powershell Test-Path is not recognized as a cmdlet

Question

As a follow up to my question powershell if-else does not follow either branch I've found another odd situation. I have a script that is running as a scheduled task once a day. The problem occurs only when run as a scheduled task (never from a command prompt, ide, or powershell window) and even then only on some days. The relevant code is

$target_dir = "\\server\path\"
$tmpStatus = "init"
$err = $false
try { $tmpStatus = Test-Path ( $target_dir + "receivals.tmp") }
catch
{
    $tmpStatus = $error | foreach { $_.Exception }
    $err = $true
}

Some days $tmpStatus reports the problem

System.Management.Automation.CommandNotFoundException: The term 'Test-Path' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
   at System.Management.Automation.ExceptionHandlingOps.CheckActionPreference(FunctionContext funcContext, Exception exception)
   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.ActionCallInstruction`2.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)
   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.EnterTryCatchFinallyInstruction.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)
   at System.Management.Automation.Interpreter.EnterTryCatchFinallyInstruction.Run(InterpretedFrame frame)

However, later on in the same script on the same run when I use Test-Path again, it works just fine every time. How can Test-Path not be a valid command?

@ranomore is yours running as a scheduled task, or interactive or some other way? Can you reproduce the error reliably? — BeowulfNode42
Wish I'd seen your note sooner. I rebooted the machine where this had started happening and the problem disappeared. But it was running in a non-interactive process through TeamCity. I tried various refactorings of the script but the error persisted. — Dave Neeley
Mine seems unrelated to server reboots. Though the reboot is 17 hours before the next script schedule. — BeowulfNode42

jojo jojo · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-05T09:08:37

try with qualifier:

Microsoft.PowerShell.Management\Test-Path ( $target_dir + "receivals.tmp")

powershell Test-Path is not recognized as a cmdlet

2 Answers