pwshguy

Enjoy an extra large edition, since I was sick last week and wasn't able to post.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Use PowerShell to deploy and access GPT-4o in Azure OpenAI Service
  The Azure OpenAI Service is a specialized offering within the broader set of Azure Cognitive Services, providing access to OpenAI's language models. The service can be accessed through REST APIs, Python SDK, and a web-based interface, Azure OpenAI Studio. In this article, you will learn how to deploy and access the GPT-4o model in Azure with PowerShell.
• Tracking Down User Logons with PowerShell and XPath
  When working with Windows event logs, especially the Security log, there might be instances where you need to extract specific information from events.
• How to Leverage Reusable PS Remoting Sessions in your Scripts
  PS remoting lets you execute commands remotely. Learn how to create and manage persistent sessions in this short how-to covering creating and managing sessions.
• Microsoft 365: How to set OneDrive Quotas with PowerShell
  In this blog post I will show you how to set OneDrive quotas with PowerShell. I’d say here we go! First, let’s connect to SharePoint Online.
• Microsoft Purview Audit Search Graph API: Retrieve audit logs from Microsoft 365 with PowerShell
  Microsoft Purview integrates with Microsoft 365 applications such as Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams, providing comprehensive data governance, compliance, and protection capabilities across these platforms. One of the standout components of this suite is the Audit Search Graph API, which is currently in public preview. It allows developers and administrators retrieve detailed audit logs programmatically, providing deep insights into user activities across Microsoft services. In this blog, I will explore the full potential of the Microsoft Purview Audit Search Graph API and demonstrate how to use the API through both PowerShell and HTTP methods.
• Understanding the Clean block in PowerShell
  PowerShell, a powerful scripting language and automation framework, provides features that enhance script development and execution. Among these features is the clean block, a lesser-known yet beneficial component in PowerShell functions. This article explores the clean block, its purpose, and how to use it effectively in PowerShell scripts.
• To Splat or Not to Splat, That’s the Question
  Splatting is an optional PowerShell technique designed to make it easier to pass parameter values for cmdlets. It’s a personal choice whether to use splatting instead of passing values to individual parameters in the command line. Although the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK can be a little strange at times, you can use splatting with SDK cmdlets, even with some pretty complex parameters such as those used to filter objects.
• Export Microsoft 365 License Cost Report Using PowerShell
  Microsoft 365 offers a vast array of plans and licenses, making it easy to find the perfect fit for your business needs. But with that flexibility comes complexity. Managing Microsoft 365 licenses and the cost spent on all those licenses can lead to confusion and can be a challenge.
• Get SharePoint Files & Folders Created by External Users Using PowerShell
  External collaboration in SharePoint Online is essential for certain projects and tasks that might involve users from external organizations. External sharing in SharePoint Online and the ability to grant them access to our resources simplifies communication and bridges the collaboration gaps.
• PowerShell Arrays
  You probably use it all the time in your scripts, but how do they work? In this blog post, I will show some simple examples of what you can do with them :)
• Experimenting with PowerShell Batching and Parallel Execution
  PowerShell Parallel Processing is a mechanism to speed the processing of large quantities of data. In this example, we discuss how to use parallel batches to fetch Entra ID account information using mailbox data to drive information retrieval. Although this is only a demonstration of a technique, it might help those who must process thousands of mailboxes or accounts and would like to do so more quickly.

Continued in the comments, due to size limits...

Announcements!

• Celebrate the life of VBScript
  Microsoft announced more of the timeline for VBScript this past week: Windows 11 24H2 makes it a removable “feature on demand” (FOD), and sometime in 2027 is expected to be turned off
• v7.5.0-preview.3 Release of PowerShell
  Come see what's new and upcoming in PowerShell 7.5

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• PowerShell Tool-Building 101: Building a Computer Inventory Report
  Join me on an exciting journey as we build a powerful PowerShell tool for generating computer inventory reports! From CSV files to CIM queries and error handling, we'll walk you through each step as we go. Let's script our way to success!
• Deploy Windows 11 with the free PowerShell framework OSDCloud
  OSDCloud is a free PowerShell framework for deploying Windows 10 and Windows 11. The tool provides simple methods for adding drivers and configuring settings in an image. After booting from a customized WinPE, either the OSDCloudGUI or an automated script initiates the installation.
• Practical PowerShell Series: Part 4 Branching
  In my previous article in the Practical PowerShell series, I discussed looping as part of flow control. In this article, I cover another essential part of flow control: branching. Branching defines multiple paths for your code to follow, depending on conditions.
• Querying DNS Records with PowerShell
  In this blog post explore how you can use PowerShell to query DNS records.
• A simple PowerShell script template I use when creating new scripts
  I spin up new PowerShell scripts all the time, whether just for quickly experimenting and testing things out, or for projects that I know will be around for a while. There’s a few basic things that I like all my scripts to have, so I’ve created a simple template that I use when creating new scripts.
• Working with Teams Messaging Using the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK
  This article describes how to use the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK to interact with Teams messaging to create new one-to-one and group chats and post messages to chats and channel conversations.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• DependencySearch v 1.1.7
  Module contains functions that allows you to check for PowerShell code/script/module dependencies through static code analysis (AST).
• MSIdentityTools PowerShell Module 2.0.58 released
  Just a few Hours ago, Microsoft has released a new Version of MSIdentityTools PowerShell Module

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• PowerShell Scripting and Toolmaking
  Several years ago Don Jones and I wrote what we hoped would be the definitive book on PowerShell scripting and toolmaking. The book takes all off our years of experience, not only from writing PowerShell code, to teaching and conference presentations where we hear first hand what people struggle with.
• Frontend PowerShell with Google Forms: Part 2 Replying with Gmail
  [OC] Learn how to integrate Gmail into your scripts to send automated email responses. You’ll also learn how to make your automations more flexible by accounting for things like hitting grid limits in Google Sheets.

