PowerShell get-process result .WS (working set size) is Uint32 stored in Int32 (goes negative when large)

Question

I know this could be a problem in the WMI management structure definition for Process...

But as a process's working set grows larger, and crosses the 2048 MB boundary,

the returned number becomes negative, because it's incorrectly being treated as a

signed 32-bit integer, when it is actually an unsigned 32-bit integer.

(Note that this implies a maximum WS of 4096 *1K*1K minus 1.)

ps> (get-process firefox).WS.getType()

IsPublic IsSerial Name                                     BaseType

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

True     True     Int32                                    System.ValueType

ps> $x = (get-process firefox).WS

ps> $x.gettype()

IsPublic IsSerial Name                                     BaseType

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

True     True     Int32                                    System.ValueType

ps> $x

-2110365696

This would not be such a problem, except... Trying to cast as uint32 fails

ps> [uint32]$x

Cannot convert value "-2110365696" to type "System.UInt32". Error: "Value was either too large or too small for a

UInt32."

At line:1 char:1

• [uint32]$x

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastIConvertible

And converting it to int64 preserves the negativity

ps> [int64]$x

-2110365696

If I could set an int64's high longword to zero and low longword to the bit pattern of the int32, I'd get the number...

but I have no idea how to do that in PowerShell. (How can I do that?)

So I have to test for $x negative and if so use -$x-1 (because it's 2's complement).

Answer 1

And turning that into a clickable link...

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/home?forum=winserverpowershell

Answer 2

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/b970e780-0de0-4642-8ed6-576cbb3a5dd4/purpose-of-this-forum-this-forum-tells-you-where-to-go-ask-questions-please-read-before-posting?forum=whatforum

wow , Microsoft sure provides crappy web pages for being a "great" software company

That's a link to the top pinned article in the "Where is the forum for..." forum.

Go there, click the forum title link, search for PowerShell

Answer 3

Wrong place...

Apparently it is

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/home?forum=winserverpowershell

Answer 4

Hello,

Thank you for posting your question on Microsoft community.

This issue better suits to the developers on MSDN forums.

I would suggest you to post your question on MSDN forums.

MSDN forum

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?category=vslanguages

Thank you