Guessing remote registry isn't available (hardened builds so service isn't running) - I can't query the registry for a specific value. However a file is present on the server I am analysing which provides the data I need. Thus far I have written the following - I would appreciate if this can be reviewed as it just hangs - I'm guessing that I would benefit from a if exists statement for the parent directory..

Suggestions and help very much appreciated (only been using PowerShell for a short time so working hard to get to grips with this.

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

$servers = Get-Content -Path C:\Windows\System32\list3.txt

$out = ForEach ($server in $servers)
{
    invoke-command -computername $server {Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Definition Updates\" -Exclude Backup -Filter mpavdlta.vdm -Recurse | Select-Object -Last 1 | Select LastWriteTime | ft -AutoSize}
}
$out|Out-File C:\Temp\Versions.log

$servers = Get-Content -Path "X:\ServerList.txt"
$logfile = "X:\Versions.log"
$Include = "Include.file"
$out = ForEach ($server in $servers)
{
 Write-Output(Get-ChildItem -Path "\\$Server\X$\Remote Folder\Structure\" -Exclude Backup -Filter $Include -Recurse | Select-Object -Last 1 | Select LastWriteTime | ft -AutoSize) | Out-File $logFile
}
$out

Are you using account that has privileges on remote machine. If so this should provide a path to go down. This will pull server name from list and interrogate via \UNC\admin$ share. Serverlist.txt was just a list of machines in the following format.

machinename.domain.com

I had a look at your original request. Can you not loop through the serverlist and start the remote reg service, do your job and then stop it.

Something like.

$servers = Get-Content -Path "X:\ServerList.txt"
$Service = "Remote Registry"
$out = ForEach ($server in $servers)
{
 Get-Service -Name $Service  -ComputerName $Server | Set-Service -Status Running
 Do remote reg stuff
 Get-Service -Name $Service  -ComputerName $Server | Set-Service -Status Stopped
}
$out

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh849849.aspx