Community

• Inside IT Automation | E04 | Erwin van Hunen talks about PnP PowerShell, MS Graph, music and more
  Erwin is the 'Father' of PnP PowerShell, an open source PowerShell module that is used millions of times everyday worldwide to perform automated tasks towards Office 365 and SharePoint. He is also a Microsoft MVP and well-known public speaker, and technology evangelist. As Chief Technolgy Officer he shapped products and services at Valo, Staffbase and Rencore. Currently he is Head of Product at MondayCoffee.
• PowerShell on Linux and Beyond with Steven Judd
  In this celebration-themed episode of the PowerShell Podcast, Steven Judd makes his long-awaited return. We announce the first PowerShell Podcast MVP winner. We share tips about regex and URL encoding and dive deep into PowerShell on Linux, CloudShell, and becoming a lifelong learner. All this and more!

Events

• DFWSMUG MMS Review and National Peanut Butter Cookie Day - June Meetup
  June 12th 2024 at Microsoft MTC in Las Colinas. In-person only event.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Upload a PowerShell Script to Intune (With PowerShell) From Scratch
  Automate deploying PowerShell scripts to Intune devices with Azure app registration, Graph API, and more in this step-by-step tutorial.
• Remove store apps from a Windows image
  In professional environments, most store apps delivered with Windows are of little value, prompting admins to remove them from the image before deployment. However, you should avoid indiscriminately deleting them, as some system-relevant apps may be among them. PowerShell can be used to remove the crapware selectively.
• Find the Teams Meetings Attended by a Specific User Using PowerShell
  Ever wondered how much time your team members spend in Teams meetings? Or perhaps you’re tasked with analyzing an individual’s meeting activity within Teams. Look no further! In this blog, we’ll explore the methods to obtain user-specific Teams meeting reports. Here, we’ll also introduce a crafted PowerShell script that simplifies the process…
• Parameters for PowerShell Scripts and Functions
  Using parameters for your Scripts and Functions is very powerful. You don't have to hardcode things in them, making running them from a command line easier. This blog post will show you the parameters I use in most of my scripts and how they work.
• Use the Azure OpenAI GPT-4o (all-in-one-model) with PowerShell!
  On May 13th GPT-4o was released in preview in the Azure OpenAI Playground. No API access, only accessible in the browser. Today I was going into the playground to test something with the GPT-4o model, but could not find it. What had happened? Turnes out it suddenly was in GA and available to choose under … Continue reading Use the Azure OpenAI GPT-4o (all-in-one-model) with PowerShell!
• Automating PowerShell tasks with Container App Jobs
  I previously wrote about Automating maintenance tasks with Azure Functions and PowerShell. That combo has been my go-to solution for many automation tasks.
• A Powershell GUI using DotNet Windows.Forms to start AWS Lambda Functions and display their output
  A Powershell GUI using DotNet Windows.Forms to start AWS Lambda Functions and display their output - powershell-gui-aws-lambda-start-functions.ps1

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• WinGet.CommandNotFound
  We are pleased to announce the release of WinGet.CommandNotFound! This PowerShell module is a feedback provider plugin for PowerShell that leverages the Windows Package Manager to provide suggestions for packages to install when a native command cannot be found. The command-line predictor feature in PowerShell enables this module to display WinGet packages as predictive suggestions.
• Keep Microsoft Teams status Available instead of away using PowerShell
  It is one of the things I hear my colleagues, and even my girlfriend, mention regularly... Why does Microsoft Teams think I'm away while I'm not / My PC isn't locked yet... I read a few solutions, setting your status duration to a date in the future, etc... Didn't work :( What does work is running my simple PowerShell scripts, which I will show you in this blog post :)
• ps-arch-wsl v 0.1.1
  Install Arch Linux on Windows the easy way.
• Posh-ACME v 4.23.1
  ACME protocol client for obtaining certificates using Let's Encrypt (or other ACME compliant CA)
• dbatools.ai v 1.0
  dbatools.ai is a copilot for SQL Server databases

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• Frontend PowerShell with Google Forms: Part 1 Getting your data
  [OC] Learn how to get data from a Google Form into PowerShell, by building a repeatable and reusable automation you can use to with any form.
• The PowerShell Practice Primer
  A collection of over 100 PowerShell learning exercises targeted for beginners developed by PowerShell MVP and veteran teacher Jeff Hicks.

Community

• PowerShell on the road at MMS-MOA with Sven De Groote and Chris Thomas
  On this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, Andrew is back on the road, attending the MMS 2024 at MOA conference. Andrew catches up with Sven De Groote and Chris Thomas. Andrew and Sven take a dive into the PSAppDeployToolkit. Later in the episode, Andrew and Chris chat about PSADT, Chris’ PowerShell journey, his talk at MMS-MOA, and more.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Announcements!

• PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2024
  Come check out all of the recorded sessions from this years summit.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• PowerShell Testing Mastery with Data-Driven Pester
  I’ve been using Pester for a long time off and on. I’ve always been obsessed with ensuring reliability in my PowerShell code. After writing the Pester Book and mentioning some of the methodologies I used with Pester v4 I’ll present in this blog post, I’ve since learned Pester v5 makes my work so much easier.
• PowerShell Basics: Navigating CSV Files
  In this tutorial, we're diving into the essentials of handling CSV files using PowerShell, covering a variety of scenarios you might encounter in the real world. This guide will help sysadmins and IT professionals manage data effectively, demonstrating the power and flexibility of PowerShell in working with different types of CSV files.
• Hyper-V: Enabling VM Resource Metering
  It is a good idea to monitor your Hyper-V VMs to get an overview of where resources are being consumed.
• Check Windows 11 Hardware Readiness with PowerShell Script
  In this article, we’ll look at how to use the official Microsoft HardwareReadiness.ps1 PowerShell script to perform a bulk Windows 11 hardware compatibility check on domain computers.
• Deprecated PowerShell Modules and Azure AD Graph retirement
  You created a script or function a while back that people in the company use a lot, and suddenly... They come to you telling you that it doesn't work anymore. :( The module you used has become deprecated, cmdlets don't all work anymore, etc. In this blog post, I will show the three most prominent modules that have become deprecated and where you can find good information about the successor to adjust your scripts.
• Configure ‘Allow logon locally’ automatically using PowerShell and Microsoft Intune
  I know Microsoft Intune has the ability to configure this particular user rights assignment natively already. At time of writing, the new security baseline for Windows 11 23H2 in Intune configure this as well, restricting local logons to the built-in groups: Users and Administrators. This solution does something else. This solution grabs the currently logged on user and configures the ‘Allow logon locally‘ policy to ONLY allow this very user as well as Administrators to be able to log on locally.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• Detecting Windows Terminal with PowerShell
  In the evolving landscape of software development and system administration, understanding your environment is essential for ensuring that scripts and commands run as expected. One useful PowerShell function that helps identify whether a script is running within Windows Terminal is my Test-IsWindowsTerminal function. This function is valuable for developers and system administrators who must tailor their scripts based on the terminal environment.
• PowerShell Script to Check Active Directory Member Servers for Automatic Services’ Status
  I’ve been caught by an automatic service not starting after system reboots from things like patching.
• Find your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
  A PowerShell function to display the current IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of the machine. Useful to include in $PROFILE

Community

• For the love of PowerShell and Curling with Frank Lesniak
  In this special MMSMOA episode of the PowerShell Podcast, Andrew is joined by Frank Lesniak. We touch base after PowerShell Summit, hear about tracking airplanes with ADS-B and raspberry pi's. Frank talks about classes and how they almost caused him to fall out of love with PowerShell. We also recount what most be the most brutal display of athleticism, curling.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Announcements!

• Windows Terminal Preview 1.21 Release
  Windows Terminal is back with another preview release! Windows Terminal Preview 1.21 introduces long-awaited features like Buffer Restore and fontfall back as well as new experimental features like Scratchpad and the ability to load up an image as a texture. There’s also a LOT MORE stuff so check out the rest of this blog post to learn more!

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Upload a file to Connectwise and Attach it to a Service Ticket with PowerShell
  I have recently been automating a lot within Connectwise PSA. One of the items I set out to do is to upload a file and attach it to a service ticket. This led me to the following article, but after doing some testing, I found that some file types were not properly rendering on the Connectwise side, making me believe there was something wrong with the encoding.
• More Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK Problems
  Some problems emerged in V2.17 and V2.18 of the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK. In one case, Microsoft changed cmdlet names. In another, it's an identity issue caused by incompatible assemblies. In both cases, questions have to be asked about the level of testing done by Microsoft before they release a new module. Bugs do happen, but testing should catch the obvious problems.
• Using $using in PowerShell for local variables in remote sessions
  When running scripts that connect to remote systems using Invoke-Command, you can use your local variables in the remote session which makes things a lot easier. In this blog post, I will show you how :)
• Read, Modify, and Parse JSON File (Object) with PowerShell
  JSON is a popular text-based format for representing and transmitting structured data based on JavaScript object syntax. There are two cmdlets in PowerShell that allow you to work with the…
• Report SharePoint Online Files Using the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK
  This article describes creating a SharePoint Online files report using the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK. While keeping digital debris online might have been unimportant in the past, it's something that can wreak havoc in the era of generative AI when tools like Copilot for Microsoft 365 are happy to consume obsolete and inaccurate material.
• Get-FileHash of 100G files
  An interesting thread on reading file hashes.
• Finding the specific day of the month with PowerShell
  Advanced usage of PowerShell's Get-Date function for finding dates

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• Microsoft 365 Tenant-to-Tenant Migration Assessment Version 2
  In this blog, Sean Mcavinue reviews an update to his original Tenant-to-Tenant Migration Assessment, which is designed to gather key data to consider during the migration planning process.
• Maester v 0.0.127
  Pester based test automation framework to monitor your Microsoft 365 security configuration.
• AutomateNOW v 1.0.18
  Interact with the API of an AutomateNOW! instance

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• Pick Up The PowerShell Practice Primer
  I've updated The PowerShell Practice Primer with even more PowerShell 7 content. Now over 120 challenges to test your skill and knowledge.

Community

• PowerShell Perspectives: Ryan Lancial on Company Culture and Authentic Careers
  In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, I'm joined by Ryan Lancial - Security Engineer at Red Canary. We talk about our shared history, his journey to security, what makes a good company culture, succeeding with no degree, the value of authenticity, and more!

