# Invoke-command to run script remotely

**URL:** <https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163>\
**Category:** PowerShell Help\
**Created:** [October 30, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163 "2020-10-30T04:10:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![trgrassijr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/fbc32d/32.png) [@trgrassijr](https://forums.powershell.org/u/trgrassijr)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163/1 "2020-10-30T04:10:30Z")

</div>

I created a script that I would like to run on my remote computers

Script.

Get-WmiObject Win32\_Service -ComputerName . |`where {($_.startmode -like "*auto*") -and`  
($\_.state -notlike “_running_”)}|`  
select DisplayName,Name,StartMode,State|ft -AutoSize

When I run the script locally I get the results I am looking for.

PS C:\util\> .\auto-service.ps1

DisplayName Name StartMode State

* * *

Downloaded Maps Manager MapsBroker Auto Stopped  
Remote Registry RemoteRegistry Auto Stopped  
Software Protection sppsvc Auto Stopped  
Windows Biometric Service WbioSrvc Auto Stopped

&nbsp;

When I run this command

PS C:\util\> invoke-command -ComputerName serv021-n1 -FilePath c:\util\auto-service.ps1 out-lineoutput : The value of the repeatHeader data member cannot be null.

- CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (🙂 [out-lineoutput], ArgumentException
- FullyQualifiedErrorId : FormatObjectDeserializerNullDataMember,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.OutLineOutputComman  
d

If I run this command

PS C:\util\> invoke-command -ComputerName serv021-n1 -ScriptBlock {get-service nscp}  
Status Name DisplayName PSComputerName

* * *

Running nscp NSClient++ Monitoring Agent serv021-n1

That works so I know I have the powershell WINRM setup and remote enabled properly.

I placed the script on the remote server and tried this

PS C:\util\> Enter-PSSession -ComputerName SERV021-N1 [SERV021-N1]: PS C:\Users\ME\Documents\> cd \util [SERV021-N1]: PS C:\util\> .\auto-service.ps1  
DisplayName Name StartMode State

* * *

Downloaded Maps Manager MapsBroker Auto Stopped  
Remote Registry RemoteRegistry Auto Stopped  
Software Protection sppsvc Auto Stopped  
Windows Biometric Service WbioSrvc Auto Stopped

So that works but I would like to run this on many computers and would not need to copy the script everywhere

&nbsp;

Any ideas or suggestions

&nbsp;

Thank you

&nbsp;

Tom

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dugle80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc348/32.png) [@dugle80](https://forums.powershell.org/u/dugle80)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 4:44am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163/2 "2020-10-30T04:44:43Z")

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I don’t have winrm enabled to test myself but have you tried something like making a text with computername 1 per line and try something like the following

```
$computerlist = "c:\path\to\test.txt"
foreach ($pc in $computerlist){
    Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pc -ScriptBlock {
        get-wmiobject win32_service -ComputerName.|where {($_.startmode -like "*auto*") -and ($_.state -notlike "*running*")} |select displayname,name,startmode,state|ft -AutoSize
    }
}
```

Pretty sure that’s not exactly right but maybe it will get you closer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![krzydoug](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/krzydoug/32/1008_2.png) [@krzydoug](https://forums.powershell.org/u/krzydoug)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163/3 "2020-10-30T05:04:00Z")

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For Invoke-Command, if you already have your computernames gathered then you DO NOT want to use a loop. It will run them asynchronously (up to 32 by default in 5.1) against the hosts.

For the original question, the error you’re getting is you are using a formatting command and trying to pull that remotely. Format-\* are made for human eyes only so you’d need to run that on your side. Simply change your script to

```
Get-WmiObject Win32_Service |
    where {$_.startmode -like "*auto*" -and $_.state -notlike "*running*"}|
        select DisplayName,Name,StartMode,State
```

and then your command to

```
invoke-command -ComputerName serv021-n1 -FilePath c:\util\auto-service.ps1 | ft -auto
```

Again, if you have multiple servers simply provide them all to the computername parameter

```
invoke-command -ComputerName serv021-n1,server2,server3 -FilePath c:\util\auto-service.ps1 | ft -auto
```

I would also recommend you use the CIM cmdlets over wmi. And if these are scripts to be used by others use the full cmdlet names and parameters, avoid aliases. The end users should be the ones to use Format-\* so don’t include those in your scripts. Simply return objects and they can consume those how they need to, whether that is with Format-\*, writing to file, uploading to SQL, etc, etc ,etc.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![trgrassijr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/fbc32d/32.png) [@trgrassijr](https://forums.powershell.org/u/trgrassijr)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163/4 "2020-10-30T05:05:23Z")

</div>

$computerlist = “c:\util\input\servers.txt”  
foreach ($pc in $computerlist){  
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pc -ScriptBlock {  
get-wmiobject win32\_service -ComputerName .| where {($_.startmode -like “auto”) -and ($_.state -notlike “_running_”)} | select displayname,name,startmode,state|ft -AutoSize  
}  
}

PS C:\Util\> C:\Util\auto-service.ps1  
Invoke-Command : One or more computer names are not valid. If you are trying to pass a URI, use the -ConnectionUri parameter, or pass URI objects instead of strings.  
At C:\Util\auto-service.ps1:3 char:5

- Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pc -ScriptBlock {
- 

```auto

```

- CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (System.String:String) [Invoke-Command], ArgumentException
- FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSSessionInvalidComputerName,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.InvokeCommandCommand

&nbsp;

the text file only has one server list

SERV021-N1

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ralphmwr](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/ralphmwr/32/1064_2.png) [@ralphmwr](https://forums.powershell.org/u/ralphmwr)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163/5 "2020-10-30T05:07:10Z")

</div>

You set $computerlist to “c:\util\input\servers.txt” not the contents of that file. You need to use Get-Content “c:\util\input\servers.txt”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![trgrassijr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/fbc32d/32.png) [@trgrassijr](https://forums.powershell.org/u/trgrassijr)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 5:10am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163/6 "2020-10-30T05:10:03Z")

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Doug

&nbsp;

That worked thanks

&nbsp;

Off and running now.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dotnVo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@dotnVo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/dotnVo)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/invoke-command-to-run-script-remotely/15163/7 "2024-05-16T20:28:42Z")

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