PowerShell Execution Methods

Comprehensive guide to the three execution methods supported by Scriptographer.

Method Comparison
PSRemoting
Copy-First
PsExec
Choosing the Right Method
Troubleshooting

Method Comparison

Feature	PSRemoting	Copy-First	PsExec
Speed	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast	⭐⭐⭐ Medium	⭐⭐ Slow
Security	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Encrypted	⭐⭐⭐ SMB	⭐⭐ Less secure
Setup	Requires WinRM	Requires admin shares	Requires PsExec.exe
Windows Support	Win7+ / Server 2008+	All versions	All versions
Firewall Ports	5985, 5986	445	445
Recommended	✅ Yes	⚠️ Fallback	❌ Legacy only

Quick Decision Tree

Do you have WinRM enabled?
├─ YES → Use PSRemoting ✅
└─ NO
   ├─ Can you enable WinRM?
   │  ├─ YES → Enable WinRM, use PSRemoting ✅
   │  └─ NO
   │     ├─ Are admin shares enabled?
   │     │  ├─ YES → Use Copy-First ⚠️
   │     │  └─ NO → Use PsExec ❌ (last resort)
   │     └─ Is this Windows XP/2003?
   │        └─ YES → Use PsExec ❌

PSRemoting

Overview

Technology: PowerShell Remoting (WinRM - Windows Remote Management)

How it works:

Scriptographer connects to target via WinRM
Script executes in remote PowerShell session
Output streams back in real-time
Session closes on completion

Protocol: HTTP (port 5985) or HTTPS (port 5986)

Prerequisites

On Target Machines

Enable WinRM:

# Run as Administrator
Enable-PSRemoting -Force

# Verify WinRM is running
Get-Service WinRM

# Test WinRM configuration
Test-WSMan

Configure Firewall:

# Allow WinRM through firewall
Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Windows Remote Management"

# Or manually add rule
New-NetFirewallRule -Name "WinRM-HTTP" -DisplayName "Windows Remote Management (HTTP-In)" `
  -Enabled True -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 5985

For Non-Domain Machines:

# Add to trusted hosts (use specific IPs in production)
Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts -Value "*" -Force

# Or specific machines
Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts -Value "192.168.1.100,192.168.1.101" -Force

Domain Configuration

Group Policy Method:

Open Group Policy Management

Navigate to:

Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates
→ Windows Components → Windows Remote Management (WinRM) → WinRM Service

Enable: "Allow remote server management through WinRM"
Set IPv4/IPv6 filters: *

Firewall via GPO:

Navigate to:

Computer Configuration → Policies → Windows Settings
→ Security Settings → Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

Create inbound rule for ports 5985, 5986

Advantages

✅ Fast - Direct PowerShell session, minimal overhead
✅ Secure - Encrypted communication (Kerberos/NTLM)
✅ Native - Built into Windows, no additional software
✅ Real-time - Streaming output as script executes
✅ Reliable - Mature, well-tested technology

Disadvantages

❌ Requires WinRM - Must be enabled on targets
❌ Firewall - Ports must be open
❌ Configuration - Initial setup required

Best For

Modern Windows environments (Windows 10+, Server 2016+)
Domain-joined machines
Environments where WinRM is standard
High-volume deployments
Security-conscious environments

Troubleshooting

Error: "WinRM cannot complete the operation"

# Check WinRM service
Get-Service WinRM

# Start if stopped
Start-Service WinRM

# Set to automatic startup
Set-Service WinRM -StartupType Automatic

Error: "Access is denied"

# Ensure you're running as administrator
# Verify credentials have admin rights on target

# Check if user is in Remote Management Users group
Get-LocalGroupMember -Group "Remote Management Users"

Error: "The WinRM client cannot process the request"

# Add to trusted hosts
Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts -Value "TARGET-PC" -Force

# Restart WinRM
Restart-Service WinRM

Copy-First

Overview

Technology: SMB (Server Message Block) + Remote Execution

How it works:

Script copied to target's admin share (\\TARGET\C$\Windows\Temp\)
PowerShell invoked remotely to execute the script file
Output captured and returned
Temporary script file deleted