Fun

• PixelPoSH
  PixelPoSH is a PowerShell module that generates customizable graphical backgrounds using System.Drawing in .NET. This tool allows users to create images with various graphical patterns like bubbles, concentric circles, stripes, and squares. It's perfect for quickly generating backgrounds for desktops, websites, or any project that could use a splash of color and creativity.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Encrypting secrets locally
  Keeping security folks happy (or less upset which is the best we can hope for)
• Partition Windows drive in WinPE using PowerShell
  An essential step towards automating the Windows setup process is replacing the system drive's interactive partitioning with a script. Microsoft's examples for this purpose rely on batch files and Diskpart. However, installing PowerShell in Windows PE allows for a much more elegant solution.
• Your Go-To PowerShell Template for HTTP-Triggered Azure Functions
  Struggling with messy Azure Functions PowerShell code? Learn how to adapt your scripts for serverless, validate HTTP parameters, throw descriptive errors, and bind PowerShell output to HTTP responses for robust web-friendly functions.
• Removing Outlook Add-ins From Mailboxes with PowerShell
  The Share to Teams Outlook add-in posts an email to a Teams chat or channel conversation. I was asked how to disable the add-in for some mailboxes. Here's how to do the job using PowerShell to find a set of target mailboxes and then turn off Send to Teams for each mailbox.
• New PowerShell Command Parameters in ConfigMgr 2403
  Here is a list of the Configuration Manager (SCCM) PowerShell module changes in version 2403. So far only the Save-CMSoftwareUpdate changes has been documented, but I have found a few more changes when poking around in the 2403 PowerShell module. Here is a list of the Configuration Manager (SCCM) PowerShell module changes in version 2403.
• The only PowerShell Command you will ever need to find out who did what in Active Directory
  While the title of this blog may be a bit exaggeration, the command I'm trying to show here does it's best to deliver on the promise. What you're about to witness here is something I've worked on for a while now, and it meets my basic needs. If you don't have SIEM product or products that monitor who does what in Active Directory this command makes it very easy, even for people who don't have much experience in reading Event Logs. If you'd like to learn about working with Windows Event Logs here's a great article I wrote recently - PowerShell - Everything you wanted to know about Event Logs and then some.
• PowerShell: the object-oriented shell you didn’t know you needed
  PowerShell is an interactive shell and scripting language from Microsoft. It’s object-oriented — and that’s not just a buzzword, that’s a big difference to how the standard Unix shells work. And it is actually usable as an interactive shell.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• Report on Non-Compliant Intune devices
  I received a question on the Microsoft Tech Community forum regarding creating a report about non-compliant Intune devices. The report should give insight into what device has what issue with which setting; the person asking the question was already working on a Microsoft Graph script but couldn't find a suitable way. In this blog post, I will show how to create this report. There are other scripts out there, but I always like a challenge (And Microsoft Graph can be quite a challenge sometimes ;) )
• PSMake
  PSMake is an all-in-one project management and lifecycle toolset for PowerShell.
• 365Automatedlab V2.10.1 Released!
  I know I said every 2 weeks, but I lied. I wanted to get this out! It is now possible to add a manager when creating a new user. Also added a feature so that when you use the parameter -UseDevelope…

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• Pick Up The PowerShell Practice Primer
  A number of years ago, I published book on Leanpub, designed to help you teach yourself PowerShell. After you get through the first Month of Lunches book, what do you do next? The best way to learn PowerShell is to do it. But it might be challending trying to figure out what to do. I...
• Practical PowerShell: Flow Control
  “Control, Control, You Must Learn Control.” I rarely quote Yoda’s wisdom in articles, but this is an exception. After discussing advanced functions in the second Practical PowerShell article, the other important scripting skill to master is using the flow control cmdlets. These cmdlets are not just theoretical concepts; they are practical assets that can significantly enhance your PowerShell scripts.

Community

• The PowerShell & Global DevOps Summit 2024 Bar session 4
  In this episode, we have 2 interviews: Danny Stutz and Carrie Cargil. We start things off chatting with Danny and hearing about his first time speaking at Summit and how his career has gone. He shares some of his keys to success and he is someone to keep your eye out for.
• Inside IT Automation E03
  Matthew Dowst talks about PowerShell, Python, writing books and more

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Removing Licenses from Entra ID Accounts When a Replacement License Exists
  License management is a core competence for Microsoft 365 tenant administrators. This article explains how to use PowerShell to remove licenses from accounts when an equivalent service plan is available from another license. It's the kind of fix-up operation that tenant administrators need to do on an ongoing basis.
• Sending Urgent Teams Chats with PowerShell
  A reader asked if it is possible to script sending chat messages. In this article, we explore how to compose and send Teams urgent messages to a set of recipients using Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK cmdlets. The conversation with each recipient is a one-to-one chat that Teams either creates from scratch or reuses (if a suitable one-on-one chat exists).
• Azure AD: How to set Maximum Devices per User
  The default value of the maximum number of devices per user in Azure AD is 50 devices. That is a lot. If you want to restrict the number of devices then you came to the right place.
• Configuring NTFS Permissions using PowerShell
  Here are some quick examples on configuring NTFS permissions using PowerShell. The first example is using the takeown.exe and icacls.exe commands driven by PowerShell, and the second example is using the takeown.exe and native Get-Acl and Set-Acl PowerShell cmdlets. Credits: Thanks to Gary Blok for showing me the Get-Acl and Set-Acl PowerShell cmdlets.
• How to Automatically Update Apps in Intune with Dynamic Win32 App Deployment  
  Greetings, fellow IT admins! Repackaging setup files and editing your Win32 app again can be tedious and time-consuming. Thankfully, I bring you good news! There is a way to deploy a Win32 app and have it always install the latest version of the app on the computer.
• How to Read Outlook Emails with PowerShell
  Let’s look at how to open, read, and parse emails in a connected Outlook mailbox from within a PowerShell script. Outlook MAPI allows you to directly access the mailbox, list…
• Azure DevOps Workload Identity & Terraform Authentication
  Azure DevOps supports Workload Identity federation (powered by OpenID Connect) to authenticate to Azure and Azure DevOps from your pipelines for deploying Terraform configurations. Workload Identity federation To follow along with this tutorial, you will need: To follow along with more code examples, check out this GitHub repository:JeffBrownTech/azure-devops-terraform-oidc-examples What is Workload Identity federation?
• The secret to PowerShell remoting over ssh
  The magic line of configuration to enable PowerShell remoting over ssh.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• Using .NET With PowerShell
  This goal of this post is to explore some .NET classes that may be useful to sysadmins and PowerShell devs without .NET (C#, etc.) experience, with a bit of a deeper dive into some concepts when warranted.
• tiPS v 1.3.3
  PowerShell tips delivered straight to your terminal. Now with author name for those who submit their own tips.

