How to Install and Update PowerCLI (Windows, macOS, PowerShell Core)

Introduction

This article retains the VMware.PowerCLI package workflow for existing scripts and environments that still depend on it. It is a legacy-package reference, not the installation path for the current VCF.PowerCLI package.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• Install the legacy VMware.PowerCLI package on a compatible Windows, macOS, or Linux environment
• Inspect installed modules and plan an update within the legacy package
• Keep server-certificate validation enabled
• Recognize when to use the separate VCF PowerCLI migration guide

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Prerequisites

• Check the compatibility requirements for the exact legacy PowerCLI release and operating system you intend to use; do not assume every PowerShell version works.
• For current VCF PowerCLI, Broadcom’s installation guide recommends supported PowerShell 7.4 or later and flags Windows PowerShell 5.1 as being deprecated.
• Use an approved module repository and confirm network access. A CurrentUser install is user-scoped; a system-wide installation requires the appropriate administrative rights.

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Step 1: Install PowerCLI on Windows

For a deliberately selected legacy-package installation, open a compatible PowerShell session. The example below uses CurrentUser; an elevated Administrator session is not required for that scope.

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser

Before accepting a repository prompt, inspect Get-PSRepository -Name PSGallery and verify the repository against your organization’s approved source. Approve only the intended installation; do not change repository trust merely to suppress a warning.

Before connecting to a server, inspect the effective PowerCLI settings. The following command is read-only:

Get-PowerCLIConfiguration

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Step 2: Install PowerCLI on macOS or Linux (via PowerShell Core)

1. Open Terminal
2. Launch PowerShell with pwsh
3. Run:

Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser

Use $env:PSModulePath to inspect this session’s module search paths if discovery fails. Keep the installation account, PowerShell edition, and module location consistent; do not copy modules between paths without checking the release’s installation guidance.

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Step 3: Verify PowerCLI Version and Module Availability

Get-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -ListAvailable

To list submodules:

Get-Module -Name VMware.* -ListAvailable

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Step 4: Update the Legacy VMware.PowerCLI Package

First inspect the package recorded by PowerShellGet. Update-Module applies to modules installed through Install-Module, not a module folder copied from an offline ZIP. See Microsoft’s Update-Module reference.

Get-InstalledModule -Name VMware.PowerCLI | Select-Object Name, Version, InstalledLocation

If this is an approved, user-scoped legacy installation, the following updates that package to the newest version available under the VMware.PowerCLI name. Test the change before production use; it does not migrate the installation to VCF.PowerCLI. An access error needs a scope and ownership check, not an automatic forced retry.

Update-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser

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Step 5: Configure Optional Settings

Optional: if your organization’s policy is to decline CEIP participation, the following sets that preference for the current user. It is not a general fix for connection or installation prompts:

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -Scope User -ParticipateInCEIP $false -Confirm:$false

Keep certificate validation enabled. This example explicitly rejects invalid server certificates for the current session. If a connection fails, correct the certificate validity, server name, and trusted issuing chain before reconnecting. See the PowerCLI configuration reference.

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -Scope Session -InvalidCertificateAction Fail

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Historical Diagram: VMware.PowerCLI Install Flow

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Use Case: PowerCLI in CI/CD

For an existing legacy-package pipeline, build and test a runner with an approved module set before the job runs. This example imports that pre-provisioned package; it does not download or update modules during every job. Manage version selection and upgrades as reviewed runner changes.

Import-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -ErrorAction Stop

This can support IaC pipelines, DR testing, or VM provisioning automation. If more than one version is installed, select the tested version explicitly with -RequiredVersion and validate the complete module set.

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Troubleshooting PowerCLI Install and Update

Problem	What to check
Repository warning	Verify Get-PSRepository -Name PSGallery against an approved source before accepting the install. Do not blanket-trust a repository just to silence prompts.
Access denied during update	Inspect InstalledLocation and the account that owns the installation. Use the appropriate scope; do not add -Force as a permission workaround.
Import fails or versions conflict	Record the exact error and installed versions. Test in a fresh PowerShell session; for migration, follow Broadcom’s VCF PowerCLI installation guide.
Invalid certificate on Connect-VIServer	Correct the server certificate and trust chain. Keep invalid-certificate behavior set to Fail.
Offline installation cannot be updated	Use the release’s offline installation procedure; a copied module folder is not an online PowerShellGet installation.

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Tips for Managing Multiple Versions

• Record $PSVersionTable and installed module versions when diagnosing a failure.
• Test a different module set in a fresh PowerShell process. Removing a module does not reliably reset everything loaded into that process.
• Schedule an inventory and compatibility review; promote tested module updates through change control rather than automatically updating production runners.

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