Weird Export-csv output from PowerShell. The reason, as I understand it, is not in the encoding, but in what?

Question

PowerShell

Let's take this small script as an example:

Get-Service -Name "wuauserv" -ComputerName "server1", "server2", "server3" | FT -Property MachineName, Status, Name | Export-Csv -Path C:\tmp\wuausrv_status.csv -Delimiter ";" -Encoding Unicode

Then in the csv file I get this at the output:

And if I display it in the console without export, then everything is ok:

This is not the only example when I get this at the export-csv output.
I changed the encoding, there was both Unicode and UTF8 and others - the result is the same.
PSVersion: 5.1.14409.1012

Answer 1

Don't use Format-Table when exporting. This cmdlet changes the display of output in the terminal, but does not change the object in the pipe. Instead, use Select-Object
Get-Service -Name "wuauserv" -ComputerName "server1", "server2", "server3" | Select-Object MachineName, Status, Name | Export-Csv -Path C:\tmp\wuausrv_status.csv -Delimiter ";" -Encoding Unicode -NoTypeInformation