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• PowerShell Pro Tips: TUIs and Out-ConsoleGridView
  Want to add interfaces to your tools, all within the terminal where you are already running PowerShell? We'll learn about Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleGuiTools and learn how to make use of the Out-ConsoleGridView command to get you started on your TUI journey.
• Build Beautiful Docs using PlatyPS and MKDocs with Josh Hendricks
  Join Josh Hendricks for a look at how to build functional AND beautiful documentation from your existing code with PlatyPS.

Community

• The PowerShell and DevOps Global Summit 2024 Bar session 3
  In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we continue with our "bar sessions" from the PowerShell and DevOps Global Summit. We gain interesting insights into PowerShell, the Summit, career, and more. Our guests include Chris Masters, Joe Gasper, Rob Derickson, Chris Nguyen, Fred Weinmann, Merill Fernando, Clayton Tyger, Mike F. Robbins, Sean Wheeler, Prasidh Arora, and Danny Maertens.

Events

• Community Lightning Demos (featuring You!)
  Join us for an exciting community event where members can showcase their own code through short 5-10 minute demos. And be sure to submit your own demos.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• MarkdownToHtml Documentation
  Create static websites from Markdown sources with PowerShell fast and easy.
• Cloud operations for Windows Server through Azure Arc
  Running Windows Server on-premises or at the edge? Learn how you can leverage Azure management solutions for cloud operations for Windows Server through Azure Arc.
• Removing Licenses from Entra ID Accounts When a Replacement License Exists
  License management is a core competence for Microsoft 365 tenant administrators. This article explains how to use PowerShell to remove licenses from accounts when an equivalent service plan is available from another license. It's the kind of fix-up operation that tenant administrators need to do on an ongoing basis.
• Restrict User Access to Azure AD PowerShell and MS Graph Explorer
  We all know that any user in Microsoft Entra ID can read the users’ details and directory information using Entra ID portal, PowerShell, and Graph API Explorer. Although restricted from making changes, non-admins can still explore user information, group details, device details, etc.
• Report from which PowerShell module the cmdlets are from
  We all encountered this: you get a script or function that uses a certain cmdlet... And it fails because the cmdlet is not recognized :( But which module should you install to get the script working? Or does your script install or import all the required modules? In this blog post, I will show you how to check from which module(s) the cmdlet(s) originate and if they are present on your system or if you should install them.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• AzOps v 2.6.2
  Integrated CI/CD Solution for Microsoft Azure.
• Okta.PowerShell v 1.0.1
  Okta.PowerShell - the PowerShell module for Okta Management
• Active Directory Replication Summary to your Email or Microsoft Teams
  Active Directory replication is a critical process that ensures the consistent and up-to-date state of directory information across all domain controllers in a domain. Monitoring this process is important as it helps identify any issues that may arise and resolve them quickly. One way to monitor Active Directory replication is by using the Repadmin command-line tool. Repadmin provides a wealth of information about the replication status and health of a domain. However, manually checking the Repadmin output can be time-consuming and tedious, and running it manually every 30 minutes just to check if everything is great doesn't seem like a great idea. While PowerShell has its own commands around replication I've not found something as fast and reliable as repadmin /replsummary.
• PowerShell Script – KB5025885: How to manage the Windows Boot Manager revocations for Secure Boot changes associated with CVE-2023-24932
  Required Reading: KB5025885: How to manage the Windows Boot Manager revocations for Secure Boot changes associated with CVE-2023-24932 – Microsoft Support Related: Words of Warning Once you’ve applied the mitigations outlined in the KB, the device is difficult to work with when it comes to boot media / reimaging.
• 2.9.0 Released and Big Update
  I know it’s been a month, all good though! I think I may start doing monthly release, what are your thoughts? I was going to do every 2 weeks, but not sure if that is too quick. Big update as I’m s…

