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PowerShell Start-Sleep

PowerShell's Start-Sleep Cmdlet

Most scripting languages have the ability to pause, in the case of PowerShell look for a built-in cmdlet called Start-Sleep.  However, I ask myself, 'Do I really need to pause a script?'  The answer often comes back, 'Windows services have built-in controls to wait, thus I rarely need the extra and explicit PowerShell Start-Sleep'.

Topics for PowerShell Start-Sleep

• Example 1: PowerShell Start-Sleep
• Example 2: Start-Sleep with a PowerShell Job
• Further Research of PowerShell's Start-Sleep

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Example 1: PowerShell Start-Sleep

Here is a simple example where PowerShell script pauses between starting and stopping a Windows service.

Note 1:  I am aware that we could simply use:
Restart-Service Spooler -force

Note 2: Observe how the timing parameter (-s) proceeds its numeric value (10).

This example does highlight that Start-Sleep may be a waste of time, and may make your script unnecessarily complex.  However, if we purely wanted to test Start-Sleep then this example would illustrate the simplicity of the syntax. 

Example 2: Start-Sleep with a PowerShell Job

Here is a more realistic example where Start-Sleep enables a script to wait while a 'Job' completes.

Guy Recommends: A Free Wake-On-LAN Utility

Encouraging computers to sleep when not in use is a great idea - until you are away from your desk and need a file on that remote sleeping machine!

Wake-On-LAN really will save you that long walk to awaken a hibernating machine; however my reason for encouraging you to download this utility is just because it's so much fun sending those 'Magic Packets'.  As Wake-On-LAN (WOL) is free, see if I am right, and you get a kick from arousing those sleeping machines.  WOL also has business uses for example, wakening machines so that they can have their patches applied. 

Download your free copy of Wake-On-LAN

Further Research of PowerShell's Start-Sleep

I'm hoping that the simple example above will give you ideas.  To see what's possible it's well worth examining Start-Sleep's properties.

Start-Sleep Parameters

Note 3:  All this help files reveals is how we can control the length of the pause with -s (seconds) or maybe -m (milliseconds).

Start-Sleep Properties

Note 4:  Start-Sleep does not have any properties! For once PowerShell's Get-Member cannot return any properties or methods for this cmdlet.

Start-Sleep Alias - Sleep

If you prefer, just use plain 'Sleep'; this works because PowerShell has a built-in alias called Sleep.

Another Sleep Example

In this instance I wanted to highlight how Import-Module worked, specifically to count the modules before and after the import.

Note 5: You would need to have installed a module called PSRemoteRegistry for this to work!

Summary of Windows PowerShell Start-Sleep

In terms of efficiency, the crucial question is do we need Start-Sleep at all?  Once you decide that you need to pause a script, then the syntax is straightforward.

See more PowerShell examples of process and service

• PowerShell Home  • Get-Process  • Stop-Process  • Get-WmiObject win32_service

• Get-Service  • Start-Service  • Stop-Service  • Restart-Service  • Set-Service

• PowerShell Start-Sleep   • Windows PowerShell

Please email me if you have a better example script. Also please report any factual mistakes, grammatical errors or broken links, I will be happy to correct the fault.

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