fix(installer): preserve PowerShell host on failure

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - CLI/model runs: keep `openclaw infer model run` on explicit OpenRouter models from loading the full provider catalog or inheriting chat-agent silent-reply policy, restoring non-empty one-shot probe output. Fixes #68791. Thanks @limpredator.
 - Installer/macOS: rerun Homebrew install steps without the gum spinner when raw-mode ioctl failures occur, and avoid claiming `node@24` was installed when the Homebrew keg binary is missing. Fixes #70411. Thanks @1fanwang and @dad-io.
 - Installer: load nvm before Node.js detection so `curl | bash` installs respect nvm-managed Node instead of stale system Node. Fixes #49556. Thanks @heavenlxj.
+- Installer/Windows: route PowerShell install failures through a top-level handler so `iwr ... | iex` returns control to the current shell while direct script-file runs still exit non-zero. Fixes #38054. Thanks @PwrSrg.
 - CLI/Volta: respawn raw `openclaw` CLI runs through the named `node` shim when the current Node executable resolves to `volta-shim`, avoiding direct shim execution failures in non-interactive shells. Fixes #68672. Thanks @sanchezm86.
 - Installer: warn when multiple npm global roots contain OpenClaw installs, showing active Node/npm/openclaw plus each install path and version so stale version-manager installs are visible. Fixes #40839. Thanks @zhixianio.
 - Cron/tasks: recover completed cron task ledger records from durable run logs and job state before marking them `lost`, reducing false `backing session missing` audit errors for isolated cron runs and keeping offline CLI audit from treating its empty local cron active-job set as authoritative. Fixes #71963.

docs/install/installer.md

@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@ by default, plus git-checkout installs under the same prefix flow.
     - Refreshes a loaded gateway service best-effort (`openclaw gateway install --force`, then restart)
     - Runs `openclaw doctor --non-interactive` on upgrades and git installs (best effort)
   </Step>
+  <Step title="Handle failures">
+    `iwr ... | iex` and scriptblock installs report a terminating error without closing the current PowerShell session. Direct `powershell -File` / `pwsh -File` installs still exit non-zero for automation.
+  </Step>
 </Steps>
 
 ### Examples (install.ps1)

scripts/install.ps1

@@ -384,6 +384,29 @@ function Add-ToPath {
     }
 }
 
+$script:InstallExitCode = 0
+
+function Fail-Install {
+    param([int]$Code = 1)
+
+    $script:InstallExitCode = $Code
+    return $false
+}
+
+function Complete-Install {
+    param([bool]$Succeeded)
+
+    if ($Succeeded) {
+        return
+    }
+
+    if ($PSCommandPath) {
+        exit $script:InstallExitCode
+    }
+
+    throw "OpenClaw installation failed with exit code $($script:InstallExitCode)."
+}
+
 # Main
 function Main {
     Write-Banner
@@ -394,16 +417,16 @@ function Main {
     if (!(Ensure-ExecutionPolicy)) {
         Write-Host ""
         Write-Host "Installation cannot continue due to execution policy restrictions" -Level error
-        exit 1
+        return (Fail-Install)
     }
     
     if (!(Ensure-Node)) {
-        exit 1
+        return (Fail-Install)
     }
     
     if ($InstallMethod -eq "git") {
         if (!(Ensure-Git)) {
-            exit 1
+            return (Fail-Install)
         }
         
         if ($DryRun) {
@@ -421,7 +444,7 @@ function Main {
             Write-Host "[DRY RUN] Would install OpenClaw via npm ($((Resolve-PackageInstallSpec -Target $Tag)))" -Level info
         } else {
             if (!(Install-OpenClawNpm -Target $Tag)) {
-                exit 1
+                return (Fail-Install)
             }
         }
     }
@@ -446,6 +469,8 @@ function Main {
     
     Write-Host ""
     Write-Host "🦞 OpenClaw installed successfully!" -Level success
+    return $true
 }
 
