How to specify the number of decimal places in PowerShell Output

PowerShell does not have any number formatting built into it. For this reason, we have to use a little bit of .NET to make some changes. Let’s say you have the number 45.54321 and you only want to display the first 2 decimal places. Here is the code.

$Num = 45.54321

"{0:N2}" -f $Num

45.54

The first zero is an index number (You will see how this works in a minute.) The N tells us what type of data we are formatting. I Borrowed the below chart from this Microsoft article.

Name	Specifier	Description
Currency	C	The value is displayed as currency, using the precision specifier to indicate the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Decimal	D	The value is displayed using the number of digits in the precision specifier; if needed, leading zeroes are added to the beginning of the number.
Percentage	P	The value is multiplied by 100 and displayed as a percentage. The precision specifier indicates the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Hexadecimal	X	The value is displayed as a hexadecimal number. The precision specifier indicates the number of characters to be displayed, with leading

The number 2 tells us how many decimal places to use.

Let’s go back to that index number. Give this a try.

$Num = 45.54321, 36.75256, 65.34255

"{0:N2}","{1:N2}","{2:N2}" -f $Num

45.54 36.75 65.34

We can also format this information as currency.

$Num = 45.54321, 36.75256, 65.34255

"{0:C2}","{1:C2}","{2:C2}" -f $Num

$45.54 $36.75 $65.34

How to list all the AD LDS instances on a server

AD LDS allows you to provide directory services to applications that are free of the confines of Active Directory. To list all the AD LDS instances on a server, follow this procedure: Log into the server in question Open a command prompt. Type dsdbutil and press Enter Type List Instances and press Enter . You will receive a list of the instance name, both the LDAP and SSL port numbers, the location of the database, and its status.

How to run GPResult on a remote client with PowerShell

In the past, to run the GPResult command, you would need to either physically visit this client, have the user do it, or use and RDP connection. In all cases, this will disrupt the user. First, you need PowerShell remoting enabled on the target machine. You can do this via Group Policy . Open PowerShell and type this command. Invoke-Command –ScriptBlock {GPResult /r} –ComputerName <ComputerName> Replace <ComputerName> with the name of the target. Remember, the target needs to be online and accessible to you.

Error icon when creating a GPO Preference drive map

You may not have an error at all. Take a look at the drive mapping below. The red triangle is what threw us off. It is not an error. It is simply a color representation of the Replace option of the Action field in the properties of the drive mappings. Create action This give you a green triangle. The Create action creates a new mapped drive for users. Replace Action The Replace action gives you a red triangle. This action will delete and recreate mapped drives for users. The net result of the Replace action is to overwrite all existing settings associated with the mapped drive. If the drive mapping does not exist, then the Replace action creates a new drive mapping. Update Action The Update action will have a yellow triangle. Update will modify settings of an existing mapped drive for users. This action differs from Replace in that it only updates settings defined within the preference item. All other settings remain as configured on the ma...

Jason Yoder, MCT

Search This Blog