Powershell won't install almost any module using install-module

Question

My Powershell v5.1 won't install almost any module automatically using install-module whereas manually installation does work.

First, when I run install-module, it would download the module then throw an error, say the pscx module:

PackageManagement\Install-Package : Package 'Pscx' failed to be installed because: Specified cast is not valid.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\2.0.4\PSModule.psm1:9307 char:21
+ ...          $null = PackageManagement\Install-Package @PSBoundParameters
+                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (Pscx:String) [Install-Package], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Package '{0}' failed to be installed because: {1},Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManag
   ement.Cmdlets.InstallPackage

What I can do now is to manually download the module and use import-module myself. The error occurs almost every time when I'm trying to install any module through this cmdlet. How can I address this problem?

For troubleshooting, Get-PSRepository gives me this:

PS C:\> Get-PSRepository

Name                      InstallationPolicy   SourceLocation
----                      ------------------   --------------
PSGallery                 Trusted              https://www.powershellgallery.com/api/v2
GalleryRolling            Trusted              https://www.poshtestgallery.com/api/v2/

---

EDIT:

Got the same error when trying to use Save-Module:

PS C:\> Find-Module -Name 'pscx' | Save-Module -Path "G:\Temp\System Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules"
WARNING: Package 'Pscx' failed to be installed because: Specified cast is not valid.
WARNING: Package 'Pscx' failed to install.
PackageManagement\Save-Package : Unable to save the module 'Pscx'.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\2.0.4\PSModule.psm1:11331 char:25
+ ...             $null = PackageManagement\Save-Package @PSBoundParameters
+                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (Microsoft.Power...ets.SavePackage:SavePackage) [Save-Packag
   e], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ProviderFailToDownloadFile,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.Save
   Package

It downloaded the package then displays the WARNING.

When using the Find-Module alone, the result is:

PS C:\> Find-Module -Name 'pscx'

Version              Name                                Repository           Description
-------              ----                                ----------           -----------
3.3.2                Pscx                                PSGallery            PowerShell Community Extensi...

---

EDIT 2:

Oh I forgot to say that there are no files created in the specific download folder after the download process bar disappeared. Does that mean the download has failed?

---

EDIT 3: @Sage Pourpre

1. Debugging log
2. I Always run PS as administrator.
3. -Scope CurrentUser throws the same error.

4. Both PS C:\> Uninstall-Module -Name "PowerShellGet" and PS C:\> Uninstall-Script -Name "PowerShellGet" -RequiredVersion 2.0.3 produce the same result.

   PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package : No match was found for the specified search criteria and script names 'PowerShellGet'. At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\2.0.4\PSModule.psm1:12343 char:21

   • ... $null = PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package @PSBoundParameters

   • + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Microsoft.Power...ninstallPackage:UninstallPackage) [Uninstal
     l-Package], Exception
     + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoMatchFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.UninstallPackage
     

Then I tried to list available modules:

PS C:\> Get-Module -ListAvailable


    Directory: G:\Temp\System Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules


ModuleType Version    Name                                ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ----                                ----------------
Binary     2.7.1.7    ISESteroids                         {Get-PSSharperData, Add-SteroidsContextMenuComma...
Script     1.2        Use-RawPipeline                     {Invoke-NativeCommand, Receive-RawPipeline, Get-...


    Directory: C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules


ModuleType Version    Name                                ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ----                                ----------------
Script     1.0.1      Microsoft.PowerShell.Operation.V... {Get-OperationValidation, Invoke-OperationValida...
Script     1.2.4      PackageManagement                   {Find-Package, Get-Package, Get-PackageProvider,...
Script     4.5.0      Pester                              {Describe, Context, It, Should...}
Script     2.0.4      PowerShellGet                       {Find-Command, Find-DSCResource, Find-Module, Fi...
Script     2.0.3      PowerShellGet                       {Find-Command, Find-DSCResource, Find-Module, Fi...
Script     1.2        PSReadline                          {Get-PSReadlineKeyHandler, Set-PSReadlineKeyHand...


    Directory: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules


ModuleType Version    Name                                ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ----                                ----------------
Manifest   1.0.0.0    AppBackgroundTask                   {Disable-AppBackgroundTaskDiagnosticLog, Enable-...
Manifest   2.0.0.0    AppLocker                           {Get-AppLockerFileInformation, Get-AppLockerPoli...
Manifest   1.0.0.0    AppvClient                          {Add-AppvClientConnectionGroup, Add-AppvClientPa...
Manifest   2.0.0.0    Appx                                {Add-AppxPackage, Get-AppxPackage, Get-AppxPacka...
Script     1.0.0.0    AssignedAccess                      {Clear-AssignedAccess, Get-AssignedAccess, Set-A...
Manifest   1.0.0.0    BitLocker                           {Unlock-BitLocker, Suspend-BitLocker, Resume-Bit...
etc...