Community

• PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2024 reflections
  I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my return flight after what has been an awesome week at the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2024, North American edition in Bellevue, Washington. There’s a whirlwind of things going through my mind, so I thought I would try and capture some of them here.
• The PowerShell & DevOps Global Summit 2024 Bar Session 2
  In this special episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we chat with people at the PowerShell Summit. It's PowerShell after dark, the bar sessions. We talk about the OnRamp program, its scholarship program, and more. Then, we chat with Ambre Herron, Austin Hollett, Cory Knox, Ryan Richter, Vanda Paladino, and Tyson O'keefe.
• The Practical 365 Podcast S4 E17
  It took a little over 6 and a half years since the last episode of The UC Architects podcast, but I was finally reunited with Steve Goodman. This time it was to join him and Paul Robichaux to record an episode of the Practical 365 podcast, and talk about the new Practical PowerShell series on Practical365.com.
• PowerShell Community Heros – PowerShell.org
  The DevOps Collective has decided to establish a set of three awards to recognize and honor the contributions of community members who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to support and promote the PowerShell community. The awards will be presented at the annual PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit. It is hoped that these awards will motivate and inspire members of the PowerShell community.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• How to Retrieve Loop Workspaces Data with PowerShell
  A previous attempt to write a script to report all Loop workspaces in a tenant was flawed because it only retrieved the first 200 workspaces. I hadn't realized that the Get-SPOContainer cmdlet supported an odd form of pagination to retrieve workspace data. In any case, I figured out how to page top find all available workspaces and updated the script. It's just another example of oddness in the SharePoint Online PowerShell module
• Modifying the Teams Tenant Federation Configuration with PowerShell
  A new parameter for the Set-CsTenantFederationConfiguration cmdlet made me look at the Teams tenant federation configuration again to improve how a script works. Instead of taking all the domains guest accounts came from and adding them to the configuration, I created a function to check if the tenant uses Microsoft 365. If it does, we add the tenant to the allow list in the tenant federation configuration. If not, we ignore the domain.
• Automate on-premises Windows Server from the cloud using Azure Arc
  Running Windows Server on-premises or at the edge? Learn how you can leverage Azure automation, PowerShell, Windows commands, and Azure management solutions for Windows Server on-premises. At the Windows Server Summit 2024, I had the chance to deliver a session with Ryan Willis Product Manager for Azure Arc and we went through different automation options …
• PowerShell: Waiting for jobs to complete with Wait-Job
  The cmdlet Wait-Job waits until one or all of the PowerShell jobs running in the session are in a terminating state. In this blog post I will show you an example
• PowerShell data/reference types for variables
  When you store data in a variable, PowerShell can store it how you want it to be if you use the correct data type. This blog post will show you how that works and which data types I mostly use for my scripts.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• PowerShellRun
  PowerShellRun is a PowerShell module that lets you fuzzy search applications, utilities and functions you define and launch them with ease. It is a customizable launcher app on the PowerShell terminal.
• Rocker v 0.1.1
  Rock Docker with PowerShell
• PSPlex v 1.0.16
  A PowerShell module to aid Plex server management.
• TheDashboard v 0.0.24
  TheDashboard is a module that allows you to create a dashboard for your HTML reports

Community

• From Blogging to DevOps with Jeff Brown Tech
  In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we are thrilled to host Jeff Brown, a seasoned educator and PowerShell enthusiast. Jeff takes us on a journey spanning nearly two decades of his prolific blog writing, revealing how it shaped his career trajectory. Delving into the importance of certifications, Jeff emphasizes their role as a structured pathway for acquiring new skills and advancing in the tech industry. We explore Jeff's transition from Azure Engineer to the dynamic realm of DevOps, uncovering valuable insights along the way. Join us as Jeff shares his wealth of experience, offering invaluable advice and perspectives for aspiring IT professionals and seasoned experts alike.
• The PowerShell & DevOps Global Summit 2024 Bar Session 1
  In this special episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we chat with people at the PowerShell Summit. James Petty gives us a preview of the week ahead at PowerShell Summit. We also talk about the OnRamp program, its scholarship program, and more. Then, we chat with Ben Reader, Frank Lesniack, James Ruskin, Kevin Cefalu, and Steve Bucher.

Fun

• Spice up your day with dad jokes whenever you open PowerShell!
  Because who doesn't love a good dad joke?
• Windows+~ key combo opens Powershell
  I tested in Windows 11 and it does work!

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Announcements!

• PSResourceGet support for Azure Container Registry (ACR) is in Preview
  PSResourceGet 1.1 preview 1 is available

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Exchange Online: Message Tracking with PowerShell
  Message tracking in Exchange Online can be performed graphically as well as in PowerShell. In this post I will show how to track messages with PowerShell.
• Reduce your attack surface by disabling NetBIOS using PowerShell and Microsoft Intune
  Introduction If you are working with device management and IT security in general, you have probably heard about the recommendation to disable the legacy protocol NetBIOS in Windows. If this is news to you, there’s some interesting reading for you in this article: Adversary-in-the-Middle: LLMNR/NBT-NS Poisoning and SMB Relay, Sub-technique T1557.001 – Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK NOTE: Before disabling anything, make sure you do your due diligence and monitor your environment for NetBIOS traffic, so you don’t accidently break stuff!
• Installing and Using PowerShell Copilot
  PowerShell Copilot is a community-developed module that extends the capabilities of PowerShell by integrating with the GPT-4 language model. This innovative tool is designed to assist users in generating code quickly and efficiently, leveraging the vast repository of code available on GitHub.
• Porting PowerShell to FreeBSD, first working poc
  For background, there was a previous attempt to bring PowerShell to FreeBSD, but it seems it got stuck somewhere
• All About Pagination with the Graph and the Graph PowerShell SDK
  When you're new to Graph API requests, you might not know pagination and end up retrieving less data from queries than is available. In this article, we explain how to use pagination to retrieve data using Graph queries and SDK cmdlets.
• Getting the Timezone in Windows Using a Simple PowerShell Command
  Learn how to retrieve the timezone information in Windows using PowerShell. The Get-TimeZone command allows you to access various properties related to the timezone, such as the timezone ID, display name, and standard time offset. Follow the simple steps provided in this blog post to retrieve the timezone information for your Windows system. This information can be useful for troubleshooting, system administration, or scripting tasks. Give the Get-TimeZone command in PowerShell a try next time you need to retrieve the timezone in Windows.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• Material from my RTPSUG presentation
  Material from my RTPSUG presentation on writing better PowerShell code - demo.ps1
• PSTableauREST v 0.6.4
  This PowerShell module facilitates working with Tableau REST API for automation tasks. Most functions are implemented as wrappers for the corresponding API calls.
• OnePowerShellProfile v 1.0.12
  Generates a duplicate PowerShell profile for each installed PS editions (i.e. Desktop, ISE, Core)

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• How Hackers Can Hide PowerShell in Environment Variables
  A pretty good refresher on something to look out for.

