PowerShell script run fine on desktop but fail to run on laptop

PhilB · Sep 28, 2025

Before I post a screenshot of Powershell on the laptop, let me not that both systems are running the latest version of Windows, both running PS 7.5.3 and I'm running with the same username on both systems. I use Goodsync to ensure that directories and files are sync'ed between systems. I get the same error message when I try to to run the script starting with CH. My bold.

Here is the PowerShell screenshot

Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
-a---- 9/28/2025 2:46 PM 5098 CHcountallfiles.ps1
-a---- 9/24/2025 9:38 PM 13525 CLcountallfiles.ps1
-a---- 8/15/2025 9:36 PM 1723 printoutallRAWandJPGcounts.ps1

PS F:\scripts\test\photo\filecountsperfolder> ..\CLcountallfiles.ps1
..\CLcountallfiles.ps1 : The term '..\CLcountallfiles.ps1' 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 line:1 char:1
+ ..\CLcountallfiles.ps1
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (..\CLcountallfiles.ps1:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

pseymour · Sep 28, 2025

One dot is generally used.

.\CHcountallfiles.ps1

And that's assuming you're in the same directory in which the script is saved.

garlin · Sep 28, 2025

.\ means "the current folder' (or F:\scripts\test\photo\filecountsperfolder)
..\ means "the parent folder above the current folder" (or F:\scripts\test\photo)

PhilB · Sep 28, 2025

garlin said:
.\ means "the current folder' (or F:\scripts\test\photo\filecountsperfolder)
..\ means "the parent folder above the current folder" (or F:\scripts\test\photo)

I am so embarrassed. What a noob error, which I not.

Moderators: Please don't cancel my account because of this rookie error.

garlin · Sep 28, 2025

At least you understood there needs to be a ".\" combination. A number of PS rookies just type in a plain filename, and don't get why nothing runs.

pseymour · Sep 28, 2025

Useless info.... Double dots work in the root of a drive, because there's no parent.

Code:

D:\
ps> .\Hello.ps1
Hello, world. 09/28/2025 21:54:41

D:\
ps> ..\Hello.ps1
Hello, world. 09/28/2025 21:54:45

PhilB · Sep 28, 2025

I changed the PS command line to just 1 "." but then I got an error message about scripts being disabled on my laotop. So a Microsoft page said that I needed to enter Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted. Once I did that, scripts did run OK.

garlin · Sep 28, 2025

Please tag @pseymour for all your nerd questions.

PhilB · Sep 29, 2025

garlin said:
At least you understood there needs to be a ".\" combination. A number of PS rookies just type in a plain filename, and don't get why nothing runs.

Sure. but you have to ask. Why was powershell designed that way.

pseymour · Sep 29, 2025

PowerShell doesn't include the current directory in the search path. If you just type in the name of a script file, it will look in the Path environment variable's paths.* To run a script from the current directory, you have to be explicit about your intent.

Some people will say that it keeps you from running a script in the current directory that may be malicious, but there can be malicious scripts in the path too, so meh.

* Edit: Actually it looks for a cmdlet, function, or alias with that name first, then for a script in the path.

garlin · Sep 29, 2025

If you type an unknown command in CMD, it will assume you're looking for an executable to run. CMD starts looking for the file in the current folder, and then searching folders in your PATH variable.

For security reasons, PS doesn't want to automatically run scripts in the current folder (unless it was already listed in your $env:PATH variable). You can say it's more strongly typed than CMD on basic script security. It's like having an UAC pop-up, it's there get you into the habit of knowing exactly what's going on and mentally justify why you're doing it.

Or you can blame Jeffrey Snover (father of PowerShell).

pseymour · Sep 29, 2025

It does also make it more Unix-like, but since cross-platform PowerShell came much later, I don't know if that was a reason.

Try3 · Sep 29, 2025

x509 said:
Set-ExecutionPolicy

Take a look at
Set-ExecutionPolicy - MSLearn
Change PowerShell Script Execution Policy - TenForumsTutorials
Change PowerShell Script Execution Policy - ElevenForumTutorials

RemoteSigned would be a safer choice than Unrestricted

All the best,
Denis

garlin · Sep 29, 2025

And in all honesty, enough smart (or bad) people already know the trick to read PS script contents into a buffer, and execute the script block. So code signing isn't such an insurmountable barrier. Sites may mandate it as part of their security policy, but it's just lip service.

It's still useful to check for script integrity.

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