How do I pass a local variable to a remote `Invoke-Command`? [duplicate]

To complement briantist’s helpful answer:

The script block passed to Invoke-Command is (as intended) executed on the remote machine, using the remote machine’s variables by default.

Thus, in order to use a local variable’s value,^[1] extra steps are needed (to put it differently: inside a script block executed remotely, you cannot just refer to local variables as you normally would, such as with $dest):

• PS v3+ offers the using: scope modifier for direct use of a local variable’s value inside the script block – see briantist’s first command.

  • Note that using: only works when Invoke-Command actually targets a remote machine, such as with the -ComputerName parameter.

• The only option that also works in earlier versions is to pass the local variable as a parameter to the script block. – see briantist’s second command.

^{[1] Note that you fundamentally cannot pass a variable itself, i.e. you cannot assign to a local variable in a remote script block.}