Hashtable - export : to CSV

PowerShell Help
1

Hi everyone,
I am experimenting a little bit with Hashtables in PowerShell v2 and v3 and v4. I am asking for your help in regards of exporting multiple values to a CSV-file. Here’s what I’m trying:
Get the status of the Windows Defender Service via WMI:

$WinDefend = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\cimv2 -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name LIKE 'WinDef%'"

Store multiple values regarding the Service in a Hashtable:

$SystemProps=[ordered]@{
#$SystemProps=@{
'WindowsDefender'=$WinDefend.ProcessID,$WinDefend.State,$WinDefend.StartMode;
}

If I try exporting the Hashtable to CSV I always end up with a “System.Object” in the column where those multiple values are stored. Below is what I’ve tried so far

$SystemProps.GetEnumerator() | select name,value | Export-CSV C:\temp\props.csv
new-object psobject -property $SystemProps | Export-Csv "C:\temp\props.csv" -NoTypeInformation

Writing the values out to a txt-file works fine but I’m curious of how to do that with a CSV

$SystemProps.GetEnumerator() | Out-String | out-file C:\temp\props.txt

Thanks a lot,
Steven

2

You can turn it into an object using pscustomobject, and then successfully pipe that to a Csv. Notice, I’ve also created a separate keys for process, state, and startmode. I’m not sure if this will work (for you), so if not, take a look at the second option to leave the process, state, and startmode as a single value for the one, WindowsDefender, key.

$WinDefend = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\cimv2 -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name LIKE 'WinDef%'"

$SystemProps = [pscustomobject][ordered]@{
    WindowsDefenderProcess = $WinDefend.ProcessID
    WindowsDefenderState = $WinDefend.State
    WindowsDefenderStartMode = $WinDefend.StartMode;
}

$SystemProps | Export-Csv -Path C:\temp\props1.csv -NoTypeInformation
$WinDefend = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\cimv2 -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name LIKE 'WinDef%'"

$SystemProps = [pscustomobject][ordered]@{
    WindowsDefender = $WinDefend.ProcessID,$WinDefend.State,$WinDefend.StartMode -join ','
}

$SystemProps | Export-Csv -Path C:\temp\props2.csv -NoTypeInformation

Box Prox wrote about this in 2014, and I’ve referenced the post numerous times when I hit the System.Object in my exported, Csv files. Here’s the link: http://learn-powershell.net/2014/01/24/avoiding-system-object-or-similar-output-when-using-export-csv/.

Most recently, I used it to a fix a problem with a DHCP/DNS function I wrote: http://tommymaynard.com/script-sharing-find-dns-servers-being-used-by-dhcp-scopes-2015. I even gave him credit at the bottom of that post.

Anyway, let me know if this helps, and if you can’t scroll left-right in the script windows, use the double-sided arrows to open it in a separate window.

3

Hey sir,
thank you very much! Both approaches work with PowerShell v3. Unfortunately I didn’t get them to work with PowerShell v2. The output I get is:

"IsReadOnly","IsFixedSize","IsSynchronized","Keys","Values","SyncRoot","Count"
"False","False","False","System.Collections.Hashtable+KeyCollection","System.Collections.Hashtable+ValueCollection","System.Object","6"

Is this exspected behavior or am I doing something wrong?
Thanks and best regards,
Steven

4

That’s expected behavior prior to PowerShell 3.0, when creating a custom object with this option. There’s different ways to create custom objects in the earlier versions of PowerShell. Here’s how to do it in the different versions: http://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2013/11/07/a-powershell-object-lesson-part-3.aspx. I choose PowerShell 3.0, since I think that’s when we were able to order our hash tables, such as what you did in your example.

5

Thank you very much sir! Exactly what I needed!

6

Stephen,

No need to use a hashtable as an interim step.

$WinDefend = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\cimv2 -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name LIKE 'WinDef%'"
$WinDefend | Select ProcessID, State, StartMode | Export-Csv "C:\temp\props.csv" -NoTypeInformation

If you need to change the column header, you do it like this:

$WinDefend = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\cimv2 -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name LIKE 'WinDef%'"
$WinDefend | Select @{ Label = 'WindowsDefenderProcess'; Expression = { $_.ProcessID} }, State, StartMode | Export-Csv "C:\temp\props.csv" -NoTypeInformation
7

Hi Tim,
thanks, but my goal was just to play around with Hashtables, therefore I used it :slight_smile: With Tommy’s help I now figured out that for outputting stuff to a CSV-File a custom PSObject is better choice than a Hashtable.So I learned two things in one catch. Looks like a good day from my perspective :slight_smile:

Greetings,
Steven