Exporting to CSV Displays Different Information

Question

I am working on a script to show me the size of every mailbox in the company. I want to export this information to a CSV so I can sort and keep it offline. Below are my various scripts that I have tried with an explanation of what happens when I use it.
1. Get-Mailbox | Get-MailboxStatistics | where {$_.ObjectClass –eq “Mailbox”} | Sort-Object TotalItemSize –Descending | ft @{label=”User”;expression={$_.DisplayName}},@{label=”Total Size (GB)”;expression={$_.TotalItemSize.Value.ToGB()}},@{label=”Items”;expression={$_.ItemCount}},@{label=”Storage
Limit”;expression={$_.StorageLimitStatus}} > e:\tmp.csv
With this script I get the correct info in the format I want, but it ignore the commas and everything ends up in column A. Making it to where I cannot sort it.
2. Get-Mailbox | Get-MailboxStatistics | where {$_.ObjectClass –eq “Mailbox”} | Sort-Object TotalItemSize –Descending | ft @{label=”User”;expression={$_.DisplayName}},@{label=”Total Size (GB)”;expression={$_.TotalItemSize.Value.ToGB()}},@{label=”Items”;expression={$_.ItemCount}},@{label=”Storage
Limit”;expression={$_.StorageLimitStatus}} | Export-csv -Path e:\mailboxsize.csv -NoTypeInformation -Delimiter ","
With this script I get "ClassID" information and nothing that I need. However, when I remove everything after the last pipe (the Export-csv section) then all the information displays correctly in powershell.
3. Get-Mailbox | Get-MailboxStatistics | ft DisplayName,TotalItemSize,ItemCount | export-csv e:\test.csv -notypeinformation -delimiter ","
With this script I tried to go basic, since I read that you cannot pre-format a CSV export. I also tried it without the -Delimiter switch. Both give me the same results as script #2
4. Get-Mailbox | Get-MailboxStatistics | ft DisplayName,TotalItemSize,ItemCount > e:\tmp.csv
Tried the basic approach with the > instead of export-csv and I get the same results as script 1, just not sorted.
Can someone tell me what I am missing to make Powershell see my commas and give me the correct data when using Export-CSV?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi,
Don't use the Format-* cmdlets if you want to do anything else with the data. In your case, try replacing ft with Select-Object.
EDIT: As an example, here's your #4:
Get-Mailbox |
Get-MailboxStatistics |
Select DisplayName,TotalItemSize,ItemCount |
Sort DisplayName |
Export-Csv .\mbxStats.csv -NoTypeInformation
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