7.4.0 Start-Process with -PassThru & -RedirectStandardOutput does not return the process object completely ( properties like Exitcode )

[derkveenhof]

Prerequisites

• Write a descriptive title.
• Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest released version
• Search the existing issues.
• Refer to the FAQ.
• Refer to Differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell.

Steps to reproduce

When i use Start-Process with -PassThru & -RedirectStandardOutput , the process object is not returned completely. This has been since 7.4.0

Expected behavior

This was the 7.3.9 behavior:

PS C:\Users\thiscouldbeme> $Process = start-process notepad -PassThru -wait -RedirectStandardOutput c:\temp\sa.txt
PS C:\Users\thiscouldbeme> $Process | Select *

Name                       :
Id                         : 33776
PriorityClass              :
FileVersion                :
HandleCount                :
WorkingSet                 :
PagedMemorySize            :
PrivateMemorySize          :
VirtualMemorySize          :
TotalProcessorTime         : 00:00:00
SI                         :
Handles                    :
VM                         :
WS                         :
PM                         :
NPM                        :
Path                       :
CommandLine                :
Parent                     : System.Diagnostics.Process (pwsh)
Company                    :
CPU                        : 0
ProductVersion             :
Description                :
Product                    :
__NounName                 : Process
SafeHandle                 : Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles.SafeProcessHandle
Handle                     : 2500
BasePriority               :
ExitCode                   : 0
HasExited                  : True
StartTime                  : 17-11-2023 18:31:48
ExitTime                   : 17-11-2023 18:31:50
MachineName                : .
MaxWorkingSet              :
MinWorkingSet              :
Modules                    :
NonpagedSystemMemorySize64 :
NonpagedSystemMemorySize   :
PagedMemorySize64          :
PagedSystemMemorySize64    :
PagedSystemMemorySize      :
PeakPagedMemorySize64      :
PeakPagedMemorySize        :
PeakWorkingSet64           :
PeakWorkingSet             :
PeakVirtualMemorySize64    :
PeakVirtualMemorySize      :
PriorityBoostEnabled       :
PrivateMemorySize64        :
ProcessorAffinity          :
SessionId                  :
StartInfo                  :
Threads                    :
VirtualMemorySize64        :
EnableRaisingEvents        : False
StandardInput              :
StandardOutput             :
StandardError              :
WorkingSet64               :
SynchronizingObject        :
MainModule                 :
PrivilegedProcessorTime    : 00:00:00
UserProcessorTime          : 00:00:00
ProcessName                :
MainWindowHandle           : 0
MainWindowTitle            :
Responding                 : True
Site                       :
Container                  :

Actual behavior

PS C:\Windows\System32> $Process = start-process notepad -PassThru -wait -RedirectStandardOutput c:\temp\sa.txt
PS C:\Windows\System32> $Process | Select *

Name                       :
Id                         : 3264
PriorityClass              :
FileVersion                :
HandleCount                :
WorkingSet                 :
PagedMemorySize            :
PrivateMemorySize          :
VirtualMemorySize          :
TotalProcessorTime         :
SI                         :
Handles                    :
VM                         :
WS                         :
PM                         :
NPM                        :
Path                       :
CommandLine                :
Parent                     :
Company                    :
CPU                        :
ProductVersion             :
Description                :
Product                    :
__NounName                 : Process
SafeHandle                 :
Handle                     :
BasePriority               :
ExitCode                   :
HasExited                  : True
StartTime                  :
ExitTime                   :
MachineName                : .
MaxWorkingSet              :
MinWorkingSet              :
Modules                    :
NonpagedSystemMemorySize64 :
NonpagedSystemMemorySize   :
PagedMemorySize64          :
PagedSystemMemorySize64    :
PagedSystemMemorySize      :
PeakPagedMemorySize64      :
PeakPagedMemorySize        :
PeakWorkingSet64           :
PeakWorkingSet             :
PeakVirtualMemorySize64    :
PeakVirtualMemorySize      :
PriorityBoostEnabled       :
PrivateMemorySize64        :
ProcessorAffinity          :
SessionId                  :
StartInfo                  :
Threads                    :
VirtualMemorySize64        :
EnableRaisingEvents        : False
StandardInput              :
StandardOutput             :
StandardError              :
WorkingSet64               :
SynchronizingObject        :
MainModule                 :
PrivilegedProcessorTime    :
UserProcessorTime          :
ProcessName                :
MainWindowHandle           : 0
MainWindowTitle            :
Responding                 : True
Site                       :
Container                  :

