when I call:
Restart-Computer -ComputerName $lotsOfComputers -Force

where: $lotsOfComputers is 20-150 other computers on the LAN in our AD environment

This is the sequence of events: First, the command completes quickly, the expected computers reboot, and no errors are displayed. I can then type in the console exactly 1 new line of input and hit enter, after which the PowerShell console hangs for a long period of time (several minutes), possibly in correlation to the size of the array of computers. Once it begins hanging it does not register any new keyboard input onscreen during the hang (but it does stay queued up), and after random periods of time, several of the typed keys will show up in the console, then the hang continues, then a few more keys, then eventually they all show up, the hang has finished, and the console is usable again.

Currently occurs on Windows 10 v1709 with the built-in Windows PowerShell version (PSVersion = 5.1.16299.785 as I type this) Does not seem to be machine-specific, it's happened on any Windows 10 machine I've tried this on Windows Powershell 5.1 went RTM.

DEVCON.EXE can be used to install, uninstall, enable, disable, configure or query devices (as seen in Device Manager) from the command line. Here is the description:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff544707(v=vs.85).aspx

To get DEVCON.EXE, you have to download the entire Windows Drivers Kit (WDK), which is 803MB in size, and, as I understand it, DEVCON cannot be legally redistributed or shared separately.

It would be good to have a PowerShell cmdlet to replace DEVCON that is either installed by default or available in the PSGallery.

Or just allow DEVCON.EXE to be downloaded separately from the WDK somehow, like through NuGet, PSGallery or anywhere.

Or just allow DEVCON.EXE to be redistributed by third parties.

For example, as far as I know, DEVCON.EXE is the only supported or "clean" way to script the installation of the MS Loopback Adapter.

Thank You!

Sorry if this is the wrong place, I created an issue https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/7765 but I am not sure its an issue with Chef.
I have also created an issue https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/issues/8148 .
I am not very familiar with Powershell sorry, so I am unable to replicate without Chef (If I knew how it would be handy to try and replicate with pure WinRM).

Steps to reproduce
------------------
In Chef
```powershell
cd C:/Test
Add-AppxPackage Example_1.0.0.0_x64.appx -DependencyPath "Dependencies\\x64\\A.appx","Dependencies\\x64\\B.appx","Dependencies\\x64\\C.appx"
```
This is trying to install an appx for a standard user. I believe Chef uses WinRM to run the commands.

Expected behavior
-----------------
```
App installs. Testing the command when physically logging in as the standard user and running powershell, it does work (appx installs).
```
```powershell
get-appxpackage -allusers -name *example*
(result is empty)
```

Actual behavior
---------------
```
Win32 internal error "Access is denied" 0x5 occurred while reading the console output buffer. Contact Microsoft Customer Support Services.
```

Environment data
----------------
```powershell
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 5.1.17134.228
PSEdition Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion 10.0.17134.228
CLRVersion 4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion 3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
```

Additional Notes
----------------
I have tried everything I can think of, the only thing that works is starting another powershell script as the user (see the ticket on Chef). Please see https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/7765 for more details.

I recently posted this on TechNet, and was directed here...

I couldn't remember how many times I've heard Jeffrey Snover talk about the experience that the Powershell team are after being one where you can start at a PS prompt and find and finish everything you need.

First, great job, because it is actually shaping up to an environment that is just that. However, I just ran in to something that made me curse out loud alone in my office, and I want to believe that the majority of the community will be with me on this.

I started, as we should, with a PS prompt and an idea of what I was trying to accomplish (connect to a mongodb). Easy enough.

----------------------------------------------------------

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-Module *mongo*

ModuleType Version Name
---------- ------- ----
Binary 18.0.67... MongoDBCmdlets

----------------------------------------------------------

Hey, there we go. I bet that's what I'm looking for. So

----------------------------------------------------------

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-Command *mongo*

CommandType Name
----------- ----
Cmdlet Add-MongoDB
Cmdlet Connect-MongoDB <------- yes sir. I'll take that one please.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-help Connect-MongoDB

NAME
Connect-MongoDB

SYNTAX
Connect-MongoDB -Database <string> -Server <string> <-enough said. I'm on a roll here

----------------------------------------------------------

And then this happened...

---------------------------------------------------------

Database: PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Connect-MongoDB -server aMongoDBServer -Database db

A valid license is required to use MongoDBCmdlets.
Would you like to install a license now? (You may use "TRIAL" as the Product Key to activate a trial license.)
[Y] Yes [N] No [?] Help (default is "Y"):

--------------------------------------------------------

And now I'm sitting here in my office waiting for an HR rep to show up and talk to me about my volume and my language.

