Powershell Environment Configuration

Overview

Any issues and solutions that have been encountered configuring the Powershell environment to run scripts.

Creating and modifying environment variables

• Creating and Modifying Environment Variables (Microsoft TechNet)

Display all environment variables

> Get-ChildItem Env:

Display information about a particular environment variable

> $Env:path

Create a variable for the current session only

> $env:TestVariable = "This is a test environment variable."

User- and machine-level environment variables

To create a persistent user-level environment variable:

> [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("TestVariable", "Test value.", "User")

• "TestVariable" is the name of the variable.
• "Test Value." is the value assigned to the variable.
• "User" is the level of the variable. "User" makes this a user-level variable. Alternate values are "Machine" and "Process".

Variables set with SetEnvironmentVariable() don't appear using the Get-ChildItem env: command until the current shell is closed and a new one is opened, although the value of the variable can be retrieved with

> [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("TestVariable","User")

Deleting environment varables

> Remove-Item Env:\TestVariable

Or

> [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("TestVariable", $null, "User")

Script permissions

Script permissions on the local filesystem

By default powershell scripts (.ps1) won't run. Permission for this doesn't allow for the local machine to execute powershell scripts.

[SCRIPT_NAME] : File [FULL_SCRIPT_PATH] cannot be loaded. The file [FULL_SCRIPT_PATH] is not digitally signed.

TODO: Document how to update the environment to allow this. I don't remember the details of how it was done right now.

Allowing scripts to run from UNC paths

Internet Properties dialog

Intranet Permissions dialog

By default powershell scripts can't be run from UNC paths (e.g. \\mylocalserver\path\to\script.ps1):

[SCRIPT_NAME] : File [FULL_SCRIPT_PATH] cannot be loaded. The file [FULL_SCRIPT_PATH] is not digitally signed.

• Control Panel > Network and Internet > Internet Options > Security tab
• Select a zone to view or change security settings: Local Intranet
• Sites button
  • Uncheck "Automatically detect intranet network"
  • Check "Include all local (intranet) sites not listed in other zones"
  • Check "Include all network paths (UNC)"

Aliases

There is a file that controls the current user's powershell environment. Scripts and script aliases are stored in this file.

TODO: I don't remember offhand where this file is located. Document its location.