PowerShell - exporting variable to csv file

Question

I'm new to powershell. Here is a script I am trying to write that, in a nutshell, will pull computers from AD into a variable. Take the list and iterate through each one and do the following:

• test connection (online, offline)
• test OSArchitecture
• test for a subkey
• write out the computer, connection status, subkey value to csv file

Every time I try to output to a file, whether out-file or export-csv, it doesn't come out correctly. it either puts 'Length' and value or some long string. I would ideally like to export to a csv so I can manipulate the data. The function 'DoesItemExist' is a funchtion to test if a registry exists. Here's the code:

#find computers names that start with H or D
$computers=Get-ADComputer -Filter {(name -like "H*") -or (name -like "D*")} -Properties     
Name |  select name
#save path to csv file
$SaveAs = 'c:\msolhelp\edocs.csv'
#loop through the computers collection
foreach($line in $computers)
{
    #test if computer is online
    if(Test-Connection -Cn $line -BufferSize 16 -Count 1 -ea 0 -quiet)
    {
    #write computer name to file

    #test registry path for 64 bit machine
    $OS=((Get-WmiObject Win32_Operatingsystem -ComputerName $line).OSArchitecture)
    if ($OS = '64-bit')

    #if 64 bit check for correct regkey and grab value and appends to file
    { 
        $regpath = 'SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\'
        #check for subkey and append value to file
        $val = (DoesItemExist -path $regpath -regEntry "PatchLevel") 
        If ($val) { 
            Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\" | Select- 
            Object -Property PatchLevel | Export-Csv -Path $SaveAs -Append - 
            NoTypeInformation } 

        else {Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\" | 
         Select-Object -Property CurrentVersion | Export-Csv -Path $SaveAs -Append -
         NoTypeInformation}


    }

    #if false, it must be a 32 bit machine (different registry path)
    else 
    {
        #set path for 32 bit machine
        $regpath = 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\'
        #check for correct subkey
        $val = (DoesItemExist -path $regpath -regEntry "PatchLevel") 
        If ($val) { 
            Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:SOFTWARE\" | Select-Object -
            Property PatchLevel | Export-Csv -Path $SaveAs -Append -NoTypeInformation } 

        else {
            Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:SOFTWARE\" | Select-Object -
            Property CurrentVersion | Export-Csv -Path $SaveAs -Append -
            NoTypeInformation}


    }
}
#if test-connect fails, append file with 'offline'
else {
        "$line, offline" 
        continue
     }

}

Answer 1

From what I can see you will want to save the variable to a text file, and then import-CSV later. Export-CSV doesn't actually do what you think it will...I suggest you read the link below..Export-CSV treats each item as a new row of data, which is why it doesn't look right. THE CSVs are determined by the object properties.

See documentation here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2011/09/23/use-powershell-to-work-with-csv-formatted-text.aspx