I recognize that this isn't a Microsoft module. I'm just suggesting that Microsoft not allow these paid modules to exist in the repository if the desired experience is for a user to start at the PS prompt and use this workflow to get things done. I don't expect people to not get paid for their work, and I'm not of the mind that I should get everything free. I'm just saying, I have never had anything sold to me at a BASH prompt.

> dismount-vhd -disknumber X

This command is only observed to work on my machine if the path to the vhd does not have a space in it.

For example:
> mount-vhd -path C:\User\No\Spaces\In\Path\win10.vhd
> # do stuff, check diskpart which shows mount index is 1
> dismount-vhd -disknumber 1
> # Success!
> mount-vhd -path "C:\Bad User\Who Likes\Spaces\Win 10.vhd"
> # do stuff, check diskpart which shows mount index is 1
> dismount-vhd -disknumber 1
> # AG! NO!! Fails...
> "Windows cannot find a mounted virtual hard disk with the specified disk number"
> # Also, diskpart still shows vhd mounted at index 1...

Note: you CAN use dismount-vhd -path "path" in this situation and it does work, so rest assured you aren't completely screwed. But this did take about 2 hours of my day working through a script that had been great in the past but was proving rather difficult with this afternoon's invocation of said script.

I need some help.
I'm not sure wether this is a PS 6 bug or something else. I've got a piece of code that works well under 5.1, but not 6.1.

The code (important parts):
....
#Initiate WebClient
$wc = new-object system.net.WebClient
#Configure proxy if needed
if($noproxy -eq $false)
{
$wc.proxy = new-object System.Net.WebProxy
$wc.proxy.Address = $proxyAddr
$wc.proxy.useDefaultCredentials = $true
$wc.proxy.BypassProxyOnLocal = $true
}
# First get the most recent file
$wc.DownloadFile($uri, $zip)
....

The Error, in this case a proxy IS used.

Exception calling "DownloadFile" with "2" argument(s): "Authentication failed because the connection could not be reused."
At C:\data\stm\nvd\CVE.ps1:30 char:1
+ $wc.DownloadFile($uri, $zip)
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : WebException

I have started experiencing an issue on multiple machines where modules that once worked fine now stop functioning correctly.

The issue appears to affect Windows 10 machines that have been in service for some time, but does not affect new Windows 10 installs. This leads me to believe that something like a windows update broke the correct functioning of the module import functionality on these machines at some point in the past.

The modules in question have been SQLPS (installed with SSMS), SqlServer (from PSGallery), and AWSPowerShell (also from PSGallery). The issue is that after installing the module and importing it to the current session, any Cmdlets included in the module are not imported. (That is, anything listed under CmdletsToExport in the module manifest.)

This is unfortunately a "works on my machine" problem, so I will need some help to troubleshoot the root cause of the issue. Others have commented/upvoted my post on StackExchange here: https://superuser.com/q/1328129/4782 and I have found a similar forum post here: https://forums.aws.amazon.com/thread.jspa?threadID=270534&tstart=0

If your current location is on a UNC path or network drive that is no longer accessible, and you run an external command, the command is run with the current directory set to c:\windows\system32 or sometimes c:\windows. If the external command is destructive, e.g., robocopy with the /move option, this can make your system unbootable.

Powershell should behave the same way as cmd.exe, i.e, refuse to run an external command if the current location is no longer valid.

(PS: the problem does not always occur the first time you run a command after the current location becomes invalid. I believe it occurs whenever the current location was invalid at the time when the last command completed.)

1.Issue:
The VSTS Deploy task Azure PowerShell and Build task - PowerShell are not able to handle secret variables and Azure key vault variables correctly while writing their values to console using write-host. This is causing the values of secret variables to the exposed in log files.

