How to properly close Internet Explorer when launched from PowerShell? -

there set of asked questions doing internet explorer via powershell. of them contain codes launch ie powershell object, via $ie=new-object -comobject internetexplorer.application. problem is, proper way of closing ie consists of calling $ie.quit() not work - first, if ie have happened have more single open tab, ie doesn't quit whole , tab corresponds com object closed, , second, should have 1 tab, window gets closed processes remain.

ps > get-process iexplore  handles  npm(k)    pm(k)      ws(k) vm(m)   cpu(s)     id processname -------  ------    -----      ----- -----   ------     -- -----------     352      31     7724      24968   142     0,58   3236 iexplore     228      24    22800      15384   156     0,19   3432 iexplore 

i have tried research methods on how close process started via new-object -comobject, , have found this: how rid of comobject. example of comobject excel.application, indeed behaves intended - calling quit() makes window close, , executing [system.runtime.interopservices.marshal]::releasecomobject($ex) if $ex created comobject stops excel process. not case internet explorer.

i have found question: how existing com object of running ie provides code connect ie via list of open windows, , works extent of ie launched elsewhere, if com object created via powershell, script not able stop ie's processes, if modified such:

$shellapp = new-object -comobject "shell.application" $shellwindows = $shellapp.windows() ($i = 0; $i -lt $shellwindows.count; $i++) {  if ($shellwindows.item($i).fullname -like "*iexplore.exe")   {   $ie = $shellwindows.item($i)   $ie.quit()   [system.runtime.interopservices.marshal]::releasecomobject($ie)   } } 

in case of ie launched outside of powershell, processes stopped, in case of ie launched within powershell, 2 processes remain, , code reports have found no ie windows reach com objects, therefore ie processes (yet) unable stopped.

so, how reach apparently orphaned windowless ie processes , gracefully stop them? aware of get-process iexplore | stop-process, stop , ies, not launched script, , if script run administrator or system on a, say, remote desktop server, everyone's ies stopped.

environment: os windows 7 x64, powershell 4 (installed above ps version 2), ie11 version 11.0.9600.17691 (automatically updated). ie set "open home page" upon starting, @ least 1 tab open.

simply calling quit() method should suffice gracefully terminating internet explorer processes, regardless of whether created running iexplore.exe or instantiating com object in powershell.

demonstration:

 ps c:\> $env:processor_architecture amd64 ps c:\> (get-wmiobject -class win32_operatingsystem).caption microsoft windows 8.1 enterprise ps c:\> get-process | ? { $_.processname -eq 'iexplore' } ps c:\> $ie = new-object -com 'internetexplorer.application' ps c:\> get-process | ? { $_.processname -eq 'iexplore' }  handles  npm(k)    pm(k)      ws(k) vm(m)   cpu(s)     id processname -------  ------    -----      ----- -----   ------     -- -----------     352      20     4244      14164   176     0.05   3460 iexplore     407      32     6428      23316   182     0.23   5356 iexplore  ps c:\> $ie.quit() ps c:\> get-process | ? { $_.processname -eq 'iexplore' } ps c:\> _ 

if have orphaned internet explorer processes don't have handle can cycle through them this:

(new-object -com 'shell.application').windows() | where-object {     $_.name -like '*internet explorer*' } | foreach-object {     $_.quit() } 

to totally on safe side can release com object after calling quit() , wait garbage collector clean up:

(new-object -com 'shell.application').windows() | where-object {     $_.name -like '*internet explorer*' } | foreach-object {     $_.quit()     [runtime.interopservices.marshal]::releasecomobject($_) }  [gc]::collect() [gc]::waitforpendingfinalizers()