[powershell] Powershell script to check if service is started, if not then start it

I have built a small powershell script to check if a service is started. If it is not started, try to start it then wait one minute and check again. Keep repeating this process until the service start successfully. I have found the loop does not behave the way I expected in that I seem to have to re-assign the service variable within the loop in order to get the updated status. Here is my code:

$ServiceName = 'Serenade'
$arrService = Get-Service -Name $ServiceName

if ($arrService.Status -ne 'Running'){
$ServiceStarted = $false}
Else{$ServiceStarted = $true}

while ($ServiceStarted -ne $true){
Start-Service $ServiceName
write-host $arrService.status
write-host 'Service started'
Start-Sleep -seconds 60
$arrService = Get-Service -Name $ServiceName #Why is this line needed?
if ($arrService.Status -eq 'Running'){
$ServiceStarted = $true}
}

If I run the code without the third last line (the one with the comment), I get the following output. I can check in the Windows service manager and the service was clearly started after the first loop. Why is that third last line required?

Given this behavior, is there a better way to write this code?

Thank you

The below is a compact script that will check if "running" and attempt start service until the service returns as running.

$Service = 'ServiceName'
If ((Get-Service $Service).Status -ne 'Running') {
   do {
       Start-Service $Service -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
       Start-Sleep 10
   } until ((Get-Service $Service).Status -eq 'Running')
} Return "$($Service) has STARTED"

[Array] $servers = "Server1","server2";
$service='YOUR SERVICE'

foreach($server in $servers)

{
    $srvc = Get-WmiObject -query "SELECT * FROM win32_service  WHERE   name LIKE '$service' " -computername $server  ;
    $res=Write-Output $srvc | Format-Table -AutoSize $server, $fmtMode, $fmtState, $fmtStatus ;  
   $srvc.startservice() 
   $res
}

Combining Alaa Akoum and Nick Eagle's solutions allowed me to loop through a series of windows services and stop them if they're running.

# stop the following Windows services in the specified order:
[Array] $Services = 'Service1','Service2','Service3','Service4','Service5';

# loop through each service, if its running, stop it
foreach($ServiceName in $Services)
{
    $arrService = Get-Service -Name $ServiceName
    write-host $ServiceName
    while ($arrService.Status -eq 'Running')
    {
        Stop-Service $ServiceName
        write-host $arrService.status
        write-host 'Service stopping'
        Start-Sleep -seconds 60
        $arrService.Refresh()
        if ($arrService.Status -eq 'Stopped')
            {
              Write-Host 'Service is now Stopped'
            }
     }
 }

The same can be done to start a series of service if they are not running:

# start the following Windows services in the specified order:
[Array] $Services = 'Service1','Service2','Service3','Service4','Service5';

# loop through each service, if its not running, start it
foreach($ServiceName in $Services)
{
    $arrService = Get-Service -Name $ServiceName
    write-host $ServiceName
    while ($arrService.Status -ne 'Running')
    {
        Start-Service $ServiceName
        write-host $arrService.status
        write-host 'Service starting'
        Start-Sleep -seconds 60
        $arrService.Refresh()
        if ($arrService.Status -eq 'Running')
        {
          Write-Host 'Service is now Running'
        }
    }
}

A potentially simpler solution:

get-service "servicename*" | Where {$_.Status -eq 'Stopped'} | start-service

Given $arrService = Get-Service -Name $ServiceName, $arrService.Status is a static property, corresponding to the value at the time of the call. Use $arrService.Refresh() when needed to renew the properties to current values.

MSDN ~ ServiceController.Refresh()

Refreshes property values by resetting the properties to their current values.

Trying to do things as smooth as possible - I here suggest modifying GuyWhoLikesPowershell's suggestion slightly.

I replaced the if and until with one while - and I check for "Stopped", since I don't want to start if status is "starting" or " Stopping".

$Service = 'ServiceName'
while ((Get-Service $Service).Status -eq 'Stopped') 
{
    Start-Service $Service -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Start-Sleep 10
} 
Return "$($Service) has STARTED"