The type initializer for 'System.Management.Automation.ExperimentalFeature' threw an exception.

Prerequisites

Write a descriptive title.
Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest released version
Search the existing issues.
Refer to the FAQ.
Refer to Differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell.

Steps to reproduce

I am experiencing a problem when running the PowerShell SDK in a kiosk (AssignedAccess) environment in a WindowsBackgroundService. When I am using the library in a non-kiosk environment it works fine. But the weird thing is that once I am in the kiosk or when I get back from it, I am always getting an exception. I already asked this on StackOverflow but without any solutions.

Expected behavior

$user = "ExamX"
$Sid = (Get-LocalUser -Name $user).SID.Value
Remove-LocalUser -SID $Sid
Clear-AssignedAccess
sc.exe stop "ExamX Service"
sc.exe delete "ExamX Service"
$path = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\ExamX\ExamInfo\"
Remove-Item -Recurse $path -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Actual behavior

Exception Trace System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Management.Automation.ExperimentalFeature' threw an exception.
 ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Management.Automation.Configuration.PowerShellConfig' threw an exception.
 ---> System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null. (Parameter 'path1')
   at System.IO.Path.Combine(String path1, String path2)
   at System.Management.Automation.Configuration.PowerShellConfig..ctor()
   at System.Management.Automation.Configuration.PowerShellConfig..cctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Management.Automation.ExperimentalFeature..cctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Management.Automation.Runspaces.AsyncResult.EndInvoke()
   at System.Management.Automation.PowerShell.EndInvoke(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at ExamX_Service.WindowsService.PowershellHandler.Execute() in C:\ExamX\Service\ExamX_Service\ExamX_Service\PowershellHandler.cs:line 33
   at ExamX_Service.WindowsService.WindowsBackgroundService.RunRecoveryScript(ILogger`1 logger) in C:\ExamX\Service\ExamX_Service\ExamX_Service\WindowsBackgroundService.cs:line 134
   at ExamX_Service.WindowsService.WindowsBackgroundService.ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken) in C:\ExamX\Service\ExamX_Service\ExamX_Service\WindowsBackgroundService.cs:line 110

Error details

No response

Environment data

I can't really execute this command due to the exception being thrown

Visuals

No response

Based on the stacktrace, it seems that somehow this is returning null

PowerShell/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/Utils.cs

Lines 484 to 489 in fd67038

    
           internal static string GetApplicationBase(string shellId) 
        
           { 
        
               // Use the location of SMA.dll as the application base. 
        
               Assembly assembly = typeof(PSObject).Assembly; 
        
               return Path.GetDirectoryName(assembly.Location); 
        
           }

which should not be the case. You must be hosting PowerShell? Are you building it as a single self-contained exe or something like that such that SMA.dll isn't found?

So I am using a fresh virtual machine (So I am not hosting PowerShell in any way I know) and just calling the PowerShell library. As I mentioned it works fine in a non-kiosk environment. The weird thing is that when I return from the kiosk it still does not work. This is how I am using the library:
Call in WindowsBackgroundService.cs

        var powershellHandler = new PowershellHandler();
        powershellHandler.AddCommand("Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted");
        foreach (var line in File.ReadAllLines(@"C:\Program Files (x86)\ExamX\ExamX_Service\RecoveryScript.ps1"))
            powershellHandler.AddCommand(line);

        return powershellHandler.Execute();

And this is the actual PowershellHandler:

public class PowershellHandler
    {
        private readonly PowerShell _powerShell;

        public PowershellHandler()
        {
            _powerShell = PowerShell.Create();
        }

        public void AddCommand(string command)
        {
            _powerShell.AddScript(command);
        }

        public string Execute()
        {
            string errorMsg = string.Empty;
            string output = string.Empty;
            _powerShell.AddCommand("Out-String");
            PSDataCollection<PSObject> outputCollection = new();
            _powerShell.Streams.Error.DataAdded += (object sender, DataAddedEventArgs e) =>
            {
                errorMsg = ((PSDataCollection<ErrorRecord>) sender)[e.Index].ToString();
            };

            IAsyncResult result = _powerShell.BeginInvoke<PSObject, PSObject>(null, outputCollection);

            _powerShell.EndInvoke(result);

            StringBuilder sb = new();

            foreach (var outputitem in outputCollection)
            {
                sb.AppendLine(outputitem.BaseObject.ToString());
            }

            _powerShell.Commands.Clear();

            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(errorMsg))
            {
                return errorMsg;
            }

            return sb.ToString().Trim();
        }
    }

I would like to support this problem that I have also just encountered.

Setup :

Windows Server 2019

My application :

A Windows Background Service

Explanation :
I'm using this following code in my background service

using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.Management.Automation;
using System.ServiceProcess;
using Microsoft.PowerShell;
PowerShell.Create().AddCommand("Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted")
PowerShellInstance.Invoke();

And I'm getting the following error

System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 
'System.Management.Automation.Configuration.PowerShellConfig' threw an 
exception. ---&gt; System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null. 
(Parameter 'path1') at System.IO.Path.Combine(String path1, String path2) at 
System.Management.Automation.Configuration.PowerShellConfig..ctor() at 
System.Management.Automation.Configuration.PowerShellConfig..cctor

What specific version of the PowerShell SDK are you using?

I am using 7.2.5

I am using 7.2.7 for my part

Just wanted to throw my voice in here as well. I'm getting this exact error with a self-contained single-file app. I'm using version 7.2.4. The PR looks like it ought to fix my problem.

7.3.0 and getting the same issue with a self contained single file app

This issue has not had any activity in 6 months, if this is a bug please try to reproduce on the latest version of PowerShell and reopen a new issue and reference this issue if this is still a blocker for you.

This issue has been marked as "No Activity" as there has been no activity for 6 months. It has been closed for housekeeping purposes.

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The type initializer for 'System.Management.Automation.ExperimentalFeature' threw an exception. #18109

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	internal static string GetApplicationBase(string shellId)
	{
	// Use the location of SMA.dll as the application base.
	Assembly assembly = typeof(PSObject).Assembly;
	return Path.GetDirectoryName(assembly.Location);
	}

The type initializer for 'System.Management.Automation.ExperimentalFeature' threw an exception. #18109

Description

Prerequisites

Steps to reproduce

Expected behavior

Actual behavior

Error details

Environment data

Visuals

Activity

SteveL-MSFT commented on Oct 4, 2022

ProRedMax commented on Oct 5, 2022

FeelProud commented on Nov 24, 2022

SteveL-MSFT commented on Nov 28, 2022

ProRedMax commented on Nov 29, 2022

FeelProud commented on Nov 29, 2022

tannertaylor commented on Nov 30, 2022

jacknovacloud commented on Dec 14, 2022

microsoft-github-policy-service commented on Nov 23, 2023

microsoft-github-policy-service commented on Nov 30, 2023

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