I am working on updates for Win 7 x64 ultimate. I have a text file in which I have typed KBnnnnn one entry per line. I want sort of a script/loop to go through each entry in text file and find it in installed updates. If found append a new text file with HotFixID, Description, date etc and status='INSTALLED'. If not found, status='NOT INSTALLED'
Later I want to selectively uninstall specific HotFixes by simial loop process reading each entry from a text file and uninstalling it, updating status on screen and in another text log file. I am very new to PowerShell, tried to create a loop in cmd batch scripting using WMIC but no success yet.
Why are you not using WSUS for this? It is why it exists.
There are modules in the MS powershellgallery.com for this kind of use case well.
Find-Module -Name '*WSUS*' | Format-Table -AutoSize
Version Name Repository Description
------- ---- ---------- -----------
2.3.1.6 PoshWSUS PSGallery PowerShell module to manage a WSUS Server. Support site: https://github.com/proxb/PoshWSUS/
1.1.0 ecs.wsus PSGallery This Windows PowerShell module contains ECS.WSUS funtions
0.4.4 PSWsusSpringClean PSGallery Give your WSUS server a thorough spring cleaning
0.9.0 PSWSUSMigration PSGallery Powershell module to help WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) server migration. Support site: https://github.com/reiikei/PSWSUSMigration
I am working on updates for Win 7 x64 ultimate.
So, what version of PowerShell are you using on Win7?
I have a text file in which I have typed KBnnnnn one entry per line.
OK, a standard file that can be easily read using Import-Csv or Get-Content. Yet, why are you doing this? There is a cmdlet called Get-HotFix specifically for this.
# All Help topics and locations
Get-Help about_*
Get-Help about_Functions
Get-Help about* | Select Name, Synopsis
Get-Help about* |
Select-Object -Property Name, Synopsis |
Out-GridView -Title 'Select Topic' -OutputMode Multiple |
ForEach-Object { Get-Help -Name $_.Name -ShowWindow }
explorer "$pshome\$($Host.CurrentCulture.Name)"
# Get parameters, examples, full and Online help for a cmdlet or function
# Get a list of all functions
Get-Command -CommandType Function |
Out-GridView -PassThru -Title 'Available functions'
# Get a list of all commandlets
Get-Command -CommandType Cmdlet |
Out-GridView -PassThru -Title 'Available cmdlets'
# get function / cmdlet details
Get-Command -Name Import-Csv -Syntax
(Get-Command -Name Import-Csv).Parameters.Keys
Get-help -Name Import-Csv -Full
Get-help -Name Import-Csv -Online
Get-help -Name Import-Csv -Examples
Get-Command -Name Get-Content -Syntax
(Get-Command -Name Get-Content).Parameters.Keys
Get-help -Name Get-Content -Full
Get-help -Name Get-Content -Online
Get-help -Name Get-Content -Examples
Get-Command -Name Get-Hotfix -Syntax
(Get-Command -Name Get-Hotfix).Parameters.Keys
Get-help -Name Get-Hotfix -Full
Get-help -Name Get-Hotfix -Online
Get-help -Name Get-Hotfix -Examples
I want sort of a script/loop
Sure, you can do this.
Each of the above help files has examples of loops.
to go through each entry in text file and find it in installed updates.
OK, this is a common thing. A PowerShell very beginner thing, with lots of articles, samples and videos all over the web for this and shown in the help cmdlet, resources, etc., shown.
If found append a new text file with HotFixID, Description, date etc., and status='INSTALLED'. If not found, status='NOT INSTALLED'
Again, nothing new or complicated here and again a very common thing and done via the -Append switch or the Add-Content cmdlet.
Get-Command -Name Add-Content -Syntax
(Get-Command -Name Add-Content).Parameters.Keys
Get-help -Name Add-Content -Full
Get-help -Name Add-Content -Online
Get-help -Name Add-Content -Examples
later I want to selectively uninstall specific HotFixes by simial loop process reading each entry from a text file and uninstalling it,
Again, nothing new or complicated here and again a very common thing. You do this via a comparison block/command in your code.
updating status on screen and in another text log file.
