Why can't I read this file on a remote AWS server in Powershell?

Question

I launched a couple servers in AWS and I want to read the contents of the a file using Powershell.

On server 1 I create a file called App_configuration.txt and placed in the root of c:\.

The file has just 2 lines in it:

<Path>C:\GoodToGo</Path>
<Path>C:\GoodToGo2</Path>

I'm trying to access the file with this command using the remote IP of the server. The xx.xxx.xx.xxx is supposed to be the remote IP:

Get-Content -Path "\\xx.xxx.xx.xxx\c$\App_configuration.txt"
Get-Content : Cannot find path '\\xx.xxx.xx.xxx\c$\App_configuration.txt' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:1
+ Get-Content -Path "\\xx.xxx.xx.xxx\c$\App_configuration.txt"
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (\\xx.xxx.xx.xxx\c$\App_configuration.txt:String) [Get-Content], ItemNot
   FoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetContentCommand

I can RDP into the remote server and list the file:

PS C:\> ls C:\App_configuration.txt


    Directory: C:\


Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
-a----         3/2/2021   4:12 PM             51 App_configuration.txt

I am not the same user on my local machine as the one that can log into the remote machine. The server I am trying to access is in AWS, and I am trying to access it from my local machine.

I have the powershell port 5985 open on the AWS security group (firewall) and I can connect to it remotely using telnet.

Why can't I read this remote file with this powershell line? I think the issue might be network related.

Answer 1

Use Invoke-Command and run Get-Content command from within it since you have port 5985 open.

Otherwise allow SMB: File and print sharing or applicable TCP ports through your Windows Firewall.

PowerShell Remote Invoke-Command

Invoke-Command -ComputerName <IP Address> -ScriptBlock { Process {
    Get-Content -Path "C:\App_configuration.txt"
    }
};

PowerShell Remote Invoke-Command (with credential)

$cred = Get-Credential "domain\administrator" 

Invoke-Command -ComputerName <IP Address> -ScriptBlock { Process {
    Get-Content -Path "C:\App_configuration.txt"
    }
} -AsJob -Credential $cred;  

---

Supporting Resources

• Enable-PSRemoting

• Invoke-Command

  -ScriptBlock scriptblock

  The commands to run.

  Enclose the commands in curly braces { } to create a script block. This parameter is required.

• Internet firewalls can prevent browsing and file sharing

  Microsoft file sharing SMB: User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports from 135 through 139 and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) ports from 135 through 139. Direct-hosted SMB traffic without a network basic input/output system (NetBIOS): port 445 (TCP and UPD).