I see this problem all over but have tried every proposed solution but 
nothing provided works for me.  Bottom line, I am creating a custom object 
via .csv import but when trying to format-(to anything), I get the error 
shown below the script.  Sorry if this is a dead-horse.  BTW...using v2 on 
W2K8R2.  Everything works except the last line.  If the "ft" is not there, 
the results are listed in "format-list" by default...but I want a table 
format.  (Script below is word-wrapped of course".

###Beginning of script
param([SWITCH]$help, [STRING]$ouDN, [STRING]$file)


###################################################### Functions
#####################################################
Function get_help()
{
$helpText=@"
"@
write-host $helpText -ForegroundColor Yellow
exit
}

###################################################### Validate parameters 
and combinations
#####################################################
if ($help -or $param.count -eq 0) {get_help}

###################################################### Functions
###################################################### Function to verify 
the passed OU exists
#####################################################
function verify_OU
{
	$ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue"
	
	$ouExist = [ADSI]::Exists("LDAP://" + $ouDN)
	while ($ouExist -ne $TRUE)
	{
		Write-Warning "Specified OU does not exist: $ouPath"
		$ouDN = Read-Host "Retype target OU distinguishedName path"
		$ouExist = [ADSI]::Exists("LDAP://" + $ouDN)
    set-variable -name ouDN -value "$ouDN" -scope 1
	}
}

###################################################### Function to collect 
computer object information from AD
#####################################################
function get_computerObjectInfo
{
  #set variable values to default of NULL
  $computerDnsHostName = "NULL"
  $computerOS = "NULL"
  $computerLLTS = "NULL"
  
  #collect computer dnsHostName
  if ($computer.dnshostname -ne $null)
  {
    $computerDnsHostName = $computer.dnshostname
  }
  #collect computer operatingSystem
  if ($computer.operatingsystem -ne $null)
  {
    $computerOS = $computer.operatingsystem
  }
  #collect computer lastLogonTimeStamp
  if ($computer.lastLogonTimeStamp -ne $null)
  {
    $computerLLTS = Get-Date -Date 
([DateTime]::FromFileTime([Int64]::Parse($computer.lastLogonTimeStamp)))`
      -Format MM/dd/yyyy
  }  
  $SCRIPT:adResults = 
"$computerName,$computerDnsHostName,$computerOS,$computerLLTS"
}

###################################################### Function to ping 
computer
#####################################################
function ping_computer
{
  PROCESS
  {
    trap { continue }
    $pingStatus = $ping.send($computerName).status
    if ($pingStatus -eq "Success")
    {
      $pingResponse = ("Online")
    }
    else
    {
      $pingResponse = ("Offline")
    }
  }
  END
  {
    $SCRIPT:pingResults = $pingResponse
  }
}

###################################################### Verifty script 
execution pre-requisits
#####################################################
verify_ou

Import-Module activedirectory

###################################################### Create .csv files
#####################################################$csvPath = Get-Location
$csvFile = $csvPath.Path + "\computerInfo.csv"

New-Item $csvFile -type file -Force
Set-Content $csvFile 
"name,dnsHostName,operatingSystem,lastLogonTimeStamp,pingStatus"
#Clear-Host

#####################################################
# Main
#####################################################
$ping = new-object System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping

$computers = get-adcomputer -filter * -searchBase $ouDN -resultpagesize 1000 
-searchScope subtree -Properties 
lastLogonTimeStamp,name,operatingsystem,dnshostname

foreach ($computer in $computers)
{
  $computerName = $computer.name
  get_computerObjectInfo
  ping_computer
  "$adResults,$pingResults"
  Add-Content $csvFile "$adResults,$pingResults"
}

$colComputers = @()

$colComputerInput = Import-Csv -Path $csvFile

foreach ($objComputer in $colComputerInput)
  {
    $objComputerInfo = New-Object System.Object
    $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name 
computername -value $objComputer.name
    $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name dnsHostName 
-value $objComputer.dnsHostName
    $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name 
operatingSystem -value $objComputer.operatingSystem
    $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name 
lastLogonTimeStamp -value $objComputer.lastLogonTimeStamp
    $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name pingStatus 
-value $objComputer.pingStatus
    $colComputers += $objComputerInfo
  }

$colComputers | ft   ###<---This is causing the below error
###End of script


##########
out-linoutput : The object of type 
"Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format.FormatStartData" is not valid 
or not in the correct sequence.  This is likely caused by a user-specified 
"format-table" command which is conflicting with the default formatting.

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [out-lineoutput], InvalidOperationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : 
ConsoleLineOutputOutOfSequencePacket,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.OutLineOutputCommand
##########

Help...why? and how can easily resolve.  Thanks.

Paul

UPDATE: This error only appears if I write to the file first.  I commented 
out all the logic to create/write to "computerInfo.csv" and just left the 
script to read from the data that was already in there.  Voila...out put was 
returned as desired using format-*.

Is it possible I have a streaming or "file-state" conflict where the file 
must be explicitly closed prior to reading the contents back in?  If so, how 
do I explicitly close?  Thanks!

