PowerShell wants to return system classes as well.<\/p>\n
PS C:\\> get-wmiobject -query \"Select Name,Description,Disabled from Win32_UserAccount\"\r\n\r\n\r\n__GENUS : 2\r\n__CLASS : Win32_UserAccount\r\n__SUPERCLASS :\r\n__DYNASTY :\r\n__RELPATH :\r\n__PROPERTY_COUNT : 3\r\n__DERIVATION : {}\r\n__SERVER :\r\n__NAMESPACE :\r\n__PATH :\r\nDescription : Built-in account for administering the computer\/domain\r\nDisabled : False\r\nName : Administrator\r\nPSComputerName :\r\n\r\n...<\/pre>\nThe work around has been to pipe the original expression to Select-Object<\/a> and re-selecting the properties I want. This seems like an unnecessary step. Now, depending on the class I could simple return all WMI objects and then use Select-Object. But I should be able to take advantage of early filtering and use Get-WmiObject<\/a> as it was intended. So I wrote a function called Select-WMI that will take any WMI-looking object and return the non system properties.<\/p>\n#requires -version 2.0\r\n\r\nFunction Select-WMI {\r\n<#\r\n.Synopsis\r\nReturn non system properties from a WMI Object.\r\n.Description\r\nWhen using -query and Get-WmiObject, you get system properties included, like __CLASS \r\nand __SERVER. This function will strip off these properties and only return class properties. \r\nUse -Populated when you want to get all class properties but only if they have a value\r\ndefined. This is similar to piping a WMI object to Select * except in this function\r\nyou'll only get properties with a value.\r\n.Parameter InputObject\r\nA WMI object either from a Get-WMIObject expression.\r\n.Parameter Populated\r\nOnly return properties that have a defined value.\r\n.Example\r\nPS C:\\> Get-WMIObject -query \"Select Model,Name,Manufacturer from win32_computersystem\" | Select-WMI\r\nManufacturer Model Name \r\n------------ ----- ---- \r\nTOSHIBA Qosmio X505 SERENITY \r\n\r\n.Example\r\nPS C:\\> Get-WMIObject win32_operatingsystem | Select-WMI\r\nBootDevice : \\Device\\HarddiskVolume1\r\nBuildNumber : 7600\r\nBuildType : Multiprocessor Free\r\nCaption : Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate \r\nCodeSet : 1252\r\nCountryCode : 1\r\nCreationClassName : Win32_OperatingSystem\r\nCSCreationClassName : Win32_ComputerSystem\r\nCSDVersion : \r\nCSName : SERENITY\r\nCurrentTimeZone : -240\r\nDataExecutionPrevention_32BitApplications : True\r\nDataExecutionPrevention_Available : True\r\nDataExecutionPrevention_Drivers : True\r\nDataExecutionPrevention_SupportPolicy : 2\r\nDebug : False\r\nDescription : \r\nDistributed : False\r\nEncryptionLevel : 256\r\nForegroundApplicationBoost : 2\r\nFreePhysicalMemory : 2346688\r\nFreeSpaceInPagingFiles : 4182504\r\nFreeVirtualMemory : 6091932\r\nInstallDate : 20100120131825.000000-300\r\nLargeSystemCache : \r\nLastBootUpTime : 20100511175627.595198-240\r\nLocalDateTime : 20100511180234.565000-240\r\nLocale : 0409\r\nManufacturer : Microsoft Corporation\r\nMaxNumberOfProcesses : 4294967295\r\nMaxProcessMemorySize : 8589934464\r\nMUILanguages : {en-US}\r\nName : Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate |C:\\Wi\r\n ndows|\\Device\\Harddisk0\\Partition2\r\nNumberOfLicensedUsers : \r\nNumberOfProcesses : 80\r\nNumberOfUsers : 5\r\nOperatingSystemSKU : 1\r\nOrganization : JDH Information Technology Solution\r\n s\r\nOSArchitecture : 64-bit\r\nOSLanguage : 1033\r\nOSProductSuite : 256\r\nOSType : 18\r\nOtherTypeDescription : \r\nPAEEnabled : \r\nPlusProductID : \r\nPlusVersionNumber : \r\nPrimary : True\r\nProductType : 1\r\nRegisteredUser : Jeff\r\nSerialNumber : 00426-065-0389393-86732\r\nServicePackMajorVersion : 0\r\nServicePackMinorVersion : 0\r\nSizeStoredInPagingFiles : 4182504\r\nStatus : OK\r\nSuiteMask : 272\r\nSystemDevice : \\Device\\HarddiskVolume2\r\nSystemDirectory : C:\\Windows\\system32\r\nSystemDrive : C:\r\nTotalSwapSpaceSize : \r\nTotalVirtualMemorySize : 8363108\r\nTotalVisibleMemorySize : 4182504\r\nVersion : 6.1.7600\r\nWindowsDirectory : C:\\Windows\r\n\r\n.Example\r\nPS C:\\> Get-WMIObject win32_bios -computername SERVER01 | Select-WMI -Populated\r\nBiosCharacteristics : {4, 7, 8, 9...