ActiveDirectory Startup/Shutdown PowerShell Script not being executed, failing silently

Environment

• Windows Server 2012 domain
• Windows 10 version 2004 client

I’m trying to deploy an ActiveDirectory Startup or Shutdown powershell script on a test OU to update VLC Media Player and I can’t figure out why the powershell isn’t running.

I’m using this article as a template, specifically the trick of running powershell.exe as a Script Name and the parameters below as the Script Parameters to workaround the Execution Policy.

They are configured using Group Policy > Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) in a GPO called "Deploy Active Directory scripts":

• Script Name: %windir%System32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe
• Script Parameters: -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass –NoProfile -File "%~dp0Update_VLC.ps1"

Update_VLC.ps1 has been saved in the appropriate MachineScripts folders and the appropriate computer secutury group has Read/Execute permissions on it. The GPOs seem to be configured correctly because:

1. When I run gpresult on the client it reports

Settings

Policies

Windows Settings

Scripts

Startup

Name | Parameters | Last Run | Script Order in GPO | Winning DPO

%windir%System32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe | -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoProfile -File "%~dp0Update_VLC.ps1" | 21/07/2020 2:47:10 PM | Not configured | Deploy Active Directory Scripts

2. When I use psexec -i -s cmd.exe to troubleshoot on the client by running the script from the same location in the context of the computer’s LocalSystem account it works.

I’ve also tried running a .cmd as the script file to run the powershell command. The .cmd file itself executes but the powershell invocation within it fails silently, even when redirecting output to a file.

Any advice appreciated.

EDIT: an update.

I got this to work with a .cmd file after all (typo in my original .cmd) with the invocation:

%windir%System32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoProfile -File %~dp0Update_VLC.ps1

It does not seem to work using those same arguments entered for Name and Parameters in Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) as follows:

Script Name: %windir%System32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe

Script Parameters: -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass –NoProfile -File %~dp0Update_VLC.ps1

There may be a typo in what I’m using that I can’t see (if so, I would be grateful if anyone could point it out). Or the direct approach suggested in link (as opposed to using a Windows Command Script) doesn’t work. Happy for feedback on either.