Again, nothing new or complicated here and again a very common thing. This is what Out-File or Export-Csv, or Start-Transcript or writing your own logger is for and using progress bars. Lots of articles, blogs, videos ho how to do this.
Script Write-Log PowerShell Logging Function
Get-Command -Name Write-Progress -Syntax
(Get-Command -Name Write-Progress).Parameters.Keys
Get-help -Name Write-Progress -Full
Get-help -Name Write-Progress -Online
Get-help -Name Write-Progress -Examples
I am very new to PowerShell, tried to create a loop in cmd batch scripting using WMIC but no success yet.
OK, this is fine. It means you should spend time learning it first and there are plenty of free text-based and video-based (YouTube videos, MSDN videos, etc.) for you to use. All it requires is that you search for it, use them as-is and or tweak as needed.
'powershell windows hotfix management'
Sample scripts
The question here is, why are you using WMIC, vs Powershell directly? Hence the cmdlets above. One can use WMIC without ever using PowerShell at all, in .bat/cmd/vbs files as has been done for years.
You say you've done batch file programming, It's good to see you dip into the PowerShell pool, but that does not mean you can't stick with batch to do what you need and then convert that to PowerShell now or later.
Update based on you code comment
If you did this in the console/ISE/VSCode, it just works as it would from cmd.exe
wmic qfe get hotfixid > d:\temp\QfElist.txt
Get-content -Path 'd:\temp\QfElist.txt'
<#
Results
KB4537572
KB4513661
...
#>
But you could have just done this and gotten something far more useable
Get-HotFix
<#
# Results
Source Description HotFixID InstalledBy InstalledOn
------ ----------- -------- ----------- -----------
LP70 Update KB4537572 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM 11-Mar-20 00:00:00
LP70 Update KB4513661 09-Sep-19 00:00:00
LP70 Security Update KB4515383 09-Sep-19 00:00:00
...
#>
Comparing this against a file is just as simple. Let's say your file looks like this.
$KBCheckList = '
KB4537572
KB4513661
KB4515400
' | Out-File -FilePath 'D:\Temp\KBCheckList.txt'
Now read the file, using this
Get-Content -Path 'D:\Temp\KBCheckList.txt'
<#
# Results
KdId
KB4537572
KB4513661
KB4515400
#>
or this
Import-Csv -Path 'D:\Temp\KBCheckList.txt'
<#
# Results
WARNING: One or more headers were not specified. Default names starting with "H" have been used in place of any missing headers.
H1
--
KB4537572
KB4513661
KB4515400
#>
You can see the difference is minor (visually) but Csv file needs a header (and really should be properly formatted first). Either add it to the top of the file or add it on the fly
Import-Csv -Path 'D:\Temp\KBCheckList.txt' -Header 'KBID'
<#
# Results
KBID
----
KB4537572
KB4513661
KB4515400
#>
All the above is just educational stuff for you. You only really need one of the two below, or similar.
Now just use the file. Read in a loop and use if/then or try/catch statement to get results
Import-Csv -Path 'D:\Temp\KBCheckList.txt' -Header 'KBID' |
ForEach {
$PSItem.KBID
}
<#
# Results
KB4537572
KB4513661
KB4515400
#>
or just compare the file list to the results of the cmdlet
$QfeData = Get-Hotfix
$KBCheckList = Import-Csv -Path 'D:\Temp\KBCheckList.txt' -Header 'KBID'
Compare-Object -ReferenceObject $QfeData.HotFixID -DifferenceObject $KBCheckList.KBID
<#
# Results
InputObject SideIndicator
----------- -------------
KB4515400 => *** this means that this ID is only in the DifferenceObject which is your file, thus not installed.
KB4515383 <=
KB4516115 <=
KB4517245 <=
KB4521863 <=
KB4524244 <=
KB4524569 <=
KB4525419 <=
KB4528759 <=
KB4537759 <=
KB4538674 <=
KB4541338 <=
KB4551762 <=
#>