Error details

No response

Environment data

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      7.4.0
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    7.4.0
OS                             Microsoft Windows 10.0.20348
Platform                       Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

Visuals

No response

[mklement0]

Good find, but it is a duplicate of:

• Process objects created with Start-Process -NoNewWindow and/or -RedirectStandard* never report their exit code on Windows. #5421

See also:

• Start-Process does not populate the process object's exit code with NoNewWindow switch #20400

In light of the recently introduced bot action of closing old posts that haven't had activity in a while, it may be worth keeping this one open, however.

[derkveenhof]

Caching the Handle seems to work.

This workaround works:
$Process = Start-Process Notepad -PassThru -RedirectStandardOutput c:\temp\sa.txt
$Handle = $Process.Handle
$Process.WaitForExit()
$Process | Select *

I left -Wait away. Cached the handle and then using the System.Diagnostics.Prccess WaitOfExit method.

Name :
Id : 56656
PriorityClass :
FileVersion :
HandleCount :
WorkingSet :
PagedMemorySize :
PrivateMemorySize :
VirtualMemorySize :
TotalProcessorTime : 00:00:00
SI :
Handles :
VM :
WS :
PM :
NPM :
Path :
CommandLine :
Parent : System.Diagnostics.Process (pwsh)
Company :
CPU : 0
ProductVersion :
Description :
Product :
__NounName : Process
SafeHandle : Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles.SafeProcessHandle
Handle : 4760
BasePriority :
ExitCode : 0
HasExited : True
StartTime : 19-11-2023 21:28:02
ExitTime : 19-11-2023 21:28:03
MachineName : .
MaxWorkingSet :
MinWorkingSet :
Modules :
NonpagedSystemMemorySize64 :
NonpagedSystemMemorySize :
PagedMemorySize64 :
PagedSystemMemorySize64 :
PagedSystemMemorySize :
PeakPagedMemorySize64 :
PeakPagedMemorySize :
PeakWorkingSet64 :
PeakWorkingSet :
PeakVirtualMemorySize64 :
PeakVirtualMemorySize :
PriorityBoostEnabled :
PrivateMemorySize64 :
ProcessorAffinity :
SessionId :
StartInfo :
Threads :
VirtualMemorySize64 :
EnableRaisingEvents : False
StandardInput :
StandardOutput :
StandardError :
WorkingSet64 :
SynchronizingObject :
MainModule :
PrivilegedProcessorTime : 00:00:00
UserProcessorTime : 00:00:00
ProcessName :
MainWindowHandle : 0
MainWindowTitle :
Responding : True
Site :
Container :

[mklement0]

Good to know a workaround.

Just to spell it out: it won't work if -Wait is used (as in #20400), and while switching to a separate .WaitForExit() / Wait-Process call does allow you to use the workaround, it isn't a fully equivalent solution - though in practice it will often suffice. See:

• Start-Process -Wait behaves inconsistently vs Wait-Process when the new process launches children then exits before the children #15555

[stephen9357]

I faced the same problem, thanks for your workaround @derkveenhof

[MarkDordoy]

Can also confirm I've seen the same issue.

[astrahan87]

+1

[AFAde]

Same issue here, please provide a fix

[mklement0]

A fix may land in v7.4.1 (the PR mentions only the related #20400 issue):

• [release/v7.4.1] Fix #20400, Start-Process with -NoNewWindow returns null ExitCode on Process object with -PassThru #20866

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

This issue has been marked as fixed and has not had any activity for 1 day. It has been closed for housekeeping purposes.

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

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