PS2EXE-GUI: "Convert" PowerShell Scripts to EXE Files with GUI

Hi Markus, I`m looking for your assistance.
I wrote a simple script which just checks some WMI system objects and then executed windows commands, no network access, no registry changes, file creations \ deletions. 
I got a few detections from Kaspesky AV, and uploaded exe to virus total:
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/ed194f0735513f26f42979c47b9ea3e6f13003a8d7b213f254c78f3edd01f298
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/655500329326af0bb3b89b7fb68d62fd1b76b0c54134b30855534bc0942a70fa

I tried to sign the exe but this not really changed the situation.

As I`m pretty sure that script itself is not an issue, I tried to use Powershell Studio to compile script...  and it is working well:

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/8dc66b07472795c9787b027966ef4e7df34e45bf214165a221f376f49c953a88/detection

Could you please help me determine the possible reason for this?

turning off "-requireadmin" lowered amount of detections.. but still

Hello MaksymSo,

I think I cannot help you. I compiled a sample script and checked it with Virustotal, two scanners thought of it as suspicious. That's not unusual.

You could send your compiled script to Kaspersky so they can check it. Maybe you should not execute programs with names like "invoice.exe" or "important_document.exe" in your script because this IS suspicious.

Greetings

Markus

I do not use such names - virustotal change name of the checked files.

Okay, thank you.

Hello MaksymSo,

sorry, I didn't know that Google uses those strange names in their sandboxes.

Greetings

Markus

I have a simple powershell script that uses robocopy to move files from directory to directory. I have ensured all the logging robocopy would typically do in the console is moved instead to a log file. I can run this exe and it works as expected when ran manually however when ran as a scheduled task I get the following issue: error: 3762504530 Application: test.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.InvalidOperationException
   at System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.ShowCore(System.Windows.Forms.IWin32Window, System.String, System.String, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxButtons, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxIcon, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxDefaultButton, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxOptions, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(System.String, System.String, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxButtons, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxIcon)
   at ik.PowerShell.PS2EXE.Main(System.String[])

Unchecking noConsole got rid of the error for me. Now the exe says it ran but it doesnt actually do anything.

Hello CodeBroJohn,

there seems to be something different between your interactive environment and the environment of scheduled tasks and the program wants to tell you what. Please pipe the output and the error channel to a text file and see what's going wrong.

Greetings

Markus

Hi Markus, I used PS2exe for converting .ps1 file. My ps1 file takes 2 arguments during installation. ie, .\my.ps1 "arg1","arg2". arg1 is used by an exe for installation. When I run from ps1, the exe takes arg1 as per the required logic but when I run ps2exe converted exe it takes both the arguments(arg1 and arg2)as input parameter which is causing issue. I verified the same by running process explorer. It would be very kind of you if you could help me.

Hello Abby Potter,

I can explain this behaviour, but can not do anything about it because it's not under PS2EXE's control. When you pass "arg1","arg2" to a PowerShell script, an Array is passed to the script. If you pass "arg1","arg2" to an executable, the shell passes a string to the executable. So the string with the value "arg1","arg2" is the first parameter.

Is it possible for you to set a blank after the comma? Could you omit the comma? This might work.

Greetings

Markus

Hi Marcus, I believe I found the issue. When I was compiling to EXE I was using an older PS2EXE.ps1 powershell and not the one that was in your folder. When I tried your PS2EXE.ps1 the parameters now work.
The path of my environment variable was kicking off another version of PS2EXE. 
Thank you for all your help :)

Hello Alice Martini,

are you sure you're answering to the correct question?

Greetings

Markus

Oops, sorry for the wrong post. 

How can i modify this script so that i can include multiple files in the exe?

Hello Jerald4lyfe,

I think I cannot fulfill the wish you have. There are to many things PS2EXE would have to determine or could not predict: the path to a sub script might have to be evaluated at runtime, variables might have a (sub) script scope, parameters to sub scripts have to be handled, script variables might have different values in sub scripts...

