Internal windows powershell error loading managed windows powershell failed with error 80070002

I get an error when I try to run PowerShell:

Internal Windows PowerShell error. Loading managed Windows PowerShell failed with error 80070002.

I am running Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit). This error occurs whether I start PowerShell from the command line or from the start menu shortcut. Running as administrator does not solve the issue either.

How do I fix this problem, so that I can use PowerShell?

asked May 15, 2011 at 14:31

I used my laptop’s system recovery feature to reinstall Windows, and then I was able to use PowerShell just fine.

2

I get an error when I try to run PowerShell:

Internal Windows PowerShell error. Loading managed Windows PowerShell failed with error 80070002.

I am running Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit). This error occurs whether I start PowerShell from the command line or from the start menu shortcut. Running as administrator does not solve the issue either.

How do I fix this problem, so that I can use PowerShell?

asked May 15, 2011 at 14:31

I used my laptop’s system recovery feature to reinstall Windows, and then I was able to use PowerShell just fine.

2

• Remove From My Forums

All replies

• Try downloading and installing the latest updates for Windows 8.

  ---

  Grant Ward, a.k.a. Bigteddy

• I get updates checked every day. Only option is a Zune update.

• Hi,

  I would like to know after installing all lastest updates for Windows 8, whether the issue still there? If there is anything else we can do for you, please feel free let us know.

  Regards,

  Yan Li

  TechNet Subscriber Support

  If you are
  TechNet Subscription
  user and have any feedback on our support quality, please send your feedback
  here.

  ---

  Yan Li

  TechNet Community Support

  

• I am actually having this exact same issue.  Windows 8 64-bit.

  Error when trying to run both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of PowerShell, I have a fully patched Windows 8 environment:

  Internal Windows PowerShell error.  Loading managed Windows PowerShell failed with error 80070002.

  I tried removing / reinstalling Windows PowerShell 2.0 from the Add/Remove Windows Features, no help.  I have also tried SFC to repair files. 

  This is incredibly annoying that I can’t:

  • Get a better error
  • Manually / forcibly reinstall PowerShell on Windows 8

  ---

  || Aaron E

  • Edited by

    Wednesday, October 24, 2012 9:49 PM

• The error message itself means File not found.

  Did you try already to run PowerShell As Administrator?

  I remember there was a bug in Windows 7 with PowerShell as well, related to a missing registry key. I cannot remember, if it was HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1 or something else — at least it was a simple one.

  Best greetings from Germany
  Olaf

• Running a command prompt as Admin does not solve the problem.  Same error.

  However, I just fixed my issue!

  While investingating a little bit and comparing my broken machine to a working machine I noticed that my broken machine had a
  powershell.exe.config file in it.  My working machine had no config file.  The contents are:

  <configuration>
  <startup useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy="true">
  <supportedRuntime version="v3.5" />
  <supportedRuntime version="v3.0" />
  <supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727" />
  <supportedRuntime version="v4.0.30319" />
  </startup>
  </configuration>
  
  
  
    
  
  
                         
    
  
  
  
  

  UGH — Just did some more testing, it appears that installing Windows Azure PowerShell is what breaks this.

  Removing this config file entirely seems to resolve my problem.

  UPDATE: The «fix» is actually to remove the specific .NET 2.0 and .NET 4.0 version numbers.  Doing this fixes both regular Windows PowerShell AND the Windows Azure PowerShell windows.

  Update #2 — Well this is annoying, the fixes above work «one time», somehow when I run the Azure PowerShell it RE-ADDS these to the .config file and then breaks itself for the next time it loads.

  Update #3 — I have blogged about this and found out what was creating this file:

  http://happyfunpartytime.com/2012/10/powershell-internal-windows-powershell-error-loading-managed-windows-powershell-failed-with-error-80070002/

  ---

  || Aaron E 

  • Proposed as answer by
    Aaron E. _
    Wednesday, October 24, 2012 11:11 PM
  • Unproposed as answer by
    Aaron E. _
    Thursday, October 25, 2012 3:17 AM
  • Proposed as answer by
    Aaron E. _
    Thursday, October 25, 2012 6:35 AM
  • Edited by
    Aaron E. _
    Thursday, October 25, 2012 6:35 AM

I have a Windows 2008 R2 SP1 server with all current windows updates.
I am attempting to run PowerShell but it gives the following error:

Internal Windows PowerShell error. Loading managed Windows PowerShell
failed with error 80070002

It then promptly goes back to the cmd line.

I have run a sfc /scannow and it has come back clean.

I have tried running powershell -noprofile