# Commands' Default Output Can Lie Well, perhaps not “lie,” but certainly “mislead.” Try running Get-EventLog -LogName Security on your computer. Notice the column headers in the output? * The output doesn’t include all of the properties that are available behind the scenes. * Some of the column headers don’t actually list the correct name for that property. This can be really frustrating, because if you try to use Select-Object with an incorrect name, it’ll just spit out blanks. The confusion arises because many commands’ output are pre-formatted using a default view. That means you’re not actually seeing the command’s “output,” you’re seeing a “massaged” version of it. To see the complete output, with the correct property names, run your command and pipe it to `| Format-List *` (or fl *if you prefer). With commands that produce a great deal of output, that can take some time to run and create a messy screen; a shorter version can be obtained by piping your command to \`| Select -First 1 | Format-List* \`. You’ll see one output object, all of its properties, and the correct property names to use in other commands. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://devops-collective-inc.gitbook.io/the-big-book-of-powershell-gotchas/commands-default-output-can-lie.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.