Windows PowerShell command on Get-command Add-PSSnapin

NAME

Add-PSSnapin

SYNOPSIS

Adds one or more Windows PowerShell snap-ins to the current session.

SYNTAX

Add-PSSnapin [-Name] [-PassThru] []

DESCRIPTION

The Add-PSSnapin cmdlet adds registered Windows PowerShell snap-ins to the current session. After the snap-ins are

added, you can use the cmdlets and providers that the snap-ins support in the current session.

To add the snap-in to all future Windows PowerShell sessions, add an Add-PSSnapin command to your Windows

PowerShell profile. For more information, see about_Profiles. Beginning in Windows PowerShell 3.0, the core commands that are included in Windows PowerShell are packaged in

modules. The exception is Microsoft.PowerShell.Core , which is a snap-in (PSSnapin). By default, only the

Microsoft.PowerShell.Core snap-in is added to the session. Modules are imported automatically on first use and you

can use the Import-Module cmdlet to import them.

PARAMETERS

-Name

Specifies the name of the snap-in. This is the Name, not the AssemblyName or ModuleName. Wildcards are

permitted.

To find the names of the registered snap-ins on your system, type `Get-PSSnapin -Registered`.

Required? true Position? 0 Default value None

Accept pipeline input? True (ByPropertyName)

Accept wildcard characters? false

-PassThru []

Indicates that this cmdlet returns an object that represents each added snap-in. By default, this cmdlet does

not generate any output. Required? false Position? named Default value False Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug, ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable, OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).

INPUTS

None You cannot pipe objects to this cmdlet.

OUTPUTS

None or System.Management.Automation.PSSnapInInfo

This cmdlet returns a PSSnapInInfo object that represents the snap-in if you specify the PassThru parameter.

Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

NOTES

Beginning in Windows PowerShell 3.0, the core commands that are installed with Windows PowerShell are packaged

in modules. In Windows PowerShell 2.0, and in host programs that create older-style sessions in later versions

of Windows PowerShell, the core commands are packaged in snap-ins (PSSnapins). The exception is

Microsoft.PowerShell.Core *, which is always a snap-in. Also, remote sessions, such as those started by the

New-PSSession cmdlet, are older-style sessions that include core snap-ins.

For information about the CreateDefault2 method that creates newer-style sessions with core modules, see

CreateDefault2 Methodhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/system.management.automation.runsp

aces.initialsessionstate.createdefault2(v=VS.85).aspx (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/

system.management.automation.runspaces.initialsessionstate.createdefault2(v=VS.85).aspx) in the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) library.

* For detailed information about snap-ins in Windows PowerShell, see about_PSSnapins. For information about

how to create a Windows PowerShell snap-in, see How to Create a Windows PowerShell

Snap-inhttp://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=144762http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=144762

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=144762http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=144762) in the MSDN

library. Add-PSSnapin * adds the snap-in only to the current session. To add the snap-in to all Windows

PowerShell sessions, add it to your Windows PowerShell profile. For more information, see about_Profiles.

* You can add any Windows PowerShell snap-in that has been registered by using the Microsoft .NET Framework

install utility. For more information, see How to Register Cmdlets, Providers, and Host Applicationshttp://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=143619http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=143619 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=143619http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=143619) in the MSDN library.

* To get a list of snap-ins that are registered on your computer, type `Get-PSSnapin -Registered`. Before

adding a snap-in, Add-PSSnapin * checks the version of the snap-in to verify that it is compatible with the

current version of Windows PowerShell. If the snap-in fails the version check, Windows PowerShell reports an

error.

Example 1: Add snap-ins

PS C:\>Add-PSSnapIn -Name Microsoft.Exchange, Microsoft.Windows.AD

This command adds the Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory snap-ins to the current session.

Example 2: Add all the registered snap-ins

PS C:\>Get-PSSnapin -Registered | Add-PSSnapin -Passthru

This command adds all of the registered Windows PowerShell snap-ins to the session. It uses the Get-PSSnapin

cmdlet with the Registered parameter to get objects representing each of the registered snap-ins. The pipeline

operator (|) passes the result to Add-PSSnapin , which adds them to the session. The PassThru parameter returns

objects that represent each of the added snap-ins.

Example 3: Register a snap-in and add it

The first command gets snap-ins that have been added to the current session that include the snap-ins that are

installed with Windows PowerShell. In this example, ManagementFeatures is not returned. This indicates that it has not been added to the session.

PS C:\>Get-PSSnapin

The second command gets snap-ins that have been registered on your system, which includes those that have already

been added to the session. It does not include the snap-ins that are installed with Windows PowerShell. In this

case, the command does not return any snap-ins. This indicates that the ManagementFeatures snapin has not been

registered on the system.

PS C:\>Get-PSSnapin -Registered

The third command creates an alias, installutil, for the path of the InstallUtil tool in .NET Framework.

PS C:\>Set-Alias installutil $env:windir\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\installutil.exe

The fourth command uses the InstallUtil tool to register the snap-in. The command specifies the path of

ManagementCmdlets.dll, the file name or module name of the snap-in.

PS C:\>installutil C:\Dev\Management\ManagementCmdlets.dll

The fifth command is the same as the second command. This time, you use it to verify that the ManagementCmdlets

snap-in is registered.

PS C:\>Get-PSSnapin -Registered

The sixth command uses the Add-PSSnapin cmdlet to add the ManagementFeatures snap-in to the session. It

specifies the name of the snap-in, ManagementFeatures, not the file name.

PS C:\>add-pssnapin ManagementFeatures

To verify that the snap-in is added to the session, the seventh command uses the *Module* parameter of the

Get-Command cmdlet. It displays the items that were added to the session by a snap-in or module.

PS C:\>Get-Command -Module ManagementFeatures

You can also use the **PSSnapin** property of the object that the **Get-Command** cmdlet returns to find the

snap-in or module in which a cmdlet originated. The eighth command uses dot notation to find the value of the

PSSnapin property of the Set-Alias cmdlet.

PS C:\>(Get-Command Set-Alias).pssnapin

This example demonstrates the process of registering a snap-in on your system and then adding it to your session.

It uses ManagementFeatures, a fictitious snap-in implemented in a file that is named ManagementCmdlets.dll.