Get-PSRepository, Install-Module, Get-InstalledModule do not consistently work when executed under 2 different windows accounts

[tristanbarcelon]

Steps to reproduce

$NugetMetadata = Get-InstalledModule -Name NugetMetadata -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

if ($null -eq $NugetMetadata)
{
    Install-Module -Name NugetMetadata -Repository PSGallery -Scope CurrentUser -AllowClobber
}
else
{
    Import-Module -Name NugetMetadata
}

Expected behavior

if NugetMetadata module is not presently installed in user's scope, then install it from PSGallery repo. Unfortunately, even Get-PSRepository does not work and I'm presented with this error: WARNING: Unable to find module repositories.

Actual behavior

I get this error instead

WARNING: The property 'Values' cannot be found on this object. Verify that the property exists.
WARNING: The property 'Keys' cannot be found on this object. Verify that the property exists.
WARNING: Exception calling "Deserialize" with "1" argument(s): "'.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 1."
Get-PackageSource: Unable to find repository 'PSGallery'. Use Get-PSRepository to see all available repositories.

Environment data

$PSVersionTable output

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      7.2.1
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    7.2.1
OS                             Microsoft Windows 10.0.17763
Platform                       Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

Get-Module -ListAvailable PowershellGet, PackageManagement output

    Directory: C:\program files\powershell\7\Modules

ModuleType Version    PreRelease Name                                PSEdition ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ---------- ----                                --------- ----------------
Script     1.4.7                 PackageManagement                   Desk      {Find-Package, Get-Package, Get-PackageProvider, Get-PackageSource…}
Script     2.2.5                 PowerShellGet                       Desk      {Find-Command, Find-DSCResource, Find-Module, Find-RoleCapability…}

    Directory: C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules

ModuleType Version    PreRelease Name                                PSEdition ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ---------- ----                                --------- ----------------
Binary     1.0.0.1               PackageManagement                   Desk      {Find-Package, Get-Package, Get-PackageProvider, Get-PackageSource…}
Script     1.0.0.1               PowerShellGet                       Desk      {Install-Module, Find-Module, Save-Module, Update-Module…}

Get-PackageProvider -ListAvailable output

Name                     Version          DynamicOptions
----                     -------          --------------
NuGet                    3.0.0.1          Destination, ExcludeVersion, Scope, SkipDependencies, Headers, FilterOnTag, Contains, AllowPrereleaseVersions, ConfigFile, SkipValidate
PowerShellGet            2.2.5.0          PackageManagementProvider, Type, Scope, AllowClobber, SkipPublisherCheck, InstallUpdate, NoPathUpdate, AllowPrereleaseVersions, Filter, Tag, Includes, DscResource, RoleCapability, Comma…
PowerShellGet            1.0.0.1

[tristanbarcelon]

Are the PSRepository sources stored in an xml file just like nuget sources that I can examine to check if it's corrupted? The Deserialize error leads me to think that it's opening a file and cannot parse it properly when I'm calling Get-InstalledModule.

I've also:

1. Uninstalled and reinstalled powershell core
2. Examined applicable remedies from Error: Unable to find module providers (PowerShellGet) #662 but the issue encountered by author is different
3. Executed Register-PSRepository -Default -InstallationPolicy Trusted -Debug but instead get this error

DEBUG: 00:00:00.0000001 Calling New() : MethodName = 'GetDynamicOptions'
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0000239 Debug: True
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0000364 Trusted: True
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0000444 Name: PSGallery
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0022864 INVOKING PowerShell Fn Get-DynamicOptions with args Provider that has length 1
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0061074 In PowerShellGet Provider - 'Get-DynamicOptions'.
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0103172 Done calling powershell «Get-DynamicOptions» «PSModule»
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0171307 Calling New() : MethodName = 'GetDynamicOptions'
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0171428 Debug: True
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0171508 Trusted: True
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0171666 Name: PSGallery
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0193049 INVOKING PowerShell Fn Get-DynamicOptions with args Source that has length 1
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0229729 In PowerShellGet Provider - 'Get-DynamicOptions'.
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0274759 Done calling powershell «Get-DynamicOptions» «PSModule»
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0467179 Calling New() : MethodName = 'ResolvePackageSources'
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0470065 Debug: True
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0474806 MessageResolver: Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.GetMessageString
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0480041 Trusted: True
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0484645 Name: PSGallery
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0489133 ProviderName: PowerShellGet
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0537443 INVOKING PowerShell Fn Resolve-PackageSource with args  that has length 0
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0576751 In PowerShellGet Provider - 'Resolve-PackageSource'.
DEBUG: 00:00:00.0611221 PowerShell Script 'PSModule' Function 'Resolve-PackageSource' returns null.
Register-PackageSource: The property 'Values' cannot be found on this object. Verify that the property exists.

Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: input

[tristanbarcelon]

Update:
Lines 94 and 101 of https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShellGetv2/blob/master/src/PowerShellGet/private/modulefile/PartOne.ps1, indicate that the PSRepository file is PSRepositories.xml stored in $env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PowerShellGet. Once we dropped that file, we were able to recreate it and everything was fine. Is there a cmdlet or function I could use to reset PSRepositories.xml to a fresh out-of-box state? That would help deal with corruption issues like this in the future.