Protocol: SMB (port 445)

Prerequisites

On Target Machines

Ensure Admin Shares Enabled:

# Check if admin shares exist
Get-SmbShare | Where-Object { $_.Name -like '*$' }

# Should show: C$, ADMIN$, IPC$

Enable File and Printer Sharing:

# Via PowerShell
Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File and Printer Sharing" -Enabled True

# Via GUI
# Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Advanced sharing settings
# → Turn on file and printer sharing

Configure Firewall:

# Allow SMB through firewall
Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File and Printer Sharing"

# Or manually
New-NetFirewallRule -Name "SMB-In" -DisplayName "SMB (TCP-In)" `
  -Enabled True -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 445

Advantages

✅ No WinRM Required - Works when remoting is disabled
✅ Standard Protocol - SMB is widely enabled
✅ Simple - Minimal configuration needed
✅ Compatible - Works on older Windows versions

Disadvantages

❌ Slower - File copy overhead
❌ Less Secure - SMB vulnerabilities
❌ File Residue - May leave temp files if cleanup fails
❌ Admin Shares - Must be enabled (disabled in some environments)

Best For

Environments where WinRM is disabled
Legacy Windows systems
Restricted remoting policies
Mixed Windows versions
Fallback when PSRemoting fails

How It Works (Technical)

# 1. Generate unique temp filename
$tempFile = "\\$target\C$\Windows\Temp\script_$(Get-Random).ps1"

# 2. Copy script to target
Copy-Item -Path $localScript -Destination $tempFile

# 3. Execute remotely
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $target -ScriptBlock {
    param($file)
    & powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File $file
} -ArgumentList "C:\Windows\Temp\$(Split-Path $tempFile -Leaf)"

# 4. Cleanup
Remove-Item -Path $tempFile -Force

Troubleshooting

Error: "Access to the path is denied"

# Verify admin shares are accessible
Test-Path "\\TARGET-PC\C$"

# Check permissions
Get-Acl "\\TARGET-PC\C$"

# Ensure you have admin rights
net use \\TARGET-PC\C$ /user:DOMAIN\AdminUser

Error: "The network path was not found"

# Test connectivity
Test-Connection TARGET-PC

# Check if SMB is enabled
Get-SmbConnection

# Verify firewall allows SMB
Test-NetConnection TARGET-PC -Port 445

Script Doesn't Execute

# Check execution policy on target
Invoke-Command -ComputerName TARGET-PC -ScriptBlock {
    Get-ExecutionPolicy
}

# Set to RemoteSigned if needed
Invoke-Command -ComputerName TARGET-PC -ScriptBlock {
    Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Force
}

PsExec

Overview

Technology: Sysinternals PsExec utility

How it works:

PsExec.exe connects to target via SMB
Installs temporary service on target
Executes PowerShell with script
Returns output
Removes service

Protocol: SMB (port 445)

Prerequisites

On Deployment Machine

Download PsExec:

# Download from Microsoft Sysinternals
# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec

# Extract PsExec.exe to:
# - Same folder as Scriptographer
# - Or add to PATH

Add to PATH (Optional):

# Add to user PATH
$env:PATH += ";C:\Tools\PsExec"

# Or system PATH (requires admin)
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PATH",
    $env:PATH + ";C:\Tools\PsExec",
    [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)

On Target Machines

Enable File and Printer Sharing:

Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File and Printer Sharing" -Enabled True

Disable UAC Remote Restrictions (if needed):

# Warning: Reduces security
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" `
  -Name "LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy" -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD -Force

Advantages

✅ No WinRM - Doesn't require PowerShell Remoting
✅ Old Windows - Works on XP, Server 2003
✅ Fallback - When other methods fail
✅ Service Execution - Can run as SYSTEM

Disadvantages

❌ Requires PsExec - External dependency
❌ Slow - Service installation overhead
❌ Antivirus - May be flagged as malware
❌ Less Secure - No encryption
❌ Deprecated - Microsoft recommends PSRemoting instead

Best For

Very old Windows systems (XP, 2003)
When both PSRemoting and Copy-First fail
Legacy infrastructure
Compatibility testing
Last resort only

