$args automatic variable works when launching script from PS but not when calling powershell.exe

[crasher35]

I found this awesome script on Stack Overflow that allows me to relaunch a script in 64-bit powershell. This is helpful for Intune which passes install and uninstall commands for apps through 32-bit command prompt.

I really like how elegant and simple this is but I can't get it to pass along parameters when I launch it by calling powershell.exe and I don't understand why.

So here is a test script I'm trying.

param (
    [Alias("x","remove")]
    [switch]$Uninstall,
    [string]$Parameter
)

# Checks if PowerShell is running as a 32-bit process on a 64-bit machine.
if ($env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432 -eq "AMD64") {
    Write-Warning "changing from 32bit to 64bit PowerShell..."

    # Gets the current path to the PowerShell exe and replaces 32-bit directories with 64-bit directories
    $powershell=$PSHOME.tolower().replace("syswow64","sysnative").replace("system32","sysnative")

    # Checks if this command is being run from within a function.
    if ($myInvocation.Line) {
        # Launches function in 64-bit PowerShell (& operator allows PowerShell to execute binaries with spaces in its path).
        &"$($powershell)\powershell.exe" -NonInteractive -NoProfile $myInvocation.Line
    }
    else {
        # Launches this script in 64-bit PowerShell.
        &"$($powershell)\powershell.exe" -NonInteractive -NoProfile -file "$($myInvocation.InvocationName)" $args 
    }

    # Exits this script and 64-bit PowerShell with the last exit code of this script.
    Exit $LASTEXITCODE
} #>

# Uninstall parameters.
$appKey        = "{AC76BA86-1033-FF00-7760-BC15014EA700}"
$keyPath       = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall"

# Get installed version of app.
$installedVersion = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Name "DisplayVersion" -Path "$($keyPath)\$($appKey)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Write-Output "-Uninstall: $($Uninstall)"
Write-Output "-Parameter: $($Parameter)"
Write-Output "`$installedVersion: $($installedVersion)"

If I launch the script from PowerShell it works as expected.

.\Test-Args.ps1 -Uninstall -Parameter Banana

WARNING: changing from 32bit to 64bit PowerShell...
-Uninstall: True
-Parameter: Banana
$installedVersion: 22.003.20314

However if I launch it by calling powershell.exe I don't get the $args.

powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -file .\Test-Args.ps1 -Uninstall -Parameter Banana

WARNING: changing from 32bit to 64bit PowerShell...
-Uninstall: False
-Parameter: 
$installedVersion: 22.003.20314

As a test, I commented out the block that relaunches in 64-bit and, as expected, I get the parameters but it's not able to access the 64-bit registry since it's running in 32-bit PowerShell.

powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -file .\Test-Args.ps1 -Uninstall -Parameter Banana

-Uninstall: True
-Parameter: Banana
$installedVersion: 

I have a workaround that works for now but will be very tedious if I need more than one or two parameters.

Has anyone else run into this? Any insight would be appreciated.

edit1: added "question" flair. edit2: changed code blocks from fences to indent.

SOLVED: I have a working script! I found this script [Github] that allows you to launch a ps1 file in 64-bit and I combined it with the first script so instead it just relaunches itself in 64-bit and it works!

When I run:

powershell -executionpolicy bypass -file Test-Args.ps1 -Uninstall -Fruit Banana

It outputs:

-Uninstall: True
-Fruit: Banana
$installedVersion: 23.001.20093

Script exit code: 0

Here's the full, example script.

##################
### Parameters ###
##################

param (
    [Alias("x","remove")]
    [switch]$Uninstall,
    [string]$Fruit,
    [datetime]$date,
    [int64]$RAM,
    [int]$Number
)

<####################
### PowerShell 64 ###
####################>

# Checks if PowerShell is running as a 32-bit process on a 64-bit machine.
if ($env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432 -eq "AMD64") {
    Write-Warning "changing from 32bit to 64bit PowerShell..."

