cannot connect to exchange online via powershell

Anonymous
2020-06-24T16:23:06+00:00

I am unable to access exchange online via powershell anymore. it has been about 2 or 3 months since i have tried but this used to work with no issues. 

I have tried connecting 3 ways, all of which fail with the same error

#1

$UserCredential = Get-Credential

$Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/ -Credential $UserCredential -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection

Import-PSSession -Session $Session -DisableNameChecking

the progress bar comes up, it says importing and counts up to 6 or 700 commands as expected then the unexpected error message:

Import-PSSession : Data returned by the remote Get-FormatData command is not in the expected format.

After that, none of the commands work - example Get-Mailbox 

#2

Connect-EXOPSSession -UserPrincipalName ******@x.com

same deal. same error

Import-PSSession : Data returned by the remote Get-FormatData command is not in the expected format.

At C:\Users\x\AppData\Local\Apps\2.0\A53V0WOT.PE1\6Y7OL9NA.H46\micr..tion_1f16bd4ec4c2bb19_0010.0000_673f37

c317fb5976\CreateExoPSSession.ps1:311 char:40

  • ...      $PSSessionModuleInfo = Import-PSSession $PSSession -AllowClobber

+                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (:) [Import-PSSession], ArgumentException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ErrorMalformedDataFromRemoteCommand,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ImportPSSessionCommand

#3

Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName ******@x.com -ShowProgress $true

same deal. same error

The module allows access to all existing remote PowerShell (V1) cmdlets in addition to the 9 new, faster, and more reliable cmdlets.

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|    Old Cmdlets                    |    New/Reliable/Faster Cmdlets       |

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|    Get-CASMailbox                 |    Get-EXOCASMailbox                 |

|    Get-Mailbox                    |    Get-EXOMailbox                    |

|    Get-MailboxFolderPermission    |    Get-EXOMailboxFolderPermission    |

|    Get-MailboxFolderStatistics    |    Get-EXOMailboxFolderStatistics    |

|    Get-MailboxPermission          |    Get-EXOMailboxPermission          |

|    Get-MailboxStatistics          |    Get-EXOMailboxStatistics          |

|    Get-MobileDeviceStatistics     |    Get-EXOMobileDeviceStatistics     |

|    Get-Recipient                  |    Get-EXORecipient                  |

|    Get-RecipientPermission        |    Get-EXORecipientPermission        |

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

To get additional information, run: Get-Help Connect-ExchangeOnline or check https://aka.ms/exops-docs

Send your product improvement suggestions and feedback to ******@service.microsoft.com. For issues related to the module, contact Microsoft support. Don't use the feedback alias for problems or support issues.

Import-PSSession : Data returned by the remote Get-FormatData command is not in the expected format.

At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\ExchangeOnlineManagement\1.0.1\ExchangeOnlineManagement.psm1:454 char:40

  • ... oduleInfo = Import-PSSession $PSSession -AllowClobber -DisableNameChe ...

+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (:) [Import-PSSession], ArgumentException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ErrorMalformedDataFromRemoteCommand,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ImportPSSessionCommand

At this point effectively unable to admin exchange online via powershell. Anyone have any ideas?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Other

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-06-27T03:00:11+00:00

    I have the same error today,

    I tried even in PowerShell Core, and It is the same error importing the PSSession, since I needed some emergency access, I couldn't wait, so I did the following:

    1. Created a Session with basic Authentication,

    $Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/powershell -Credential $UserCredential -Authentication Basic -AllowRedir

    ection

    1. Once session is opened, then run

    Enter-PSSession $session

    and Voila,

    It won't give you the best experience though, but if you need to get in, you have it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-06-27T15:45:43+00:00

    This morning had this issue as well, after years of success (including a couple days ago with the basic

    Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

    $UserCredential = Get-Credential

    $Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/ -Credential $UserCredential -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection

    Import-PSSession $Session

    I also have a few other services associated with the above batch

    connect-msolservice -Credential $UserCredential

    connect-AzureAD -Credential $UserCredential 

    Received the error 

    Import-PSSession : Data returned by the remote Get-FormatData command is not in the expected format.

    For the Exchange portion. 

    The Exchange Online commands fail. 

    MSOL and AzureAD runs fine. 

    However, I have had success running the same commands against another tenant I have access to.

    So definitively something going on with 365 infrastructure (considering how issues are miraculously correcting themselves after a couple of days). 

    Update: 

    After a review of the thread, I noticed a comment re the new 

    Connect-ExchangeOnline

    Installed per 

    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/exchange/exchange-online-powershell-v2?view=exchange-ps

    and this resolved the connectivity to the initial tenant. 

    I will try the 'old way' in a couple of days just to see if it corrects itself.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-06-29T14:19:38+00:00

    Have the same issue, I tried to connect to EXO under 2 different accounts from the same machine, one was successfully connected and other gets error:

    Import-PSSession : Data returned by the remote Get-FormatData command is not in the expected format.

    I used Connect-ExchangeOnline cmdlet

    Anyone found solution for this strange problem ?

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2020-06-29T14:27:39+00:00

    I have the same error today,

    I tried even in PowerShell Core, and It is the same error importing the PSSession, since I needed some emergency access, I couldn't wait, so I did the following:

    1. Created a Session with basic Authentication,

    $Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/powershell -Credential $UserCredential -Authentication Basic -AllowRedir

    ection

    1. Once session is opened, then run

    Enter-PSSession $session

    and Voila,

    It won't give you the best experience though, but if you need to get in, you have it.

    Thanks for that...it does allow me to connect remotely and accomplish basic needs.

    Points squarely at "Import-PSSession" being the problem.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  5. Anonymous
    2020-06-29T15:11:20+00:00

    Any one find a solution to this besides just waiting? I am having this starting this morning. I have a script that checks a mailbox every 15 minutes and has worked for over a year but started getting this error this morning. I really need to resolve without sitting and waiting for the Microsoft miracle to occur.

    Any help is appreciated.

    Well I had no choice but to wait for the Microsoft miracle and get what this morning it works again. Hopefully does not occur again.

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