Copy 1 File to Multiple Computers

PowerShell Help
1

I’m having a devil of a time getting this script to work. I want to copy a local file (Public.lnk) to several other PC Desktops. I cannot get it to work and have tried several other variations. I’m a total newbe at PowerShell so any help would be appreciated .

PCList.txt is a list of IP addresses.

$PCList = Get-Content -Path C:\Scripts\PCList.txt

foreach ($PC in $PCList){
Copy-Item -Path C:\scripts\files\Public.lnk -Destination \$PC\C$\Users\Public\Desktop
}

This is the error I’m getting-
Copy-Item : The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
At C:\Scripts\CopyFile06.ps1:4 char:1

  • Copy-Item -Path C:\scripts\files\Public.lnk -Destination \$PC\C$\Users\Public\D …
2

I believe you may have to change your parameter. Try this:

$PCList = (Get-content -Path C:\Scripts\PCList.txt)

I’m fairly new at this so anybody else, feel free to correct me.

3

Thanks for the quick response - but that didn’t do it. I get the same error.
On all the examples I’ve studied (dozens), none put parenthesis around that parameter. It seems the issues is with the execution syntax ??

4

Have you tried to remove the Admin share ($) from your path?

-Destination \$PS\C:\Users\Public\Desktop

5

Hi Ken,
I believe the problem is in the Destination part.
Try escaping the $ in the destination path

# PCList.txt is a list of IP addresses.
 $PCList = Get-Content -Path C:\Scripts\PCList.txt

foreach ($PC in $PCList){
 Copy-Item -Path C:\scripts\files\Public.lnk -Destination \\$PC\C`$\Users\Public\Desktop
 }
6

When I Use this variation (below), It worked 1 time then after that, no errors show , and no file is copied either.

$PCList = Get-Content -Path C:\Scripts\PClist.txt
foreach ($PC in $PCList){
Copy-Item -Path C:\scripts\files\Public.lnk -Destination \Users\Public\Desktop\Public.lnk

}

7

That variation of the destination parameter doesn’t really go anywhere except perhaps your PC that you are executing the script from.

When I used the example I posted above in my test lab, it copied the file to 3 different pc’s.

The key element is the backtick between the C and the $. That escapes the $ so Powershell doesn’t think that’s the beginning of a variable name.

8

Ken,

Try something like this:

$pcnames = Get-Content -Path C:\Scripts\PClist.txt

foreach ($cn in $pcnames){

Copy-Item -Path 'C:\scripts\files\Public.lnk' -Destination "\\$CN\c`$\Users\Public\Desktop\" 
}

It worked for me. Do not add the Public.lnk in the -Destination part

9

Oh you won’t believe it - After running the script with the “Write-Output” cmdlet, I noticed 5 output lines when there should have been only 2 (2 PCs in my PCList.txt) along with a bunch of errors - As you can see below “\\c$\Users\Public\Desktop” shows 3 times. Where is this coming from ?? - I deleted the PCList.txt file and created a new one and the problem went away. Apparently there was something wrong with that .txt file that was not visible OR it was RTFM.

PS C:> C:\Scripts\CopyFile09.ps1
\PC-Annex\C$\Users\Public\Desktop
\it-office-02\C$\Users\Public\Desktop
\\c$\Users\Public\Desktop
\\c$\Users\Public\Desktop
\\c$\Users\Public\Desktop

The Script is working correctly now; Thanks to everyone who contributed and got me going in the right direction.