Error while Writing Powershell to Open Powerpoint, Run Macros, and Close.

Question

Error while Writing Powershell to Open Powerpoint, Run Macros, and Close.

Anthony Partridge 21

Using Powerpoint 2016

Windows 10

Running Macro in Power point. Setting it to run with a PS1 file, but getting error on application.run cmd.

Error is "Cannot find an overload for "Run" and the argument count: "1".
At line:9 char:1"

I am setting this up to create a bat file and task scheduler. The file opens but then I get an error upon running the script. Below is my script. Using Office 2016 professional. I have tried both just using the Macroname "mailme" and "Module1.mailme" Any help?

PS1 Script is:

# start powerpoint 
$ppt = New-Object -ComObject PowerPoint.Application 

#open file 
$FilePath = 'C:\Users\apartridge\Desktop\Powershell Script\Alerts.pptm' 
$presentation = $ppt.Presentations.Open($FilePath)  

#access the Application object and run a macro  
$ppt.Run("Module1.mailme") 
$ppt.Quit()

Macro is (running Macro does exactly what it is supposed to)

Sub mailme()

Dim outlookApp As Object

Dim outlookMail As Object

Dim currPres As Presentation

Dim singleSlide As Presentation

Dim L As Long

Set outlookApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")

Set outlookMail = outlookApp.CreateItem(0)

Set currPres = ActivePresentation

currPres.SaveCopyAs Environ("TEMP") & "\Current_alerts.pptx"

Set singleSlide = Presentations.Open(Environ("TEMP") & "\Current_alerts.pptx")

For L = singleSlide.Slides.Count To 1 Step -1

    If L <> 1 Then  ' three would be the slide to keep alter as needed

        singleSlide.Slides(L).Delete

    End If

Next L

singleSlide.Save

On Error Resume Next

With outlookMail

    .To = "******@company.com" ' change of course

    .Subject = "Alerts"

    .body = "Chart shows current and previous month alerts" & vbCrLf & "Alerts can be found in L:\QMS\Records\Quality Alert\2021"

    .Attachments.Add singleSlide.FullName

    .Send

End With

singleSlide.Close


Kill (Environ("TEMP") & "\Current_alerts.pptx")


End Sub

Accepted answer

1 additional answer

Your answer

Answer 1

With absolutely no guaranty, try this:

Function Invoke-NamedParameter {
    [CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName = "Named")]
    param(
        [Parameter(ParameterSetName = "Named", Position = 0, Mandatory = $true)]
        [Parameter(ParameterSetName = "Positional", Position = 0, Mandatory = $true)]
        [ValidateNotNull()]
        [System.Object]$Object
        ,
        [Parameter(ParameterSetName = "Named", Position = 1, Mandatory = $true)]
        [Parameter(ParameterSetName = "Positional", Position = 1, Mandatory = $true)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
        [String]$Method
        ,
        [Parameter(ParameterSetName = "Named", Position = 2, Mandatory = $true)]
        [ValidateNotNull()]
        [Hashtable]$Parameter
        ,
        [Parameter(ParameterSetName = "Positional")]
        [Object[]]$Argument
    )

    end {  ## Just being explicit that this does not support pipelines
        if ($PSCmdlet.ParameterSetName -eq "Named") {
            ## Invoke method with parameter names
            ## Note: It is ok to use a hashtable here because the keys (parameter names) and values (args)
            ## will be output in the same order.  We don't need to worry about the order so long as
            ## all parameters have names
            $Object.GetType().InvokeMember($Method, [System.Reflection.BindingFlags]::InvokeMethod,
                $null,  ## Binder
                $Object,  ## Target
                ([Object[]]($Parameter.Values)),  ## Args
                $null,  ## Modifiers
                $null,  ## Culture
                ([String[]]($Parameter.Keys))  ## NamedParameters
            )
        } else {
            ## Invoke method without parameter names
            $Object.GetType().InvokeMember($Method, [System.Reflection.BindingFlags]::InvokeMethod,
                $null,  ## Binder
                $Object,  ## Target
                $Argument,  ## Args
                $null,  ## Modifiers
                $null,  ## Culture
                $null  ## NamedParameters
            )
        }
    }
}




$ppt = New-Object -ComObject PowerPoint.Application
Invoke-NamedParameter $ppt "Run" -argument @("Module.mailme","")

The function was taken from here: how-to-call-a-complex-com-method-from-powershell

I don't use PowerPoint and have no how to create a macro. I do know that I at least got as far as getting an error telling me "Application.Run : Invalid request. Sub or function not defined.". Whether that means the module.mailme doesn't exist or "Run" doesn't exist I don't know. Give it a try. If it works, that's great. If it doesn't, I got nothing.

Anthony Partridge 21 Reputation points

2021-03-08T14:59:25.727+00:00

Thank you. I had to put () and change Module1.mailme to just mailme but ran perfectly.
Martin Leduc 1 Reputation point

2025-05-27T06:39:37.35+00:00

I was also having the error "Application.Run : Invalid request. Sub or function not defined." However, I found this forum thread where they suggested to duplicate an exisiting slide and somehow this initialized something inside PowerPoint and then the macro was able to run.

Answer 2

Rich Matheisen 47,896

Don't you have to pass a parameter list, too? The error says that there no match for the Run command with only 1 parameter.

Try: $ppt.Run("Module1.mailme", @()) or maybe $ppt.Run("Module1.mailme", "")

There's a specific type that can be passed the says a parameter is missing, but I don't know how to represent that in PowerShell. I think it's System.Reflector.Type.Missing.

Anthony Partridge 21 Reputation points

2021-03-07T14:11:59.953+00:00

After that it gives me a new error type must not be ByRef

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Error while Writing Powershell to Open Powerpoint, Run Macros, and Close.

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