Value type error during changing of email addresses and aliases via PowerShell ISE

Question

I trying to do bulk change of distribution lists, using Powershell script, but didn't made it far.

I importing new addresses and aliases from a .CSV file and seems like this is the issue. Because when I assigning an address and an alias to an exact DL, then it all fine. Or maybe the script written bad.

Error message:

Cannot process argument transformation on parameter 'EmailAddresses'. Cannot convert value "System.Collections.ArrayList" to type "Microsoft.Exchange.Data.ProxyAddressCollection". Error: "The address 'SMTP:@{DisplayName=TEAM_A; [email protected]; [email protected]}.PrimarySmtpAddress' is invalid: The address '@{DisplayName=TEAM_A; [email protected]; [email protected]}.PrimarySmtpAddress' is not a valid SMTP address. Parameter name: address Actual value was @{DisplayName=TEAM_A; [email protected]; [email protected]}.PrimarySmtpAddress." + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Set-DistributionGroup], ParameterBindin...mationException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentTransformationError,Set-DistributionGroup + PSComputerName : outlook.office365.com*

The script:

Connect-ExchangeOnline
$psmtpa = Import-Csv C:\_temp\Excange\PrimarySMTPAddress.csv
ForEach ($name in $psmtpa){
    ForEach ($email in $psmtpa){
        ForEach ($alias in $psmtpa){
            Set-DistributionGroup "$name.DisplayName" -EmailAddresses SMTP:$email.PrimarySmtpAddress,$alias.Alias
                }
        }
}

And the .CSV look like this:

PS And yeah, I trying to perform it, using PowerShell ISE, instead of writing a one-liner in PowerShell app. Also, I tried WindowsEmailAddress, but powershell don't understand it what is it.

Answer 1

There are a few things to note, first, the double quotes on "$name.DisplayName" are stringifying the object $name and appending .DisplayName to it. Remove them.

$object = [pscustomobject]@{
    foo = 'var'
}

"$object.foo" # => @{foo=var}.foo
$object.foo   # => 'var'

Second thing to note, on:

-EmailAddresses SMTP:$email.PrimarySmtpAddress,$alias.Alias

If you're looking to add a Primary and Secondary SMTP address, as Mathias pointed out, you should be using:

-EmailAddresses "SMTP:$($email.PrimarySmtpAddress)", "smtp:$($email.Alias)"

If instead, $email.Alias is actually an Alias, then you should be using:

-EmailAddresses "SMTP:$($email.PrimarySmtpAddress)" -Alias $email.Alias

See Subexpression operator $( ) for more info.

Lastly, you don't need 3 loops, 1 should be enough to loop over your CSV:

$psmtpa = Import-Csv C:\_temp\Excange\PrimarySMTPAddress.csv
foreach ($object in $psmtpa) {
    Set-DistributionGroup $object.DisplayName -EmailAddresses "SMTP:$($object.PrimarySmtpAddress)", "smtp:$($object.Alias)"
}