Maybe a tool that generates self extracting archives would be better for you.

Greetings

Markus

I compiled the script on a Win7 PC and the EXE is working perfectly. It's no problem for us to have a separate EXE for Win10 and one for Win7. I appreciate your advice, thanks again!

You're welcome.

Greetings

Markus

Sorry, I don't see an edit button for my previous post. I do have .Net Framework 4.7.2 on the Windows 7 PCs. The PowerShell version on the PC in question is 2.0.

Hallo Carl,

PowerShell 2.0 always runs with .Net 2 up to .Net 3.51 and cannot use .Net 4.xx. You have two options:
1. Compile your script with PowerShell 2.0 on your Windows 7 PC (this executable will fail on your Windows 10 PC if there is no PowerShell 2.0 present)
2. Install WMF 3 or up on your Windows 7 PC, so PowerShell 3 or up are present

Greetings

Markus

Hi Markus!

I'm guessing that my Windows 7 PCs are missing a prerequisite but I'd like to run this by you just in-case.

The Posh script that I converted to EXE is
Copy-Item "C:\Users\$env:UserName\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\Sticky Notes\StickyNotes.snt" -Destination "Z:\Userdata\StickyNotes\StickyNotes.snt"

The EXE runs and copies the data on Windows 10, but it fails on Windows 7. The error message that I get is
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.1.7601.24499, time stamp: 0x5d0115f1
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x000000000000b87d

Please advise if you can, thank you!

Answer above...

After 'compiling' the PS to EXE I can't find a way to pass specific parameters as I could when it was a PowerShell script. Normally I could do: 
SQL.ps1 -Tablename Employee -ACCNO 43214...
Now that it's an exe it doesn't accept the paramter name. 
Is there a way to pass specific named parameters to the executable? 
 

Hello Alice Martini,

parameters are passed to the executable the same way as you pass it to a powerShell script, for your example:
SQL.exe -Tablename Employee -ACCNO 43214...

But there is a - for same cases big - restriction since it is an executable: all parameters are interpreted as of type [STRING]. There is nothing I can do about this, it is a restriction of way executables are called.

Greetings

Markus

Thank you so much Markus for the quick response :)
Unfortunately when the exe is compiled, the exe treats the paramter name as the actual value: 
Here's my Powershell (x.ps1) that I convert to an EXE:

param([string]$name,[string]$sex)
write-host $name
write-host $sex

After compilation when I try to put in parameters x.exe -name Marcus -Sex male but i get the following
the value of $name = "-Name" 
the value of $sex = "Marcus"

I've tried everyithing I could. the only thing that works is: x.exe Marcus Male
(without any paramter names).

Thanks, 
Alice

Hello Alice Martini,

I'm sorry I to have to say I can't recreate your problem. In my environment everything's working fine.

How do you call the executable x.exe? What PowerShell and what Windows version you are using? Are you sure you did not copy the code out of Word or another application and are unintentionally using "EN DASH" characters (ASCII code 0x96) instead of the regular "hyphen minus" (ASCII code 0x2d)?

Greetings

Markus

Hi Markus, I used PS2EXE.ps1 for converting my ps1 file to exe. My ps1 takes arguments, and when I pass the arguments to exe file it displays argument value in the console which I don't want. Also I want to minimize this console during installation. I can minimize the windows using "-WindowStyle Minimized" in PS1 file. 
Could you help me.

Hello Abby Potter,

are you sure you want a console program? Maybe you compile your script with the Parameter -NoConsole?

But remember, every output will generate a message box then.

Greetings

Markus

After compiling using the tool using the GUI version my EXE's are being flagged by ESET Antivirus as a trojan. Compiling through the command line does not cause this.

Hello Cole,

I uploaded a file compiled directly with the script PS2EXE.ps1 and a script compiled using WinPS2EXE to VirusTotal. The ESET antivirus rated both executables "unsuspicious".

Greetings

Markus