Powershell doesn't open - error "Path cannot be the empty string or all whitespace"

Question

I'm simply trying to open Powershell on my server. It opens for about 5 seconds and then closes, not showing any error before it closes or anything. The only thing I can see is in the Windows Powershell Event Log is that it gives the following error:

"Settings: Path cannot be the empty string or all whitespace."

I'm running WMF 4, Server 2012 R2, Exchange Server 2016 (not that I think that has anything to do with it). Any other post I've seen when I google " Powershell Path cannot be the empty string or all whitespace" always seems to have to do with someone programming. I'm just trying to open powershell.

Try and run Powershell via Cmd. That is, win+r -> cmd -> powershell to see if there's some error message on the console. Try using -NoProfile parameter too in case there's something amiss on one of the profile files. — vonPryz
– vonPryz, Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 11:15
Tried it with the noprofile parameter and it still closed out with no error information. Just another event the event log. — Joseph
– Joseph, Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 11:36
How are you trying to open PowerShell? From the Start Menu? By double-clicking an existing .ps1 file? — Bacon Bits
– Bacon Bits, Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 12:06
CMD shell does not close. @BaconBits Through shortcut on desktop. I've also gone to the actual location of the file and it does the same — Joseph
– Joseph, Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 12:13

Joseph · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-18 04:24:32Z

2

Turns out it was a group policy setting, specifically "Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Components\Windows Powershell\Turn on Powershell Transcripting." It had been turned on in our domain because Powershell V5 is being/has been pushed out to everyone (except for our Exchange Servers). Once I changed the setting on a GPO closer to my Exchange Servers, did a gpupdate, then restarted the server, it started working again just fine.

Also, whoever downvoted my question, would you be so kind to explain why it was downvoted? Or are you just going to be a drive by downvoter?

answered Jul 18, 2017 at 4:24

Joseph

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