How to pipe all output of .exe execution in Powershell?

In Powershell I am running `psftp.exe` which is PuTTy's homepage. I am doing this:

$cmd = "psftp.exe"
$args = '"username@ssh"@ftp.domain.com -b psftp.txt';
$output = & $cmd $args

This works; and I am printing out `$output`. But it only catches some output in that variable (like "Remote working directory is [...]") and is throwing other output to an error type like this:

psftp.exe : Using username "username@ssh".
At C:\full_script.ps1:37 char:20
+ $output = & <<<< $cmd $args
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (Using username "username@ssh".:String) [], RemoteException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandError

This "Using username ..." etc looks like a normal FTP message. How can I make sure all output gets put into `$output`?

The problem is some output is being sent to STDERR and redirection works differently in PowerShell than in CMD.EXE.

[How to redirect output of console program to a file in PowerShell][1] has a good description of the problem and a clever workaround.

Basically, call `CMD` with your executable as a parameter. Like this:

UPDATE
------
I fixed my code so it would actually work. :)

$args = '"username@ssh"@ftp.domain.com -b psftp.txt';
$output = cmd /c psftp.exe $args 2`>`&1

[1]:

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Give this a try

$output = [string] (& psftp.exe 'username@[email protected]' -b psftp.txt 2>&1)

There is a PowerShell [bug](

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) about `2>&1` making error records. The `[string]` cast works around it.

& "my.exe" | Out-Null #go nowhere
& "my.exe" | Out-Default # go to default destination (e.g. console)
& "my.exe" | Out-String # return a string

the piping will return it in real-time

& "my.exe" | %{
if ($_ -match 'OK')
{ Write-Host $_ -f Green }
else if ($_ -match 'FAIL|ERROR')
{ Write-Host $_ -f Red }
else
{ Write-Host $_ }
}


**Note:
If the executed program returns anything other than a 0 exitcode, the piping will not work. You can force it to pipe with [redirection operators][1] such as `2>&1`**

& "my.exe" 2>&1 | Out-String

[1]:

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sources:

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