And Get-InstalledModule

PS C:\> Get-InstalledModule -Name "PowerShellGet" -RequiredVersion 2.0.3
PackageManagement\Get-Package : No match was found for the specified search criteria and module names
'PowerShellGet'.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\2.0.4\PSModule.psm1:9050 char:9
+         PackageManagement\Get-Package @PSBoundParameters | Microsoft. ...
+         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Microsoft.Power...lets.GetPackage:GetPackage) [Get-Package],
   Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoMatchFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.GetPackage

Lurlenelurline

Are you specifying a repository? If so, does that error happen on both repos? Where is the code you're using to invoke it? I can see you're wrapping it in something because your invocation is $null = PackageManagement\Install-Package @PSBoundParameters so seeing the code around it would actually be helpful in figuring this out. – Araliaceous

@Araliaceous When I specify the repository, the default one, ie: PSGallery, returns the error I posted above. When using GalleryRolling, it says "No match was found for the specified search criteria and module name 'Pscx'." As for the code around it, it's the native PSModule.psm1 comes from the PowerShellGet v2.0.4 module itself. – Lurlenelurline

@Araliaceous I have both PowerShellGet v2.0.4 and v2.0.3 installed. With v2.0.3 the problem is the same except for the line position where the error occurs At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\2.0.3\PSModule.psm1:9550 char:21. – Lurlenelurline

Add the -Debug and -Verbose switch to your Install-Module call to see if there are more informations. Also, make sure you execute that as administrator. Finall, if nothing works at that point, try with the '-Scope CurrentUser' to see if it changes anything. If nothing, uninstall / reinstall PowershellGet to see if it fixes anything. – Wimble

@ See my edit above please :) – Lurlenelurline

The log shows that PackageManagement is the module that crash. Can you try installing an older version Install-Module -Name PackageManagement -RequiredVersion 1.1.7.2 If it does not work, which I supect will happens, can you install it manually by copying the module from another computer ? Once you get it installed, try to put a Remove-Module -Name PackageManagement -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue then Import-Module -Name PackageManagement -RequiredVersion 1.1.7.2 then your Install-module to see if it works. – Wimble

In fact, I might be wrong on that but try to install .net core 2.0.9 and 2.1 before trying the older version to see if it helps: dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-core/2.0 – Wimble

@Sage Pourpre Still no lucky, simply install .NET Core and repeat previous procedures doesn't work. PackageManagement also doesn't work with old 1.1.7.2 version, I even tried the 2.0.1 version of PowershellGet and the error thrown is the same. – Lurlenelurline

Answer 1

Finally solved by:

[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = "tls12"

The solution is from the following blog posted by vanBrenk:

Trying to install a PowerShell module behind a proxy? Chances are you're getting this error: "Unable to resolve package source 'https://www.powershellgallery.com/api/v2/'". Turns out it isn't allowed through your proxy server [...] Now every command you run is sent and allowed through the proxy.

Lurlenelurline

Answer 2

If you are just using the default repo, there is not reason to specify it.

Try it this way...

Find-Module -Name 'pscx' | 
Save-Module -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules"
Install-Module -Name 'pscx'

You can have multiple version of PowerShell on the same site, it should not impact installing modules, generally.

Beau

Oh I forgot to say that there are no files created in the specific download folder after the download process bar disappeared. Does that mean the download has failed? – Lurlenelurline

Hummm, that's a bit odd, but why are you trying to download and install here: "G:\Temp\System Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules", PowerShell will never look here for modules, unless you specifically add it to your environment path. Do the install to the user profile default location and use the -force switch for your actions, as well as starting PowerShell as admin to see if your are successful. – Beau

In order to get rid of a messy Document folder, I move the Windows system Document folder to a location where I would never touch hence the "G:\Temp\System Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules". Powershell WILL look here and use modules exist here. – Lurlenelurline

Answer 3

I have almost the same problem.After debugging with dnspy.I found that the type of key\HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\FipsAlgorithmPolicy\Enabled is wrong,and changing the type from REG_SZ to REG_DWORD solves the problem. You can see my post here.

Parlin

Answer 4

The answer from postanote almost did it for me. A slight modification is what was needed:

Find-Module -Name "pscx" | Install-Module

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