Add-PSSnapin
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.
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.
The third command creates an alias, installutil, for the path of the InstallUtil tool in .NET Framework.
The fourth command uses the InstallUtil tool to register the snap-in. The command specifies the path of ManagementCmdlets.dll, the filename or module name of the snap-in.
The fifth command is the same as the second command. This time, you use it to verify that the ManagementCmdlets snap-in is 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.
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.
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-PSSnapin
PS C:\> Get-PSSnapin -Registered
PS C:\> Set-Alias installutil $env:windir\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\installutil.exe
PS C:\> installutil C:\Dev\Management\ManagementCmdlets.dll
PS C:\> Get-PSSnapin -Registered
PS C:\> add-pssnapin ManagementFeatures
PS C:\> Get-Command -Module ManagementFeatures
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: | True |
-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
Windows PowerShell includes the following aliases for Add-PSSnapin
:
asnp
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.
For more information about snap-ins, see about_PSSnapins and How to Create a Windows PowerShell Snap-in.
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 using the Microsoft .NET Framework install utility. For more information, see How to Register Cmdlets, Providers, and Host Applications.
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.
Related Links
PowerShell