Using WMI Explorer: Run in PowerShell

You can run the WMI Explorer search and query features in Windows PowerShell. This feature helps you to automate your WMI queries and to learn the equivalent Windows PowerShell commands.

In this section:

• A Fully Featured Windows PowerShell Console
• Run a WMI Query in PowerShell
• Get the PowerShell Command for a Query
• Show and Hide the Console
• Need more?

A Fully Featured Windows PowerShell Console

WMI Explorer includes a fully-featured Windows PowerShell console in its Windows PowerShell pane. You can use the console to run any Windows PowerShell scripts and commands, import modules, and export objects.

The version of PowerShell in the Windows PowerShell pane is determined by the version that you have installed in Windows ($pshome\PowerShell.exe). If you update the version of PowerShell in Windows, such as by installing a Windows Management Framework update or a KB update, the version in the PowerShell console in WMI Explorer is updated automatically. Because they use the same executable file, they'll always match.

NOTE: The Windows PowerShell console is added, not hosted, so it uses the same Windows PowerShell profile as the standard Windows PowerShell console, Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1. To run a session without your profile, in the Windows PowerShell pane of WMI Explorer (or any Windows PowerShell console), at the prompt, type:

 	powershell.exe -noprofile 

To start a new session of Windows PowerShell console in WMI Explorer:

• Right click the console and then click Reset.

Run a WMI Query in PowerShell

You can run any WMI Explorer query in the PowerShell console in WMI Explorer.

To run a query:

1. Create a query by selecting a class (with or without properties) or writing a custom query.
2. In the Query group of the ribbon, click PowerShell (Ctrl+P).
   
   

WMI explorer runs the query in the Windows PowerShell console.

• To run a default query, WMI Explorer uses the Get-CIMInstance cmdlet with the ClassName, ComputerName, and Runspace parameters.
• If the query includes properties. WMI Explorer pipes the output of the Get-CIMInstance command to the Format-Table cmdlet. It uses the Property parameter with the specified properties as values, and the AutoSize parameter, which formats the output without extraneous spaces.

To save the output of the command (or any part of the command in a variable, in the console, use the up-arrow to recall the last command. Then, edit the command line.

NOTE: To run a Get-CimInstance command for the Win32_Computer class on the local computer, omit the ComputerName parameter.

Get the PowerShell Command for a Query

After testing a query in WMI Explorer, you might want to add it to a script that you're writing in a Windows PowerShell editor, such as PowerShell Studio.

To get the equivalent Windows PowerShell command for a query:

1. Create a query by selecting a class (with or without properties) or writing a custom query.
2. In the Query group of the ribbon, click the arrow beside PowerShell (Ctrl+P), and then click Copy PowerShell Code.
   
   

Copy PowerShell Code copies the Windows PowerShell command to your Windows clipboard. To paste the command in a standard Windows PowerShell console, right-click.

To paste the command in most other documents and editors, including the PowerShell console in WMI Explorer, right-click and select Paste or type Ctrl+V.

After pasting the command in the PowerShell console in WMI Explorer, you can edit the command. For example, you can use the Select-Object cmdlet to specify property names, instead of using the Format-Table cmdlet. The result is a custom object (PSCustomObject) that you can pipe to other cmdlets.

 	Get-CimInstance -ComputerName SAPIEN01 -ClassName Win32_LogicalDisk | 
 	Select-Object -Property DeviceID, Caption 

Show and Hide the Console

The PowerShell console in WMI Explorer appears in the Windows PowerShell tab in the Output Pane. By default, the Output Pane and its tabs appear at the bottom of the WMI Explorer window.

To display the PowerShell console:

• In the Output pane at the bottom of the screen, click the Windows PowerShell tab.
• If the Output pane or the tab are hidden, in the View group in the ribbon, click PowerShell.
  
  

To hide the PowerShell console:

• In the View group in the ribbon, uncheck PowerShell.

To hide the Output pane (and all of its tabs):

• Right-click the title bar of the Output pane. Then click Hide.
  
  

Need more?

This manual guides you through the features of WMI Explorer. If you have questions that aren't answered here, search the SAPIEN Blog and the WMI Explorer forum (for licensed users) or the Trial Software Questions forum (trial users). If you can't find what you need, post a question on either forum. We'll get back to you quickly.