Powershell script works in ISE but not in console

Question

I am writing a powershell script that will start a process, monitor a folder for file changes, and then backup that folder when files are added/changed.

If I run my script from within the Powershell ISE, it works fine, I can monitor the folder and it will properly save a backup as expected.

The problem is that I want to run a batch file that will run the powershell script. But whenever I run the script from a powershell console, or whenver I run my batch file which runs the script, it doesn't work any longer. The script runs and the events are registered. When I copy a file over to the watched folder though, I ONLY get the changed event and not the created event, and the doStuff function is no longer called. I'm not sure how to go about debugging this :/

Following is my script. I have removed parts that don't pertain to what is actualyl wrong currently, so some variables I'm using here you won't see declared but they are there. I get the write-host's to the console when the changed event happens but not the created event (though as stated eariler in the ISE, I get both events and everything works just fine)

#unregister events, in case they weren't unregistered properly before. Just error     siliently if they don't exist
Unregister-Event ConsoleStopped -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Unregister-Event FileCreated -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Unregister-Event FileChanged -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Unregister-Event TimerTick -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

#start the console process
Write-Host Starting console process...
$consoleProcess = Start-Process "$consoleExe" -PassThru

#register to listen for when the console stops
Register-ObjectEvent $consoleProcess Exited -SourceIdentifier ConsoleStopped -Action {
    Write-Host Console stopped

    #unregister events
    Unregister-Event ConsoleStopped -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Unregister-Event FileCreated -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Unregister-Event FileChanged -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    if(!$timer.Enabled) {
        Unregister-Event TimerElapsed -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Remove-Item $timer
    }

    Remove-Item $fsw
    Remove-Item $consoleProcess
}

#watch all files/folders
$filter = '*.*'  # You can enter a wildcard filter here.

# In the following line, you can change 'IncludeSubdirectories to $true if required.                           
$fsw = New-Object IO.FileSystemWatcher $folder, $filter -Property     @{IncludeSubdirectories = $true;NotifyFilter = [IO.NotifyFilters]'DirectoryName, FileName,     LastWrite'}

#register for FileCreated event
Register-ObjectEvent $fsw Created -SourceIdentifier FileCreated -Action {
    write-host Created event has occurred
    doStuff($Event)
}

#register for FileChanged event
Register-ObjectEvent $fsw Changed -SourceIdentifier FileChanged -Action {
    Write-Host Change event has occurred
    doStuff($Event)
}

function doStuff($event)
{
    write-host doStuff has been called

    $name = $Event.SourceEventArgs.Name
    $changeType = $Event.SourceEventArgs.ChangeType
    $timeStamp = $Event.TimeGenerated
    Write-Host "The file '$name' in '$folder' was $changeType at $timeStamp" -fore     green

    if(!$timer.Enabled) {
        Write-Host Starting save timer
        Register-ObjectEvent $timer Elapsed -SourceIdentifier TimerElapsed -Action $TimerAction
        $timer.Start()
        Out-File "$backupDir\backup.log" -Append -Force -InputObject "A request for a backup created at $timeStamp"
    }
    else {
        Write-Host A backup has already been request
    }
}

function backupSave ()
{
    Write-Host Starting backup...
    $timestamp = Get-Date -Format o | foreach { $_ -replace ":", "." }
    Copy-Item $folder "$backupDir\backup_$timestamp" -Recurse -Force
}

HAL9256 · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-24 23:31:42Z

0

Try moving your functions to the beginning of your script.

i.e. move function doStuff($event) and function backupSave () to the beginning of the script.

The problem may be because when you are calling the functions from the script they haven't been defined yet. It works in Powershell ISE because you ran the script several times and the functions were defined at one time or another.

answered Jul 24, 2014 at 23:31

HAL9256

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5 Comments

kamcknig Over a year ago

Thanks for the suggestion! I actually had tried that already though and unfortunately it didn't work :/ Well actually I moved the doStuff up to the beginning but not the backupSave, I'll try moving them both up tomorrow when I can and if that works I'll post back

HAL9256 Over a year ago

Can you also include some of the output? and any error messages?

kamcknig Over a year ago

If I'm in the ISE I get all the expected output. When I copy a new file over, I get a created event, then a few changed events (depending on the size of the file), and then all the correct messages for savintg and backing up the file. When I run it in the powershell console and copy a file over the only output I get is the "changed event has occured" output, but no errors.

kamcknig Over a year ago

I've moved the doStuff function above where it's actually called. I get a trace from withing the -Action blocks of the triggered create and changed events and the $Event variable exists within that block, but the doStuff function is still never called. I'm not sure how to do any sort of error logging as I don't seem to be getting any errors, unless it's somewhow failing silently.

HAL9256 Over a year ago

You can see if there are any errors by checking the contents of the $error variable. see if that gives you any insights.

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