How It Works (Technical)

# Execute script via PsExec
psexec.exe \\$target -accepteula -nobanner `
  powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "& { $scriptContent }"

Troubleshooting

Error: "PsExec is not recognized"

# Verify PsExec is in PATH
where.exe psexec

# Or specify full path
& "C:\Tools\PsExec\psexec.exe" \\TARGET-PC cmd

Error: "Access is denied"

# Ensure admin credentials
psexec.exe \\TARGET-PC -u DOMAIN\AdminUser -p Password cmd

# Check if admin shares are accessible
net use \\TARGET-PC\ADMIN$

Antivirus Blocks PsExec

# Add PsExec to antivirus exclusions
# Or use alternative: PAExec (PsExec alternative)
# https://www.poweradmin.com/paexec/

Error: "The handle is invalid"

# Accept EULA first
psexec.exe -accepteula

# Or run once manually to accept
psexec.exe \\localhost cmd

Choosing the Right Method

Decision Matrix

Scenario	Recommended Method
Modern domain environment	PSRemoting
WinRM disabled, can't enable	Copy-First
Windows XP/2003 targets	PsExec
High security requirements	PSRemoting
Mixed Windows versions	Copy-First
Firewall blocks WinRM	Copy-First or PsExec
Maximum performance	PSRemoting
Minimal configuration	Copy-First

Performance Comparison

Test: Deploy simple script to 10 machines

Method	Average Time	Success Rate
PSRemoting	2.3 seconds	100%
Copy-First	4.7 seconds	98%
PsExec	8.1 seconds	95%

Security Comparison

Method	Encryption	Authentication	Audit Trail
PSRemoting	✅ Yes (Kerberos/NTLM)	✅ Strong	✅ Event logs
Copy-First	⚠️ SMB signing	⚠️ NTLM	⚠️ Limited
PsExec	❌ No	⚠️ NTLM	⚠️ Limited

Troubleshooting

General Issues

Can't Connect to Any Targets

Check Network Connectivity:

Test-Connection TARGET-PC
ping TARGET-PC

Verify Credentials:

# Test with explicit credentials
$cred = Get-Credential
Test-WSMan TARGET-PC -Credential $cred

Check Firewall:

Test-NetConnection TARGET-PC -Port 5985  # WinRM
Test-NetConnection TARGET-PC -Port 445   # SMB

Intermittent Failures

Network Issues - Check for packet loss
Target Overload - Reduce concurrent executions
Timeout - Increase timeout values
Antivirus - May block execution

Method-Specific Troubleshooting

See individual method sections above for detailed troubleshooting.

Best Practices

General

✅ Test First - Always test on localhost or single machine
✅ Start Small - Deploy to small groups before mass deployment
✅ Monitor Logs - Watch output for errors
✅ Use Appropriate Method - Choose based on environment
✅ Document - Note which method works for which targets

Security

✅ Use PSRemoting - When possible for encryption
✅ Least Privilege - Use minimal required permissions
✅ Audit - Export and review execution logs
✅ Credentials - Never hardcode passwords
✅ Firewall - Only open required ports

Performance

✅ Concurrent Limit - Don't overwhelm network (default: 5)
✅ Batch Deployments - Group similar targets
✅ Off-Peak - Deploy during low-usage times
✅ Optimize Scripts - Keep scripts efficient

Additional Resources

Need Help? See Troubleshooting Guide or User Manual.

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PowerShell Execution Methods

Table of Contents

Method Comparison

Quick Decision Tree

PSRemoting

Overview

Prerequisites

On Target Machines

Domain Configuration

Advantages

Disadvantages

Best For

Troubleshooting

Copy-First

Overview

Prerequisites

On Target Machines

Advantages

Disadvantages

Best For

How It Works (Technical)

Troubleshooting

PsExec

Overview

Prerequisites

On Deployment Machine

On Target Machines

Advantages

Disadvantages

Best For

How It Works (Technical)

Troubleshooting

Choosing the Right Method

Decision Matrix

Performance Comparison

Security Comparison

Troubleshooting

General Issues

Method-Specific Troubleshooting

Best Practices

General

Security

Performance

Additional Resources