How to list Windows users with Powershell

Question: How can I use Powershell to list out Windows users? Are there Powershell cmdlets which can report on Windows users ? Answer: There are "out of the box" Powershell cmdlets which will support the requirement . How you apply the powershell cmdlets will depend on how much detail is required. Here are some examples: --return local groups Get-localgroup --return all members of a group - in this example the Administrator group Get-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" --Get the local users Get-Local User --SID of a local group (Get-Localgroup Administrators).SID These are some basic examples to extract Windows users information with Powershell.... Read more →

How to view all Powershell commands on a server

Question: How can I view all Powershell commands on a server? I've installed multiple Powershell modules for various processes , and have lost track of what's available. Also , I'd like to expand my range of Powershell command usage Answer: The Powershell cmdlet - Get-Command - returns all the Powershell commands on a server. There are a number of different filters and parameters you can use with Get-Command. Using Get-command - you'll quickly find is one of the most useful Powershell cmdlets. Along with 2 other Powershell cmdlets - which I consider to be the most powerful - read more... Read more →

How to uninstall a SQL Server 2016 Cumulative Update

Question: A server experienced a few problems after the installation of a SQL Server 2016 Cumulative Update. As part of the troubleshooting process, I'd like to rollback the cumulative update and rule out any issues related to the Cumulative update. How can I uninstall the cumulative update? Answer: Uninstalling the cumulative update in SQL Server 2016 is straightforward. I've copied an pasted these 3 steps straight from the Microsoft website In Control Panel, select View installed updates under Programs and Features. Locate the entry that corresponds to this cumulative update package under Microsoft SQL Server 2016. Press and hold (or... Read more →

How to fix Powershell Execution Timeout Expired with CommandTimeout

Question: I'm getting this Execution timeout error when executing a Powershell script using the $sql.ExecuteReader() method. How can I fix this issue? Exception calling "ExecuteReader" with "0" argument(s): "Execution Timeout Expired. The timeout period elapsed prior to completion of the operation or the server is not responding." Answer: To overcome this issue - use the CommandTimeout parameter and set to a value of 0. This will make it infinite. So it would be something like : $cn = new-object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection "server=myInstance;database=master;Integrated Security=sspi" $cn.Open() $cn.CreateCommand() $sql.CommandText $sql.CommandTimeout=0 $sql.CommandTimeout=0 $sql.ExecuteReader() Read More on Powerhsell and connecting to SQL Server Powershell - run... Read more →

How to get SQL Server database object count using Powershell Measure-Object

Question: How can I iterate through a list of SQL Servers , extract the count of the databases , place into a powershell data table and get the database count sum for all the servers? I'm having some trouble thinking about how to add up the counts from the individual servers into a total count , using powershell functions. Answer: This basic powershell script will give you the basic framework. This script iterates through a list of SQL Servers - listed in the file referenced in the $instancepath. The results of the command executed are added to the DataTable .... Read more →