---
title: "Load the SMO Assemblies in Windows PowerShell | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2016"
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  - "database-engine"
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ms.topic: "article"
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caps.latest.revision: 9
author: "JennieHubbard"
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---
# Load the SMO Assemblies in Windows PowerShell
  This topic describes how to load the SQL Server Management Object (SMO) assemblies in Windows PowerShell scripts that do not use the SQL Server PowerShell provider.  
  
## Before You Begin  
 The preferred mechanism for loading the SMO assemblies is to load the **sqlps** module. The [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] provider included in the module automatically loads the SMO assemblies, and also implements features that extend the usefulness of the SMO objects in PowerShell scripts.  For more information, see [Import the SQLPS Module](../../relational-databases/scripting/import-the-sqlps-module.md).
  
 There are two cases where you may need to load the SMO assemblies directly:  
  
-   If your script references a SMO object before the first command that references the provider or cmdlets from the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] snap-ins.  
  
-   You want to port SMO code from another language, such as C# or Visual Basic, which does not use the provider or cmdlets.  
  
## Example: Loading the SQL Server Management Objects  
 The following code loads the SMO assemblies:  
  
```  
#  
# Loads the SQL Server Management Objects (SMO)  
#  
  
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"  
  
$sqlpsreg="HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.PowerShell.sqlps"  
  
if (Get-ChildItem $sqlpsreg -ErrorAction "SilentlyContinue")  
{  
    throw "SQL Server Provider for Windows PowerShell is not installed."  
}  
else  
{  
    $item = Get-ItemProperty $sqlpsreg  
    $sqlpsPath = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($item.Path)  
}  
  
$assemblylist =   
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Common",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Dmf ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Instapi ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.SqlWmiManagement ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.SmoExtended ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.SqlTDiagM ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.SString ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.RegisteredServers ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Sdk.Sfc ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.SqlEnum ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.RegSvrEnum ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.WmiEnum ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.ServiceBrokerEnum ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfoExtended ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Collector ",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.CollectorEnum",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Dac",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.DacEnum",  
"Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Utility"  
  
foreach ($asm in $assemblylist)  
{  
    $asm = [Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName($asm)  
}  
  
Push-Location  
cd $sqlpsPath  
update-FormatData -prependpath SQLProvider.Format.ps1xml   
Pop-Location  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [SQL Server PowerShell](../../relational-databases/scripting/sql-server-powershell.md)