How to load assemblies in PowerShell?

Question

The following PowerShell code ``` #Get a server object which corresponds to the default instance $srv = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SMO.Server ... rest of the script ... ``` Gives the following error message: ``` New-Object : Cannot find type [Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SMO.Server]: make sure the assembly containing this type is loaded. At C:\Users\sortelyn\ ... 	ools\sql_express_backup\backup.ps1:6 char:8 + $srv = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SMO.Server + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : InvalidType: (:) [New-Object], PSArgumentException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : TypeNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.NewObjectCommand ``` Every answer on the Internet writes that I have to load the assembly - well sure I can read that from the error message :-) - the question is: How do you load the assembly and make the script work?

Accepted Answer

`LoadWithPartialName` has been deprecated. The recommended solution for PowerShell V3 is to use the `Add-Type` cmdlet e.g.:

```
Add-Type -Path 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\SDK\Assemblies\Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo.dll'
```

There are multiple different versions and you may want to pick a particular version. :-)

How to load assemblies in PowerShell?

Solution

Problem