}\r\nBIOSVersion : {TOSQCI - 6040000, Ver 1.00PARTTBL}\r\nCaption : Ver 1.00PARTTBL\r\nDescription : Ver 1.00PARTTBL\r\nManufacturer : TOSHIBA\r\nName : Ver 1.00PARTTBL\r\nPrimaryBIOS : True\r\nReleaseDate : 20100223000000.000000+000\r\nSerialNumber : Z9131790W\r\nSMBIOSBIOSVersion : V2.20 \r\nSMBIOSMajorVersion : 2\r\nSMBIOSMinorVersion : 6\r\nSMBIOSPresent : True\r\nSoftwareElementID : Ver 1.00PARTTBL\r\nSoftwareElementState : 3\r\nStatus : OK\r\nTargetOperatingSystem : 0\r\nVersion : TOSQCI - 6040000\r\n.Example\r\nPS C:\\> Select-wmi (gwmi win32_useraccount) | select -first 1\r\n\r\nAccountType : 512\r\nCaption : SERENITY\\Administrator\r\nDescription : Built-in account for administering the computer\/domain\r\nDisabled : False\r\nDomain : SERENITY\r\nFullName :\r\nInstallDate :\r\nLocalAccount : True\r\nLockout : False\r\nName : Administrator\r\nPasswordChangeable : True\r\nPasswordExpires : False\r\nPasswordRequired : True\r\nSID : S-1-5-21-2858895768-3673612314-3109562570-500\r\nSIDType : 1\r\nStatus : OK\r\n.Inputs\r\nAny WMI or [system.management.managementobject] object\r\n.Outputs\r\nA WMI or [system.management.managementobject] object\r\n.Link\r\nGet-WMIObject\r\nSelect-Object\r\n.Link\r\nhttp:\/\/bit.ly\/ebmiio\r\n\r\n.Notes\r\n NAME: Select-WMI\r\n VERSION: 1.1\r\n AUTHOR: Jeffery Hicks (@jeffhicks)\r\n LASTEDIT: 5\/11\/2010\r\n\r\n Learn more:\r\n PowerShell in Depth: An Administrator's Guide\r\n PowerShell Deep Dives \r\n Learn PowerShell 3 in a Month of Lunches \r\n Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches \r\n\r\n \"Those who forget to script are doomed to repeat their work.\"\r\n\r\n ****************************************************************\r\n * DO NOT USE IN A PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT UNTIL YOU HAVE TESTED *\r\n * THOROUGHLY IN A LAB ENVIRONMENT. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF *\r\n * YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS SCRIPT DOES OR HOW IT WORKS, *\r\n * DO NOT USE IT OUTSIDE OF A SECURE, TEST SETTING. *\r\n ****************************************************************\r\n#>\r\n\r\n[CmdletBinding()]\r\nParam(\r\n[Parameter(Position=0,ValueFromPipeline=$True)]\r\n[object[]]$InputObject,\r\n[switch]$Populated\r\n)\r\nBegin {\r\n write-verbose \"Starting $($myinvocation.MyCommand)\"\r\n if ($populated) {\r\n write-verbose \"Populated specified\"\r\n }\r\n} #Begin\r\n\r\nProcess {\r\n write-verbose \"Analyzing object\"\r\n foreach ($item in $inputObject) {\r\n #only process objects that look like WMI objects\r\n if ($item.__CLASS) {\r\n write-verbose \"Found $($item.psbase.properties.count) properties\"\r\n #create an empty array to hold property names\r\n $properties=@()\r\n $populatedProperties=@()\r\n\r\n foreach ($property in $item.properties) {\r\n if ($Populated -AND $item.($property.name) -ne $NULL) {\r\n #only add property name if it has a value\r\n write-verbose \"Value confirmed. Adding $($property.name)\"\r\n #the following line will display the property value as a string\r\n #so you might get funny looking output\r\n #write-verbose ($item.($property.name) | out-string)\r\n $populatedProperties+=$property.name\r\n }\r\n else {\r\n write-verbose \"Adding $($property.name)\"\r\n $properties+=$property.name\r\n }\r\n }\r\n write-verbose \"Returning WMI Object\"\r\n if ($populated) {\r\n write-verbose \"Returning $($populatedProperties.count) populated properties\"\r\n $item | select $populatedProperties\r\n }\r\n else {\r\n $item | select $properties\r\n }\r\n }\r\n else {\r\n\r\n Write-warning \"You did not pass a valid WMI Object\"\r\n }\r\n } #ForEach\r\n} #Process\r\n\r\nEnd {\r\n write-verbose \"Ending $($myinvocation.MyCommand)\"\r\n } #end\r\n} #end function<\/pre>\nI assumed you would run it as part of a pipeline. Now, I can more easily get the information I\u2019m after.
\n![\"selectwmi\"](\"http:\/\/jdhitsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/selectwmi-300x89.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe function will also work to bypass PowerShell\u2019s default formatting for WMI objects, making it easier to see all the properties.
\n![\"selectwmi-2\"](\"http:\/\/jdhitsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/selectwmi-2-300x244.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBut I took this one step further. There are times when all I want are properties that have a value. So Select-WMI has a \u2013Populated parameter so that only populated properties are displayed.<\/p>\n
![\"selectwmi-3\"](\"http:\/\/jdhitsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/selectwmi-3-300x180.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n