PowerShell Core no longer works on Windows 7 after the upgrade to .Net Core 2.0 due to missing API sets that are no longer shipped with .Net Core. The issue appeared between the Alpha.18 and Beta.1 releases. Alpha.18 is the last working release for Windows 7.

Builds after the upgrade will fail with the following message:

c:\Program Files\PowerShell>.\6.0.0-beta.1\powershell.exe
Unhandled Exception: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has
been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.DllNotFoundException: Un
able to load DLL 'api-ms-win-eventing-provider-l1-1-0.dll': The specified module
 could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E)
   at System.Management.Automation.Tracing.EtwActivity.UnsafeNativeMethods.Event
ActivityIdControl(ActivityControlCode controlCode, Guid& activityId)
   at System.Management.Automation.Tracing.EtwActivity.GetActivityId()
   at Microsoft.PowerShell.UnmanagedPSEntry.Start(String consoleFilePath, String
[] args, Int32 argc)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments,
 Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Objec
t[] parameters, Object[] arguments)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invoke
Attr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBase.Invoke(Object obj, Object[] parameters)
   at System.Management.Automation.PowerShellAssemblyLoadContextInitializer.Init
ializeAndCallEntryMethod(String basePaths, AssemblyName entryAssemblyName, Strin
g entryTypeName, String entryMethodName, Object[] args)
   at Microsoft.PowerShell.ManagedPSEntry.Main(String[] args)

The issue is greater than this single API set because around 80 API sets are no longer shipped by .Net Core. Here is a comparison between .Net Core 1.6 (6.0.0.16) and .Net Core 2.0 (beta1):

c:\Program Files\PowerShell>dir /s api-*
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 9451-5721

Directory of c:\Program Files\PowerShell\6.0.0-beta.1

05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-core-console-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,112 api-ms-win-core-datetime-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,112 api-ms-win-core-debug-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-errorhandling-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 22,208 api-ms-win-core-file-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-file-l1-2-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-file-l2-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,616 api-ms-win-core-handle-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-heap-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,616 api-ms-win-core-interlocked-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 21,184 api-ms-win-core-localization-l1-2-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-core-memory-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-namedpipe-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,648 api-ms-win-core-processenvironment-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 20,672 api-ms-win-core-processthreads-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-core-processthreads-l1-1-1.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,112 api-ms-win-core-profile-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,616 api-ms-win-core-rtlsupport-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-string-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 20,672 api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-2-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,648 api-ms-win-core-sysinfo-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-timezone-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 18,624 api-ms-win-core-util-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,648 api-ms-win-crt-conio-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 22,720 api-ms-win-crt-convert-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-crt-environment-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 20,672 api-ms-win-crt-filesystem-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-crt-heap-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-crt-locale-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 27,840 api-ms-win-crt-math-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 26,296 api-ms-win-crt-multibyte-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 70,848 api-ms-win-crt-private-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,648 api-ms-win-crt-process-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 23,232 api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 24,768 api-ms-win-crt-stdio-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 24,768 api-ms-win-crt-string-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 21,184 api-ms-win-crt-time-l1-1-0.dll
05/01/2017 08:42 PM 19,136 api-ms-win-crt-utility-l1-1-0.dll
40 File(s) 857,056 bytes