Paul

__________

"Paul B. (USAF)" wrote:

> I see this problem all over but have tried every proposed solution but 
> nothing provided works for me.  Bottom line, I am creating a custom object 
> via .csv import but when trying to format-(to anything), I get the error 
> shown below the script.  Sorry if this is a dead-horse.  BTW...using v2 on 
> W2K8R2.  Everything works except the last line.  If the "ft" is not there, 
> the results are listed in "format-list" by default...but I want a table 
> format.  (Script below is word-wrapped of course".
> 
> ###Beginning of script
> param([SWITCH]$help, [STRING]$ouDN, [STRING]$file)
> 
> 
> ###################################################### Functions
> #####################################################
> Function get_help()
> {
> $helpText=@"
> "@
> write-host $helpText -ForegroundColor Yellow
> exit
> }
> 
> ###################################################### Validate parameters 
> and combinations
> #####################################################
> if ($help -or $param.count -eq 0) {get_help}
> 
> ###################################################### Functions
> ###################################################### Function to verify 
> the passed OU exists
> #####################################################
> function verify_OU
> {
> 	$ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue"
> 	
> 	$ouExist = [ADSI]::Exists("LDAP://" + $ouDN)
> 	while ($ouExist -ne $TRUE)
> 	{
> 		Write-Warning "Specified OU does not exist: $ouPath"
> 		$ouDN = Read-Host "Retype target OU distinguishedName path"
> 		$ouExist = [ADSI]::Exists("LDAP://" + $ouDN)
>     set-variable -name ouDN -value "$ouDN" -scope 1
> 	}
> }
> 
> ###################################################### Function to collect 
> computer object information from AD
> #####################################################
> function get_computerObjectInfo
> {
>   #set variable values to default of NULL
>   $computerDnsHostName = "NULL"
>   $computerOS = "NULL"
>   $computerLLTS = "NULL"
>   
>   #collect computer dnsHostName
>   if ($computer.dnshostname -ne $null)
>   {
>     $computerDnsHostName = $computer.dnshostname
>   }
>   #collect computer operatingSystem
>   if ($computer.operatingsystem -ne $null)
>   {
>     $computerOS = $computer.operatingsystem
>   }
>   #collect computer lastLogonTimeStamp
>   if ($computer.lastLogonTimeStamp -ne $null)
>   {
>     $computerLLTS = Get-Date -Date 
> ([DateTime]::FromFileTime([Int64]::Parse($computer.lastLogonTimeStamp)))`
>       -Format MM/dd/yyyy
>   }  
>   $SCRIPT:adResults = 
> "$computerName,$computerDnsHostName,$computerOS,$computerLLTS"
> }
> 
> ###################################################### Function to ping 
> computer
> #####################################################
> function ping_computer
> {
>   PROCESS
>   {
>     trap { continue }
>     $pingStatus = $ping.send($computerName).status
>     if ($pingStatus -eq "Success")
>     {
>       $pingResponse = ("Online")
>     }
>     else
>     {
>       $pingResponse = ("Offline")
>     }
>   }
>   END
>   {
>     $SCRIPT:pingResults = $pingResponse
>   }
> }
> 
> ###################################################### Verifty script 
> execution pre-requisits
> #####################################################
> verify_ou
> 
> Import-Module activedirectory
> 
> ###################################################### Create .csv files
> #####################################################$csvPath = Get-Location
> $csvFile = $csvPath.Path + "\computerInfo.csv"
> 
> New-Item $csvFile -type file -Force
> Set-Content $csvFile 
> "name,dnsHostName,operatingSystem,lastLogonTimeStamp,pingStatus"
> #Clear-Host
> 
> #####################################################
> # Main
> #####################################################
> $ping = new-object System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping
> 
> $computers = get-adcomputer -filter * -searchBase $ouDN -resultpagesize 1000 
> -searchScope subtree -Properties 
> lastLogonTimeStamp,name,operatingsystem,dnshostname
> 
> foreach ($computer in $computers)
> {
>   $computerName = $computer.name
>   get_computerObjectInfo
>   ping_computer
>   "$adResults,$pingResults"
>   Add-Content $csvFile "$adResults,$pingResults"
> }
> 
> $colComputers = @()
> 
> $colComputerInput = Import-Csv -Path $csvFile
> 
> foreach ($objComputer in $colComputerInput)
>   {
>     $objComputerInfo = New-Object System.Object
>     $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name 
> computername -value $objComputer.name
>     $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name dnsHostName 
> -value $objComputer.dnsHostName
>     $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name 
> operatingSystem -value $objComputer.operatingSystem
>     $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name 
> lastLogonTimeStamp -value $objComputer.lastLogonTimeStamp
>     $objComputerInfo | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -name pingStatus 
> -value $objComputer.pingStatus
>     $colComputers += $objComputerInfo
>   }
> 
> $colComputers | ft   ###<---This is causing the below error
> ###End of script
> 
> 
> ##########
> out-linoutput : The object of type 
> "Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format.FormatStartData" is not valid 
> or not in the correct sequence.  This is likely caused by a user-specified 
> "format-table" command which is conflicting with the default formatting.
> 
> + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [out-lineoutput], InvalidOperationException
> + FullyQualifiedErrorId : 
> ConsoleLineOutputOutOfSequencePacket,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.OutLineOutputCommand
> ##########
> 
> Help...why? and how can easily resolve.  Thanks.
> 
> Paul