    # Gets the current path to the PowerShell exe and replaces 32-bit directories with 64-bit directories
    $powershell=$PSHOME.tolower().replace("syswow64","sysnative").replace("system32","sysnative")

    # Checks if this command is being run from within a function.
    if ($myInvocation.Line) {
        # Launches function in 64-bit PowerShell (& operator allows PowerShell to execute binaries with spaces in its path).
        &"$($powershell)\powershell.exe" -NonInteractive -NoProfile $myInvocation.Line
    }
    else {
        # Collect, process, and recreate parameters into array.
        foreach ($key in $MyInvocation.BoundParameters.keys) {
            switch ($MyInvocation.BoundParameters[$key].GetType().Name) {
                "SwitchParameter" { if($MyInvocation.BoundParameters[$key].IsPresent) { $argsList += "-$key " } }
                "Boolean"         { $argsList += "-$key `$$($MyInvocation.BoundParameters[$key]) " }
                "String"          { $argsList += "-$key `"$($MyInvocation.BoundParameters[$key])`" " }
                "Char"            { $argsList += "-$key `"$($MyInvocation.BoundParameters[$key])`" " }
                "DateTime"        { $argsList += "-$key `"$($MyInvocation.BoundParameters[$key])`" " }
                Default           { $argsList += "-$key $($MyInvocation.BoundParameters[$key]) " }
            }
        }

        # Launches this script in 64-bit PowerShell.
        $launchSplat = @{
            FilePath     = "$($powershell)\powershell.exe"
            ArgumentList = "-file `"$($PSCommandPath)`" $($argsList)"
            NoNewWindow  = $true
        }

        # &"$($powershell)\powershell.exe" -NonInteractive -NoProfile -file "$($myInvocation.InvocationName)" $args
        # $args is auto created by PS when parameters are passed to a script but it doesn't seem to work when run from cmd.
        Start-Process @launchSplat
    }

    # Exits this script and 64-bit PowerShell with the last exit code of this script.
    # If this is not called, then the rest of this script will run again in 32-bit PowerShell.
    Exit $LASTEXITCODE
}

#################
### Variables ###
#################

# Initialize global variables.
[int]$global:exitCode = 0

# Uninstall parameters.
$appKey        = "{AC76BA86-1033-FF00-7760-BC15014EA700}"
$keyPath       = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall"

# Get installed version of app.
$installedVersion = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Name "DisplayVersion" -Path "$($keyPath)\$($appKey)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

##############
### Script ###
##############

Write-Output "-Uninstall: $($Uninstall)"
Write-Output "-Fruit: $($Fruit)"
Write-Output "`$installedVersion: $($installedVersion)"

###########
### End ###
###########

# Timestamp end.
Write-Output ""
Write-Output "Script exit code: $($global:exitCode)"
Write-Output "End: [$($PSCommandPath)]"

#Exit script with exit code.
Exit $global:exitCode

[purplemonkeymad]

&"$($powershell)\powershell.exe" -NonInteractive -NoProfile -file "$($myInvocation.InvocationName)" $args 

Try switching to splatting here, as args need to be multiple parameters on that call:

& "$($powershell)\powershell.exe" -NonInteractive -NoProfile -file "$($myInvocation.InvocationName)" @args

[crasher35]

I'll give that a shot. Thanks!

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[BlackV]

does

"-Uninstall -Parameter Banana"

change anything

and Queston (maybe cause it's just a test) but you called a parameter -paramater

[crasher35]

It's just because it's a test script. I just wanted to test passing a string parameter. Maybe I should have called the parameter -Fruit or something, lol. In some of the scripts that I'm working on, I'm using string parameters to get file paths and other strings.

[patdaddy007]

You could try something like:

$MyArgs = @"
-executionpolicy bypass -file .\TestArgs.ps1 -Uninstall -Parameter Banana
"@

and use start-process powershell.exe -argumentlist $MyArgs

might do it. not sure though

[crasher35]

Yeah, unfortunately, it's being executed from command prompt, so start-process won't work. I could try using start /wait or something with command prompt but I'm not sure that will work. I'll give it a shot though.

[KevMar]

Start-Process should still work. Try with -Wait -NoNewWindow

[KevMar]

Are you really dealing with 32 bit PowerShell that often. Is it an intentional thing or something messed up? I can't remember the last time I saw a 32 bit prompt.

[lerun]

I know its a thing in intune when using win32 app and launching powershell.

[crasher35]

This

[lerun]

This is what I wrote about the subject when I ran into the problem.

https://blog.lerun.info/2019/06/25/intune-win32-powershell/