Attempting to Run Application on Remote Machine

PowerShell Help
1

I’m writing a PowerShell script that takes a series of remote computer names and runs a custom malware scan on a targeted subdirectory on each computer. I have successfully used psexec to accomplish this from the command line, but now want to use a PowerShell script. psexec resident on my computer and the antimalware application (MpCmdRun) is resident on the target computer:

“C:\Program Files (x86)\Sysinternals\psexec.exe” \computername “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\MpCmdRun.exe” -scan -scantype 3 –File C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows
[hr]
My first attempt to use a PowerShell script used the Invoke-Command cmdlet:

Import-CSV D:\test.csv | ForEach-Object {
$computer = $_.ComputerName

Invoke-Command -computername $computer {"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\MpCmdRun.exe" -scan -scantype 3 -File C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\}

}

I received the following error message:

You must provide a value expression on the right-hand side of the ‘-’ operator.
At H:\My Documents\PowerShell Scripts\specialscan2.ps1:15 char:112

  • Invoke-Command -computername $computer {“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\MpCmdRun.exe” - <<<< scan -scantype 3 -File C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows}
    • CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:slight_smile: , ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    • FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExpectedValueExpression

[hr]
I have had some success with the following script:

$computers = Get-Content "D:\ test.csv"

ForEach ($computer in $computers) {

if (Test-Connection -Computername $computer -quiet) {
     & "C:\Program Files (x86)\Sysinternals\psexec.exe" \\$computer "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\MpCmdRun.exe" -scan -scantype 3 -File C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\

} else {

    "$computer is not online"    
}
}

This script does run the desired antimalware scan but I still am getting this error:

psexec.exe :
At H:\My Documents\PowerShell Scripts\specialscan1A.ps1:10 char:6

  • &amp; &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;  &quot;C:\Program Files (x86)\Sysinternals\psexec.exe&quot; \\$computer &quot;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\MpCmdRun.exe&quot; -scan -scantype 3 -File C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\
    • CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:String) , RemoteException
    • FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandError

What am I missing? Is there a better approach to this task (e.g. Get-Process or another cmdlet)?

2

try invoke-expression

3

You forgot the &.

Invoke-Command -computername $computer { & "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\Antimalware\MpCmdRun.exe" -scan -scantype 3 -File C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\ }
4

Thank you! Both of your suggestions have been been helpful.