Why does PsExec hang after successfully running a powershell script?

Question

The script is fairly straight forward. Simply tries to start a bunch of windows services. Execution locally works fine when on the target machine. The script is actually executing fine as well when done via PsExec, it just never returns until I hit the "enter" key on my CMD prompt. This is a problem, because this is being called from TeamCity, and it makes the Agent hang waiting for PsExec to return.

I've tried the following:

Adding an exit and exit 0 at the end of the Powershell script
Adding a < NUL to the end of the PsExec call, per the answer in this SF question
Adding a > stdout redirect

This is how I am actually calling psexec:

psexec \\target -u domain\username -p password powershell c:\path\script.ps1

No matter what I do, it hangs until I the locally on the cmd prompt. After I hit enter, I get the message:

powershell exited on target with error code 0.

Venfah Nazir · Answer 1 · 2014-10-23T05:06:17.863

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I know the answer comes late it would have already been figured out, If not it might be useful for future visitors.

STDIN has to be re-directed in powershell execution inorder to be able to come from hang (Here it waits in STDIN). to be able to do this use -inputformat none

powershell -inputformat none -File powershell_script.ps1 will work.

Check - https://connect.microsoft.com/PowerShell/feedback/details/572313/powershell-exe-can-hang-if-stdin-is-redirected

edited Oct 23 '14 at 05:06

answered Oct 23 '14 at 05:00

Venfah Nazir

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Not only does this work, but it also explains why the accepted answer works. Thanks! – jpaugh Aug 08 '19 at 17:06

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 11 '12 at 21:22

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Turns out this is a common problem. Found the solution a here. Essentially, if you pipe some data on stdin with cmd it will return propertly after execution (because it is being run via cmd, not powershell).

Example:

psexec \\target -u domain\username -p password cmd /c "echo . | powershell c:\path\script.ps1"

answered Oct 11 '12 at 21:22

Matt

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is it set up as Command Line - Custom Script or Command Line - Executable (in TeamCity)? – Wojtek Turowicz Jul 10 '13 at 10:36
OK Ive set it up as Executable and it helped. Thanks mate I've spent 1 day diagnosing it. Spread the word! – Wojtek Turowicz Jul 10 '13 at 10:45
After a day the problem returned... – Wojtek Turowicz Jul 11 '13 at 09:17

score 5 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 11 '20 at 10:02

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psexec \\target -u domain\username -p password -d powershell c:\path\script.ps1

Also fixes the problem.

The -d flag for psexec is like "run and exit" in a non-interactive way:

-d Don’t wait for the application to terminate.

Only use for non-interactive applications.

edited Jun 11 '20 at 10:02

Community

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answered Mar 01 '16 at 13:13

riogezz

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score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 12 '12 at 01:21

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Powershell is not exiting. Try this command line

Powershell -command script.ps1

answered Oct 12 '12 at 01:21

uSlackr

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score 0 · Answer 5 · edited Sep 03 '18 at 09:45

I was running psexec with VBS script and the solution marked as the best (EX: psexec \\target -u domain\username -p password cmd /c "echo . | powershell c:\path\script.ps1") was working for me only during each 3rd or so run. I was keep digging and I found description of each switch

I decided to try "-s" and that what worked for me every single time Here is my example:

call C:\psexec.exe %SERVER_NAME% -u %USERNAME% -p %PASSWORD% -h -s cscript %pathTomyVBSscript%

Why does PsExec hang after successfully running a powershell script?

5 Answers5