-Main
+$installSucceeded = Main
+Complete-Install -Succeeded:$installSucceeded

test/scripts/install-ps1.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { chmodSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { createScriptTestHarness } from "./test-helpers";
+
+const SCRIPT_PATH = "scripts/install.ps1";
+
+function extractFunctionBody(source: string, name: string): string {
+  const match = source.match(
+    new RegExp(`^function ${name} \\{\\r?\\n([\\s\\S]*?)^\\}\\r?\\n`, "m"),
+  );
+  expect(match?.[1]).toBeDefined();
+  return match![1];
+}
+
+function findPowerShell(): string | undefined {
+  for (const candidate of ["pwsh", "powershell"]) {
+    const result = spawnSync(
+      candidate,
+      ["-NoLogo", "-NoProfile", "-Command", "$PSVersionTable.PSVersion"],
+      {
+        encoding: "utf8",
+      },
+    );
+    if (result.status === 0) {
+      return candidate;
+    }
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+function toPowerShellSingleQuotedLiteral(value: string): string {
+  return `'${value.replaceAll("'", "''")}'`;
+}
+
+function createFailingNodeFixture(source: string): string {
+  const scriptWithoutEntryPoint = source.replace(
+    /\r?\n\$installSucceeded = Main\r?\nComplete-Install -Succeeded:\$installSucceeded\s*$/m,
+    "",
+  );
+  expect(scriptWithoutEntryPoint).not.toBe(source);
+
+  return [
+    scriptWithoutEntryPoint,
+    "",
+    "function Write-Banner { }",
+    "function Ensure-ExecutionPolicy { return $true }",
+    "function Ensure-Node { return $false }",
+    "",
+    "$installSucceeded = Main",
+    "Complete-Install -Succeeded:$installSucceeded",
+    "",
+  ].join("\n");
+}
+
+describe("install.ps1 failure handling", () => {
+  const harness = createScriptTestHarness();
+  const source = readFileSync(SCRIPT_PATH, "utf8");
+  const powershell = findPowerShell();
+  const runIfPowerShell = powershell ? it : it.skip;
+
+  it("does not exit directly from inside Main", () => {
+    const mainBody = extractFunctionBody(source, "Main");
+    expect(mainBody).not.toMatch(/\bexit\b/i);
+    expect(mainBody).toContain("return (Fail-Install)");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps failure termination in the top-level completion handler", () => {
+    const completeInstallBody = extractFunctionBody(source, "Complete-Install");
+    expect(completeInstallBody).toMatch(/\$PSCommandPath/);
+    expect(completeInstallBody).toMatch(/\bexit \$script:InstallExitCode\b/);
+    expect(completeInstallBody).toMatch(/\bthrow "OpenClaw installation failed with exit code/);
+  });
+
+  runIfPowerShell("exits non-zero when run as a script file", () => {
+    const tempDir = harness.createTempDir("openclaw-install-ps1-");
+    const scriptPath = join(tempDir, "install.ps1");
+    writeFileSync(scriptPath, createFailingNodeFixture(source));
+    chmodSync(scriptPath, 0o755);
+
+    const result = spawnSync(
+      powershell!,
+      ["-NoLogo", "-NoProfile", "-ExecutionPolicy", "Bypass", "-File", scriptPath],
+      { encoding: "utf8" },
+    );
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  runIfPowerShell("throws without killing the caller when run as a scriptblock", () => {
+    const tempDir = harness.createTempDir("openclaw-install-ps1-");
+    const scriptPath = join(tempDir, "install.ps1");
+    writeFileSync(scriptPath, createFailingNodeFixture(source));
+    chmodSync(scriptPath, 0o755);
+
+    const command = [
+      "try {",
+      `  & ([scriptblock]::Create((Get-Content -LiteralPath ${toPowerShellSingleQuotedLiteral(scriptPath)} -Raw)))`,
+      "} catch {",
+      '  Write-Output "caught=$($_.Exception.Message)"',
+      "}",
+      'Write-Output "alive-after-install"',
+    ].join("\n");
+    const result = spawnSync(powershell!, ["-NoLogo", "-NoProfile", "-Command", command], {
+      encoding: "utf8",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("caught=OpenClaw installation failed with exit code 1.");
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("alive-after-install");
+  });
+});