Invoke-Command failed: WinRM cannot complete the operation

Using 2 machines, a local and a remote (with an address marked as remoteAddress), I'm trying to run this on the local machine:

Invoke-Command -ComputerName remoteAddress -ScriptBlock { dir c:\ } 

but I get this error:

[remoteAddress] Connecting to remote server remoteAddress failed with the following error message : WinRM cannot complete the operation. Verify that the specified computer name is valid, that the computer is accessible over the network, and that a firewall exception for the WinRM service is enabled and allows access from this computer. By default, the WinRM firewall exception for public profiles limits access to remote computers within the same local subnet. For more information, see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic. + CategoryInfo : OpenError: (remoteAddress:String) [], PSRemotingTransportException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : WinRMOperationTimeout,PSSessionStateBroken

I followed fixes to similiar situations. What I've checked:

• Pinging to the remote address was successful.

• On both machines Enable-PSRemoting -Force returned

  WinRM is already set up to receive requests on this computer. WinRM is already set up for remote management on this computer.

• on both machines Set-WSManQuickConfig returned

  WinRM is already set up to receive requests on this computer. WinRM is already set up for remote management on this computer.

But still, I get this error trying to connect to the remote machine.

I ran test-wsman -ComputerName _remote-machine_ -Port 5985 from my local-machine And I got this error:

test-wsman : WinRM cannot complete the operation. Verify that the specified computer name is valid, that the computer is accessible over the network, and that a firewall exception for the WinRM service is enabled and allows access from this computer. By default, the WinRM firewall exception for public profiles limits access to remote computers within the same local subnet. At line:1 char:1 + test-wsman -ComputerName _remote_ -Port 5985 + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (_remote-machine_:String) [Test-WSMan], InvalidOperationExcept ion + FullyQualifiedErrorId : WsManError,Microsoft.WSMan.Management.TestWSManCommand

3 Answers

Did you add the remotes to your local trusted host list? If not you can add them via

winrm s winrm/config/client '@{TrustedHosts="RemoteComputer"}' 

Do you have an active remote session, like Remote Desktop, to the computer?

I have experienced that that can be the only reason for Invoke-Command to fail.

Make sure your NetConnectionProfile should be Private.

And here is the reason for the public profile.

In my case, it got worked after changing NetConnectionProfile as Private from Public. I hope this works for you.