' -Credential $credential -ArgumentList ("/c $sFileExecutable") -WorkingDirectory 'C:\Windows\System32'

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