PowershellDirect on Windows Server 2016: Invoke-Command -VMName 'blah' fails with Unable to cast object of type 'System.String' to type 'VMState'.

Steps to reproduce

$vmUserPassword = 'password'; #reproes even without correct password
$vmUser = '.\Administrator'; 
$vmMachineName = 'MyLocalVMName';  #this VM needs to exist
$password = ConvertTo-SecureString $vmUserPassword -AsPlainText -Force; 
$cred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ($vmUser, $password); 
Invoke-Command -VMName $vmMachineName -Credential $cred { Write-Output ('Connection'+'Succeeded') }

Expected behavior

ConnectionSucceeded

Actual behavior

Invoke-Command: Unable to cast object of type 'System.String' to type 'VMState'.

Environment data

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      7.1.1
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    7.1.1
OS                             Microsoft Windows 10.0.14393
Platform                       Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

Notes:

• this is about the host, rather than guest guest:
  • Win10 or Windows Server 2019 host + Windows Server 2019 guest => works
  • Windows Server 2016 host + Windows Server 2019 guest => breaks
• this is specific to powershell core
  • the same command works from Powershell ISE 5.1.14393.3866 from either host
• In my actual environment I use powershell SDK from c# app, but thankfully it reproes from regular powershell
• Similar unanswered question on stackoverflow .

[SeeminglyScience]

I’m guessing the 2016 version is using implicit remoting (or w/e the automatic wincompat layer is called, I forget) due to the HyperV module not getting the Core tag via Windows Updates. As a workaround try Import-Module HyperV -SkipEditionCheck before running the command.

[ayeltsov]

Ack. We’re ok with workaround, and will probably speed up deprecation of Server 2016 as a supported host. Not sure what is the protocol for closing the bugs, but I’m Ok with closing