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Add-PSSnapin

  • Reference
Module:
Microsoft.PowerShell.Core

Adds one or more Windows PowerShell snap-ins to the current session.

Syntax

Add-PSSnapin
   [-Name] <String[]>
   [-PassThru]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Add-PSSnapin cmdlet adds registered Windows PowerShell snap-ins to the current session. After the snap-ins are added, you can use the cmdlets and providers that the snap-ins support in the current session.

To add the snap-in to all future Windows PowerShell sessions, add an Add-PSSnapin command to your Windows PowerShell profile. For more information, see about_Profiles.

Beginning in Windows PowerShell 3.0, the core commands that are included in Windows PowerShell are packaged in modules. The exception is Microsoft.PowerShell.Core, which is a snap-in (PSSnapin). By default, only the Microsoft.PowerShell.Core snap-in is added to the session. Modules are imported automatically on first use and you can use the Import-Module cmdlet to import them.

Examples

Example 1: Add snap-ins

PS C:\> Add-PSSnapIn -Name Microsoft.Exchange, Microsoft.Windows.AD

This command adds the Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory snap-ins to the current session.

Example 2: Add all the registered snap-ins

PS C:\> Get-PSSnapin -Registered | Add-PSSnapin -Passthru

This command adds all of the registered Windows PowerShell snap-ins to the session. It uses the Get-PSSnapin cmdlet with the Registered parameter to get objects representing each of the registered snap-ins. The pipeline operator (|) passes the result to Add-PSSnapin, which adds them to the session. The PassThru parameter returns objects that represent each of the added snap-ins.

Example 3: Register a snap-in and add it

The first command gets snap-ins that have been added to the current session that include the snap-ins that are installed with Windows PowerShell. In this example, ManagementFeatures is not returned. This indicates that it has not been added to the session.
PS C:\> Get-PSSnapin

The second command gets snap-ins that have been registered on your system, which includes those that have already been added to the session. It does not include the snap-ins that are installed with Windows PowerShell. In this case, the command does not return any snap-ins. This indicates that the ManagementFeatures snapin has not been registered on the system.
PS C:\> Get-PSSnapin -Registered

The third command creates an alias, installutil, for the path of the InstallUtil tool in .NET Framework.
PS C:\> Set-Alias installutil $env:windir\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\installutil.exe

The fourth command uses the InstallUtil tool to register the snap-in. The command specifies the path of ManagementCmdlets.dll, the file name or module name of the snap-in.
PS C:\> installutil C:\Dev\Management\ManagementCmdlets.dll

The fifth command is the same as the second command. This time, you use it to verify that the ManagementCmdlets snap-in is registered.
PS C:\> Get-PSSnapin -Registered

The sixth command uses the **Add-PSSnapin** cmdlet to add the ManagementFeatures snap-in to the session. It specifies the name of the snap-in, ManagementFeatures, not the file name.
PS C:\> add-pssnapin ManagementFeatures

To verify that the snap-in is added to the session, the seventh command uses the *Module* parameter of the Get-Command cmdlet. It displays the items that were added to the session by a snap-in or module.
PS C:\> Get-Command -Module ManagementFeatures

You can also use the **PSSnapin** property of the object that the **Get-Command** cmdlet returns to find the snap-in or module in which a cmdlet originated. The eighth command uses dot notation to find the value of the PSSnapin property of the Set-Alias cmdlet.
PS C:\> (Get-Command Set-Alias).pssnapin

This example demonstrates the process of registering a snap-in on your system and then adding it to your session. It uses ManagementFeatures, a fictitious snap-in implemented in a file that is named ManagementCmdlets.dll.

Parameters

-Name

Specifies the name of the snap-in. This is the Name, not the AssemblyName or ModuleName. Wildcards are permitted.

To find the names of the registered snap-ins on your system, type Get-PSSnapin -Registered.

Type:String[]
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-PassThru

Indicates that this cmdlet returns an object that represents each added snap-in. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

Inputs

None

You cannot pipe objects to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None or System.Management.Automation.PSSnapInInfo

This cmdlet returns a PSSnapInInfo object that represents the snap-in if you specify the PassThru parameter. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

  • Beginning in Windows PowerShell 3.0, the core commands that are installed with Windows PowerShell are packaged in modules. In Windows PowerShell 2.0, and in host programs that create older-style sessions in later versions of Windows PowerShell, the core commands are packaged in snap-ins (PSSnapins). The exception is Microsoft.PowerShell.Core, which is always a snap-in. Also, remote sessions, such as those started by the New-PSSession cmdlet, are older-style sessions that include core snap-ins.

    For information about the CreateDefault2 method that creates newer-style sessions with core modules, see CreateDefault2 Method in the MSDN library.

  • For more information about snap-ins, see about_PSSnapins and How to Create a Windows PowerShell Snap-in in the MSDN library.

  • Add-PSSnapin adds the snap-in only to the current session. To add the snap-in to all Windows PowerShell sessions, add it to your Windows PowerShell profile. For more information, see about_Profiles.

  • You can add any snap-in that has been registered by using the Microsoft .NET Framework install utility. For more information, see How to Register Cmdlets, Providers, and Host Applications in the MSDN library.

  • To get a list of snap-ins that are registered on your computer, type Get-PSSnapin -Registered.

  • Before adding a snap-in, Add-PSSnapin checks the version of the snap-in to verify that it is compatible with the current version of Windows PowerShell. If the snap-in fails the version check, Windows PowerShell reports an error.