Directory of c:\Program Files\PowerShell\6.0.0.16

06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,672 API-MS-Win-Base-Util-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 23,272 api-ms-win-core-com-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,696 api-ms-win-core-com-private-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,696 api-ms-win-core-comm-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-console-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,248 api-ms-win-core-console-l2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-core-datetime-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-core-datetime-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,672 api-ms-win-core-debug-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-debug-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-core-delayload-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-core-errorhandling-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-core-errorhandling-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,680 api-ms-win-core-fibers-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,680 api-ms-win-core-fibers-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 22,768 api-ms-win-core-file-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,672 api-ms-win-core-file-l1-2-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,672 api-ms-win-core-file-l1-2-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,184 api-ms-win-core-file-l2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,672 api-ms-win-core-file-l2-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,680 api-ms-win-core-handle-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,184 api-ms-win-core-heap-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-core-heap-obsolete-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-core-interlocked-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,176 api-ms-win-core-io-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,664 api-ms-win-core-io-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,784 api-ms-win-core-kernel32-legacy-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,736 api-ms-win-core-kernel32-legacy-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-core-kernel32-legacy-l1-1-2.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,744 API-MS-Win-Core-Kernel32-Private-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,720 API-MS-Win-Core-Kernel32-Private-L1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,744 API-MS-Win-Core-Kernel32-Private-L1-1-2.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,728 api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,776 api-ms-win-core-localization-l1-2-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,704 api-ms-win-core-localization-l1-2-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-core-localization-l2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,256 api-ms-win-core-localization-obsolete-l1-2-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-memory-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,704 api-ms-win-core-memory-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-memory-l1-1-2.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,680 api-ms-win-core-memory-l1-1-3.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,200 api-ms-win-core-namedpipe-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,696 api-ms-win-core-namedpipe-l1-2-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,712 api-ms-win-core-normalization-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,736 API-MS-Win-Core-PrivateProfile-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,712 api-ms-win-core-privateprofile-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,752 api-ms-win-core-processenvironment-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,728 api-ms-win-core-processenvironment-l1-2-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,232 api-ms-win-core-processsecurity-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,272 api-ms-win-core-processthreads-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,736 api-ms-win-core-processthreads-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-core-processthreads-l1-1-2.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,272 API-MS-Win-Core-ProcessTopology-Obsolete-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,680 api-ms-win-core-profile-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,208 api-ms-win-core-psapi-ansi-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,696 api-ms-win-core-psapi-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-core-psapi-obsolete-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,200 api-ms-win-core-realtime-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 20,736 api-ms-win-core-registry-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 20,224 api-ms-win-core-registry-l2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,208 api-ms-win-core-rtlsupport-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 23,320 api-ms-win-core-shlwapi-legacy-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,280 api-ms-win-core-shlwapi-obsolete-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-core-shutdown-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-core-shutdown-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-string-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 API-MS-Win-Core-String-L2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,232 api-ms-win-core-string-obsolete-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,232 api-ms-win-core-string-obsolete-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,208 API-MS-Win-Core-StringAnsi-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,704 api-ms-win-core-stringloader-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,704 api-ms-win-core-stringloader-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 20,720 api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,696 api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-2-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,712 api-ms-win-core-sysinfo-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,200 api-ms-win-core-sysinfo-l1-2-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-sysinfo-l1-2-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,680 api-ms-win-core-sysinfo-l1-2-2.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-core-sysinfo-l1-2-3.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,256 api-ms-win-core-threadpool-l1-2-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,240 api-ms-win-core-threadpool-legacy-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,728 api-ms-win-core-threadpool-private-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,200 api-ms-win-core-timezone-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 20,200 api-ms-win-core-url-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,672 api-ms-win-core-util-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-core-version-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,728 api-ms-win-core-winrt-error-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-core-winrt-error-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,704 api-ms-win-core-winrt-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,240 api-ms-win-core-winrt-registration-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-core-winrt-robuffer-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,272 api-ms-win-core-winrt-roparameterizediid-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 20,240 api-ms-win-core-winrt-string-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,680 api-ms-win-core-wow64-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-xstate-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,192 api-ms-win-core-xstate-l2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,256 API-MS-Win-devices-config-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 21,256 API-MS-Win-devices-config-L1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,248 API-MS-Win-Eventing-ClassicProvider-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,704 API-MS-Win-Eventing-Consumer-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 API-MS-Win-Eventing-Controller-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,208 API-MS-Win-Eventing-Legacy-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 API-MS-Win-Eventing-Provider-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,208 API-MS-Win-EventLog-Legacy-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-ro-typeresolution-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 24,832 api-ms-win-security-base-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-security-cpwl-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 20,760 api-ms-win-security-cryptoapi-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-security-lsalookup-l2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,712 api-ms-win-security-lsalookup-l2-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,728 API-MS-Win-Security-LsaPolicy-L1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-security-provider-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,200 api-ms-win-security-sddl-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-service-core-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 18,688 api-ms-win-service-core-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,224 api-ms-win-service-management-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,216 api-ms-win-service-management-l2-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,720 api-ms-win-service-private-l1-1-0.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 19,720 api-ms-win-service-private-l1-1-1.dll
06/13/2016 10:46 PM 20,232 api-ms-win-service-winsvc-l1-1-0.dll
121 File(s) 2,358,064 bytes

 Total Files Listed:
         161 File(s)      3,215,120 bytes
           0 Dir(s)  118,003,507,200 bytes free