How to run a powershell command in c#

Question

So I am attempting to change the creation date of a text file in C#. The user will type in thr creation date of the file, it will then change the text files creation date to what the user inputted. Trouble is it keeps adding a ' for some reason resulting in an error message, it is calling on Powershell to accomplish this:

    public partial class Form6 : Form
    {
        public Form6()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void textBox1_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            string dir = textBox1.Text;

            PowerShell ps = PowerShell.Create();



          ps.AddCommand("Get-ChildItem c:\\encryptedmessagehere.txt | % {$_.CreationTime = '"+ dir + "'}");

            ps.Invoke();
        }
    }
}

Trouble is, after the "'}");, it automatically adds another ', incorrecting the powershell command to change the date. Is there a way to stop it from adding the ' at the end?

The returned error is:

System.Management.Automation.CommandNotFoundException HResult=0x80131501 Message=The term 'Get - ChildItem C:\\encryptedmessagehere.txt | % {$_.CreationTime = '06/12/12 09:27:03 AM'} ' 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.

Thank you.

Answer 1

So I am attempting to change the creation date of a text file in C#. The user will type in thr creation date of the file, it will then change the text files creation date to what the user inputted. Trouble is it keeps adding a ' for some reason resulting in an error message, it is calling on Powershell to accomplish this:

    public partial class Form6 : Form
    {
        public Form6()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void textBox1_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            string dir = textBox1.Text;

            PowerShell ps = PowerShell.Create();



          ps.AddCommand("Get-ChildItem c:\\encryptedmessagehere.txt | % {$_.CreationTime = '"+ dir + "'}");

            ps.Invoke();
        }
    }
}

Trouble is, after the "'}");, it automatically adds another ', incorrecting the powershell command to change the date. Is there a way to stop it from adding the ' at the end?

The returned error is:

System.Management.Automation.CommandNotFoundException HResult=0x80131501 Message=The term 'Get - ChildItem C:\\encryptedmessagehere.txt | % {$_.CreationTime = '06/12/12 09:27:03 AM'} ' 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.

Thank you.

Answer 2

In case anyone wants to know, you need to install the following NuGet packages to use PowerShell in C#:

• Microsoft.PowerShell.SDK
• System.Management.Automation

Thanks how I was able to get Jack J Jun's answer to work.

Answer 3

Can't comment due to points so can only reply. For Jack's answer, great info. Two items:

1. Is there a way to get a return value if say Powershell would be returning True or False?

2. If I wanted to do the below that is in a ps1 file now (prefer not to have to call the file), how would I tweak the above for that? So passes a username field to the script and then checks if they have ActiveSync enabled. Returns True of False.

 param ($username) Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.E2010 (Get-CASMailbox -Identity enhnet\\$username).ActiveSyncEnabled

I did previously append

 | out-file -Encoding ASCII c:\inetpub\wwwroot\results.txt

With ASP 2.0 in the PS1 file then read the file and give the result but that was kind of clugy.

For reference command I ran with old ASP code was:

strCMD="powershell -command ""& {c:\temp\activesync.ps1 " & username & "} "" "
objShell.Run strCMD,0,true