2.Steps to reproduce

a. Sample script:

param(
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$normalVariablewithspecialcharacter,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter
)
Write-Host "Printing parameters:"
Write-Host "Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter: $Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter"
Write-Host "normalVariablewithspecialcharacter: $normalVariablewithspecialcharacter"
Write-Host "Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter: $Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter"

$notspecialcharacter="1234abcd";
$specialcharacter ="1234§-¤%#&/=abcd"

Write-Host "notspecialcharacter: $notspecialcharacter"
Write-Host "specialcharacter: $specialcharacter"

if ($Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter -eq $specialcharacter)
{
Write-Host "Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter $Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter and $specialcharacter specialcharacter match"
}

else
{
Write-Host "Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter '$Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter' and '$specialcharacter' specialcharacter don't match"
}

if ($normalVariablewithspecialcharacter -eq $specialcharacter)
{
Write-Host "normalVariablewithspecialcharacter '$normalVariablewithspecialcharacter' and '$specialcharacter' specialcharacter match"
}

else
{
Write-Host " normalVariablewithspecialcharacter'$normalVariablewithspecialcharacter' and '$specialcharacter' specialcharacter don't match"
}
if ($Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter -eq $notspecialcharacter)
{
Write-Host "Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter '$Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter' and '$notspecialcharacter' notspecialcharacter match"
}

else
{
Write-Host " Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter '$Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter' and '$notspecialcharacter' notspecialsecretexp don't match"
}

Write-Host "1234abcd";
==========End of script=============

b. Details of VSTS Deploy task - Azure PowerShell

2018-08-27T16:25:01.9014389Z Task : Azure PowerShell
2018-08-27T16:25:01.9014659Z Description : Run a PowerShell script within an Azure environment
2018-08-27T16:25:01.9014900Z Version : 3.1.2
2018-08-27T16:25:01.9015134Z Author : Microsoft Corporation
2018-08-27T16:25:01.9015401Z Help : More Information
2018-08-27T16:25:01.9015965Z ===================================================================

c. Details of Build task - PowerShell

2018-08-27T16:13:20.6918025Z Task : PowerShell
2018-08-27T16:13:20.6918306Z Description : Run a PowerShell script
2018-08-27T16:13:20.6918619Z Version : 1.2.3
2018-08-27T16:13:20.6918890Z Author : Microsoft Corporation
2018-08-27T16:13:20.6919248Z Help : More Information
2018-08-27T16:13:20.6919642Z ===================================================================
d. In the above Azure PowerShell task and build task the Script argument are as follow:

-Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter "$(Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter)"
-normalVariablewithspecialcharacter "$(normalVariablewithspecialcharacter)"
-Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter "$(Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter)"

e. The values of the environment variable are set as below

1.Below is a secret environment variable with special character
$(Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter) = "1234§-¤%#&/=abcd"

2.This is a environment variable with special character
$(normalVariablewithspecialcharacter)= "1234§-¤%#&/=abcd"

3.Below is a secret environment variable with no special character
$(Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter)" = "1234abcd"

Expected behavior after triggering the build:

Printing parameters:
Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter: ******
normalVariablewithspecialcharacter: 1234§-¤%#&/=abcd
Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter: ******
notspecialcharacter: 1234abcd
specialcharacter: 1234§-¤%#&/=abcd
Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter ***** and 1234§-¤%#&/=abcd specialcharacter match
normalVariablewithspecialcharacter '1234§-¤%#&/=abcd' and '1234§-¤%#&/=abcd' specialcharacter match
Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter '****' and '1234abcd' notspecialcharacter match

Actual behavior after triggering the build:

2018-08-27T16:13:22.5803219Z Printing parameters:
2018-08-27T16:13:22.5975638Z Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter: 1234�-�%#&/=abcd
2018-08-27T16:13:22.5982503Z normalVariablewithspecialcharacter: 1234�-�%#&/=abcd
2018-08-27T16:13:22.5988068Z Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter: ***
2018-08-27T16:13:22.5994138Z notspecialcharacter: ***
2018-08-27T16:13:22.6000358Z specialcharacter: 1234A�-A�%#&/=abcd
2018-08-27T16:13:22.6022558Z Secretvariablewithspecialcharacter '1234�-�%#&/=abcd' and '1234A�-A�%#&/=abcd' specialcharacter don't match
2018-08-27T16:13:22.6029803Z normalVariablewithspecialcharacter'1234�-�%#&/=abcd' and '1234A�-A�%#&/=abcd' specialcharacter don't match
2018-08-27T16:13:22.6035509Z Secretvariablewithnospecialcharacter '***' and '***' notspecialcharacter match
2018-08-27T16:13:22.6041088Z ***

As you see above the expected behavior and actual behavior are not same.

Please help in handling the secret variables and secret variables with special characters correctly in the above script.
the statement Write-Host "1234abcd"; should write the value 1234abcd, but instead its masked using ***
Please let me know if you need additional details.

The $PSVersionTable.PSVersion is 5.1.14393.2312
I have setup the build and release task setup at https://rathirad.visualstudio.com/HelloWorldPowershell/
Please let me know if you would like to have a look.