Community

• Unveiling PowerShell’s Past: An Interview with Jeffrey Snover
  In this highly anticipated episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we sit down with the legendary Jeffrey Snover, the creator of PowerShell. With his departure from Microsoft, Jeffrey opens up about his insights, experiences, and candid opinions. From the inception of PowerShell to its current state, he shares the challenges he faced and the triumphs he celebrated. Jeffrey delves into the controversial topic of using aliases in scripts, shedding light on the pros and cons. Additionally, he offers thought-provoking perspectives on the evolving landscape of AI and his experience in AI ethics. Reflecting on his tenure at Microsoft, Jeffrey discusses the intricacies of navigating a large corporation and making a substantial impact. We also explore the concept of the "PowerShell sacred vow" and its significance. Join us for an illuminating conversation with Jeffrey Snover.
• Inside IT Automation | E02
  Kamen Nikolov talks about PowerCLI, PowerShell, VMware and more

Fun

• We need entertainment during ESP…
  We’ve all sat and watched the Enrollment Status Page (ESP) during an Autopilot provisioning process — it’s pretty boring overall, showing information that isn’t really useful (e.g. what does “Preparing for mobile device management” really mean)
• GitHub - StartAutomating/PowerArcade: A Retro Arcade Game Console in PowerShell
  A Retro Arcade Game Console in PowerShell. Contribute to StartAutomating/PowerArcade development by creating an account on GitHub.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Getting Started with GitHub Copilot in the CLI
  It was announced recently that GitHub Copilot in the CLI has reached General Availablity for all Individual, Business, and Enterprise customers. In this post, I will show you how you can get download and install the CLI and Copilot extension, authenticate to use Copilot, and the available commands and use cases.
• Graph and PowerShell Hiccups for the Groups and Teams Report Script
  The Microsoft 365 Groups and Teams Activity Report is a PowerShell script that I've worked on since 2016 (not all the time). Some recent Graph hiccups meant that I had to apply some fixes and workarounds. At the same time, some users hit the infamous 'not recognized as a valid datetime' problem, so another update was needed. All good, clean fun.
• 365AutomatedLab V2.8.0 is released and 365 Dev Tenant Announcement Feelings
  I know it’s been a bit, but life has been a bit hectic. Also a bit saddened about the Microsoft announcement that you can no longer create new Free 365 Dev Tenants. I’m really hoping they revert that decision, or make the Dev Tenant even better. I honestly don’t think it’s a money grab, but more for security. If it is toot easy to create a temp tenant it is a great tool for bad actors. I’ll leave it at that for now, and will probably do a bigger blog post on it in the future.
• Use PowerShell to create report of a DTS Compliant NPS log
  One of our customers had issues authenticating clients using NPS. One of the first things you do is… I read the NPS logs, and they were DTS Compliant formatted, a bit of a pain to read and search 🙁 So, I used PowerShell to create a nice log for me in either a GridView or … Continue reading Use PowerShell to create report of a DTS Compliant NPS log
• Practical PowerShell: Functions & Parameterization
  In the second installment of the Practical PowerShell series, I will discuss how to leverage code’s reusability through functions and scripts.
• With PowerShell (7) having all of the same capabilities of other languages, why isn't there a larger ecosystem around data analysis or ML/AI, and similar functions that most just automatically gravitate to other languages for?
  An interesting conversation with a bunch of great insight.
• Reliable way to log all console PowerShell output to a file? Start-Transcript doesn't work.
  I need to run various interactive PS scripts and log all ouput to log files. I thought I had found the perfect way to do this in the Start-Transcript command, but I can't make it work correctly. It does create log files, but it's always missing lines in the log files. Some lines are logged, some ate missing from the file, despite clearly being visible in the console. Anyone has any tips on the best way to do this? Thanks!

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• 15 Most Useful MS Graph PowerShell Scripts for Microsoft 365 IT Pros
  Are you among the many admins preparing for the retirement of AzureAD and MSOnline PowerShell modules? Transitioning to MS Graph PowerShell can be daunting, especially when searching for equivalent cmdlets. But fret not! I’ve curated a collection of essential PowerShell scripts tailored to manage your Microsoft 365 environment, all powered…
• PSBashCompletions v 1.2.5
  PSBashCompletions offers the ability to process bash completions into PowerShell.

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• Jeff Hicks - PSStyle - PowerShell with Style
  Many people think of PowerShell as a scripting language and forget that it is also a shell. But this is not the shell from DOS, or even from Windows 10. The new, modern PowerShell console is a rich, and colorful environment.

