How to execute Windows command (Get-Content) from PowerShell in Windows Server

Question

My server is Windows Server. I would like to replicate the Unix tail command in Windows Server.

Unix Server: tail -f test.txt

PowerShell: Get-Content test.txt

How to execute in Windows Server?

Below command is not working:

powershell -File "Get-Content test.txt"

Error message:

Unable to execute program 'powershell -File "\"Get-Content...

Any idea?

The command should fail with a different error. How exactly are you invoking it? — Ansgar Wiechers, Jan 05 '17 at 14:50
`powershell -File "myScript.ps1"` vs `powershell -Command "Get-Content test.txt"` — briantist, Jan 05 '17 at 14:55
@briantist That too (and also add `-Tail` for following the file), but his error message suggests that for some reason his entire statement is interpreted as a single command. — Ansgar Wiechers, Jan 05 '17 at 14:58
@AnsgarWiechers agreed; I wonder if this is being invoked through some other software — briantist, Jan 05 '17 at 14:59

score 3 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:01

Get-Content is not a file; it is a cmdlet. The -file parameter to Powershell.exe instructs Powershell to read the file supplied and execute the commands in it, as a script.

You can pass commands directly to Powershell by using the -command parameter; the parameter can be a quoted string, which is interpreted as a Powershell command. You would therefore want to use

powershell -command "Get-Content test.txt"

in the simplest case.

Note that Powershell.exe must be in your system path; if it is not, you would need to supply the full path to powershell, e.g.,

C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -command "Get-Content text.txt"

This question is very similar - perhaps essentially identical - to Unix tail equivalent command in Windows Powershell; I would recommend reading that question and its answers as well.

Additionally, exploring the help for Get-Content will provide useful information.

Thanks Jeff Zeitlin. Working fine after setting full path of **powershell.exe without quotes** `C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -Command Get-Content test.txt` — Sham, Jan 06 '17 at 06:57

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 06 '17 at 07:02

0

Working fine after setting full path of powershell.exe and without any quotes

C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -Command Get-Content test.txt

answered Jan 06 '17 at 07:02

Sham

1
1
2

score -1 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 05 '17 at 14:59

-1

Within a powershell window :

Get-Content test.txt

command returns :

hello world. i'm inside test.txt. bye.

answered Jan 05 '17 at 14:59

Don Pedro

41
5

This does not answer the OP's question; he is trying to execute the Get-Content cmdlet by invoking Powershell externally, and getting an error. – Jeff Zeitlin Jan 05 '17 at 15:04

How to execute Windows command (Get-Content) from PowerShell in Windows Server

3 Answers3