PsExec Throws Error Messages, but works without any problems

Question

So we are using PsExec a lot in our automations to install virtual machines, as we can't use ps remote sessions with our windows 2003 machines. Everything works great and there are no Problems, but PsExec keeps throwing errors, even every command is being carried out without correctly. For example:

D:\tools\pstools\psexec.exe $guestIP -u $global:default_user -p $global:default_pwd -d -i C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -command "Enable-PSRemoting -Force"

Enables the PsRemoting on the guest, but also throws this error message:

psexec.exe : 
Bei D:\Scripts\VMware\VMware_Module5.ps1:489 Zeichen:29
+     D:\tools\pstools\psexec.exe <<<<  $guestIP -u $global:default_user -p $global:default_pwd -d -i C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\
v1.0\powershell.exe -command "Enable-PSRemoting -Force"
+ CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:String) [], RemoteException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandError

PsExec v1.98 - Execute processes remotely
Copyright (C) 2001-2010 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com


Connecting to 172.17.23.95...Starting PsExec service on 172.17.23.95...Connecting with PsExec service on 172.17.23.95...Starting C:\Windows\
System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe on 172.17.23.95...
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe started on 172.17.23.95 with process ID 2600.

These kinds of error messages apear ALWAYS no matter how i use psexec, like with quotes, with vriables/fixed values, other flags, etc. Does anybody has an idea how i could fix this? It is not a real problem, but it makes finding errors a pain in the ass, because the "errors" are everywhere. Disabling the error messages of psexec at all would also help...

Answer 1

This is because PowerShell sometimes reports a NativeCommandError when a process writes to STDERR. PsExec writes the infoline

PsExec v1.98 - Execute processes remotely
Copyright (C) 2001-2010 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com

to STDERR which means it can cause this.

For more information, see these questions / answers:

• https://stackoverflow.com/a/1416933/478656
• https://stackoverflow.com/a/11826589/478656
• https://stackoverflow.com/a/10666208/478656