Friday 20 October 2017

Don't Use the 32-bit Version of PowerShell on Windows Server 2016!

You fire up your new Server 2016 and want to install the Exchange 2016 prerequisites. You launch PowerShell and discover that Install-WindowsFeature isn't found:

Install-WindowsFeature : The term 'Install-WindowsFeature' is not recognised...


You want to import the ServerManager module, only to be greeted by another error:

Import-Module : The specified module 'ServerManager' was not loaded because no valid module file was found in any module directory.


You do all sorts of black magic to make ServerManager load, perhaps you copy C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\ServerManager to C:\Users\<your_account>\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\ServerManager. You'll eventually get to load ServerManager, and you breathe easy - until you try to install the prerequisites. Then comes the shock:

Install-WindowsFeature : The target of the specified cmdlet cannot be a Windows client-based operating system.



WHAAAT? Heck, your're machine is Server 2016!

Well, my friend, did you notice the "(x86)" bit in your PowerShell window's caption?



Yes, you're running a 32-bit PowerShell on a 64-bit server.

I can't blame you, it's easy to just type PowerShell and hit Enter. The problem is that the default selection may bring up the link for the wrong architecture:


The fix? Launch the 64-bit version of PowerShell and you'll be laughing.

Enjoy.

4 comments:

  1. Thank you you are the best

    ReplyDelete
  2. $PSVersionTable.PSVersion:
    Major Minor Build Revision
    ----- ----- ----- --------
    5 1 17134 228


    It's for me 64 bits.
    I cannot run those power-shell commands.

    ReplyDelete
  3. wrong, even though, it doesnt have the (x86), still shows the same error.

    ReplyDelete