Goadstir

Get-Date -Format FileDate # 20180502
Get-Date -Format FileDateUniversal # 20180502Z
Get-Date -Format FileDateTime # 20180502T1852552818
Get-Date -Format FileDateTimeUniversal # 20180502T2255061745Z

Get-Date -Format f # Wednesday, May 02, 2018 6:51 PM
Get-Date -Format F # Wednesday, May 02, 2018 6:51:03 PM
Get-Date -Format g # 5/2/2018 6:51 PM
Get-Date -Format G # 5/2/2018 6:51:03 PM
Get-Date -Format s # 2018-05-02T18:51:03

Goadstir

#####
# Require Module as part of a Script
#####
# This examples checks for available PowerCLI module: VMware.VimAutomation.Core
# Add "#REQUIRES" to the top of your .ps1 file
# Use -Modules to specify a Module name
# If the required modules are not in the current session, Windows PowerShell imports them. 
# If the modules cannot be imported, Windows PowerShell throws a terminating error.
# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_requires?view=powershell-6

Goadstir

# Remove the Curly Braces from a string such as after getting PSChildName. E.g. {636D9115-E54E-4673-B992-B51A8F8DDC8B}

# Using trim :
"{636D9115-E54E-4673-B992-B51A8F8DDC8B}".trim('{}') 

# Using multiple replace :
"{636D9115-E54E-4673-B992-B51A8F8DDC8B}".Replace('{','').Replace('}','')

# Using Replace with RegEx
"{636D9115-E54E-4673-B992-B51A8F8DDC8B}" -replace '\{(.*)\}','$1'

Goadstir

$OS = ((Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem).Name).Split("|")[0]
# Checking for Windows 7 or Windows 10 in Name
If ($OS -contains "7" -or "10") {Write-Host "It's a Desktop!"}
Else {Write-Host "It's a Server!"}

Goadstir

# find out last boot time
$os = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_OperatingSystem
$lastBoot = $os.LastBootUpTime

# raw datetime output
$lastBoot
# e.g. \> Wednesday, December 5, 2018 2:31:48 AM 

# formatted string output
Get-Date -Date $lastBoot -Format '"Last reboot at" MMM dd, yyyy "at" HH:mm:ss "and" fffff "Milliseconds."'

Goadstir

$timeout = New-TimeSpan -Seconds 30
$timer = [Diagnostics.Stopwatch]::new() # Create a timer
$timerAndStart = [Diagnostics.Stopwatch]::StartNew() # Create a timer and start it
$timer.Start() # Start the timer
$timer.Stop() # Stop the timer
$timer.Elapsed # Get time elapsed
$timer.IsRunning # Is timer running?
$timer.Restart() # restarts the time, doesn't stop
$timer.Reset() # stops timer and sets to 0
$timer.Equals($timeout) # check if timer value equals a value such as timeout, returns boolean

Goadstir

<#
    References:
        * http://powershell-guru.com/dont-13-use-write-host-properly-align-output/
#>

# Solution 1
[PSCustomObject] @{
    Date     = Get-Date -Format d
    Computer = [System.Environment]::MachineName
    Username = ([Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).Name

Goadstir

<#
  Resources:
    * https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dsheehan/2018/02/18/powershell-code-to-wait-for-a-background-process-to-finish-before-continuing-on-with-a-script/
#>
# Check to see if the .NET Optimization Service is still running as it can block the Exchange initialization process.
If (Get-Process mscorsvw -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
    # It is so define the number of minutes the countdown timer should allow it to gracefully finish before giving up and exiting the script.
    $CountDownTimer = 10
    Write-Host " "
    Write-Warning "The .NET Optimization Service is still running. Waiting up to $CountDownTimer minutes for it to gracefully shut down so the script can proceed."

Goadstir

# Get the installed software from your Windows Operating Systems

# From the WMI Object perspective
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Sort-Object Name | Select-Object Name,Vendor,Version,Caption | Format-Table -AutoSize

# From the registry perspective
Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Sort-Object DisplayName | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate | Format-Table -AutoSize

Goadstir

# create secure string from plain-text string
$secureString = ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText -Force -String $password
Write-Host "Secure string:",$secureString

# convert secure string to encrypted string (for safe-ish storage to config/file/etc.)
$encryptedString = ConvertFrom-SecureString -SecureString $secureString
Write-Host "Encrypted string:",$encryptedString

# convert encrypted string back to secure string
$secureString = ConvertTo-SecureString -String $encryptedString