Community

• MVP Spotlight: Clayton Tyger's Story
  Join us for an inspiring episode of the PowerShell Podcast as we sit down with newly crowned Microsoft MVP, Clayton Tyger. Clayton shares his remarkable journey from being a PowerShell novice to achieving MVP status, highlighting the importance of a growth mindset and perseverance along the way. We delve into recent developments to his 365AutomatedLab module, exploring how it streamlines lab creation processes for PowerShell users. Additionally, Clayton discusses his adventures with ProxMox and PowerShell, offering valuable insights and practical tips. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with personal anecdotes, professional insights, and a deep dive into the world of PowerShell with Clayton Tyger.

Events

• DFWSMUG April Fools Day Meetup
  Join us for a fun-filled April Fools Day Meetup with DFWSMUG, where laughter and mischief await on April 1, 2024 at 5:00 PM. And come see me presenting on test infrastructure with Pester.

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.

Sorry for missing last week, but I was on vacation and this is a hand curated list.

Blogs, Articles, and Posts

• Simple form development using PowerShell
  Create .NET forms without all the .NET.
• List “Azure classic subscription administrators” via the Azure Portal or via an Azure PowerShell script
  This blog post will show you how to find all active “Azure classic subscription administrators” across any of your AzureContinue Reading
• View and Export your Intune Device Management Scripts Using the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK
  Introduction
• Does Microsoft Care about SharePoint Online PowerShell?
  Microsoft's support for SharePoint Online PowerShell has degraded over the last few years. Pnp.PowerShell is now the best option as not much is happening in the official SharePoint Online management module or the tenant settings Graph API. the lack of progress is a pity, but perhaps it's also true that community-driven projects sometimes deliver better results.
• Practical PowerShell: Functions & Parameterization
  In our second edition of Practical PowerShell, Michel De Rooij dives into Functions and Parameters, what they are, and how to use them properly.
• 9 Essential PowerShell Scripts for SharePoint Online Security
  As we navigate the digital age, SharePoint Online has emerged as a pivotal platform for organizational collaboration. However, with great connectivity comes great responsibility, particularly in safeguarding our digital ecosystem. Data breaches, excessive access rights, oversharing, etc., pose significant challenges in maintaining security in SharePoint Online. Recognizing that security is…
• What's something you learned way later in PowerShell than you'd like to admit?
  Could be the simplest of things. For me, it's that Validation attributes work on variable declarations and not just in parameter blocks.
• PowerShell Anti Patterns
  What are anti patterns when scripting in PowerShell and how can you avoid them?
• Strings to Hashtables
  How to take a string and turn it into a PowerShell hash table
• Azure PowerShell Tips and Tricks
  Tips and tricks for using PowerShell and REST APIs in Azure.

Projects, Scripts, and Modules

• Graph and PowerShell Hiccups for the Groups and Teams Report Script
  The Microsoft 365 Groups and Teams Activity Report is a PowerShell script that I've worked on since 2016 (not all the time). Some recent Graph hiccups meant that I had to apply some fixes and workarounds. At the same time, some users hit the infamous 'not recognized as a valid datetime' problem, so another update was needed. All good, clean fun.
• PSOpenAD Release v0.5.0
  The Open AD module is a cross platform module for managing Active Directory.
• Fuzzy history search with PowerShellRun
  An example that replaces the Ctrl+r history search with fuzzy search. Multi-line commands are supported Duplicates are removed Enter to run the command and Shift+Enter to insert the command The cha...

Books, Media, and Learning Resources

• PSBlazor : A new PowerShell web technology
  In this session, we'll look at how PSBlazor, an upcoming feature of PowerShell Universal, allows developers to produce web interfaces with a combination of Razor and PowerShell syntax.
• Windows Admin Survival Guide: Managing Linux servers using PowerShell Steven Judd
  Make the transition from Windows Server Pro to Linux Server Ninja by using PowerShell to your advantage!
• Creating QR Code for Wireless Network Using PowerShell
  Join us in The Server Room to go over how to create QR codes for wireless network using PowerShell.

Community

• Cloud Chronicles: Mark Wragg's Journey in DevOps
  In this engaging episode of the PowerShell Podcast, host Andrew Pla kicks things off by sharing some tab completion insights and more on the preshow. Andrew is joined by special guest Mark Wragg to delve into the world of DevOps and PowerShell. Mark, a longtime user of the cloud, and shares his observations of how things have changed over the years. The discussion covers common tasks and responsibilities in DevOps, along with Mark's innovative AzCostTools module, which provides a comprehensive solution for monitoring and managing cloud costs using PowerShell, complete with visually appealing graphs. Additionally, Mark shares his passion for Pester testing, infrastructure testing, and Infrastructure as Code, offering valuable advice and expertise to listeners. Tune in for a captivating conversation filled with practical tips and expert insights!
• IAM in Focus: Insights from Adil Leghari
  In this enlightening episode of the PowerShell Podcast, host Andrew Pla is joined by special guest Adil Leghari to delve into the intricacies of IAM (Identity and Access Management). Together, they explore the fundamentals of IAM and its significance in the broader realm of IT. Additionally, Andrew announces the PowerShell Podcast MVP awards, celebrating community excellence. Adil shares invaluable insights on career transitions, the anatomy of a login box, and common cyber attacks. He also sheds light on the flaws of passwords and emphasizes the importance of empathy and honest postmortems in the IT landscape. Tune in for a captivating discussion filled with wisdom and expertise!
• Summit 2024 Speaker Spotlight: Steven Judd
  Hey there, PowerShell enthusiasts! Today marks the start of a series of interviews featuring select Summit 2024 presenters. I plan to sit and chat briefly with a mix of familiar …

Check out psweekly.dowst.dev for all past editions as well as a searchable archive.