When you need to log on with alternate credentials, cmdlets often pop up a login dialog, like here:
$cred = Get-Credential
If you wanted to run a script unattended, you would have to generate the credential object manually instead. To generate a new object, first find out its type:
$cred.GetType().FullName
Then, use New-Object to create a new instance of this object.
PS> $cred = New-Object -TypeName System.Management.Automation.PSCredential New-Object : Constructor not found. Cannot find an appropriate constructor for type System.Management.Automation.PSCredential.
This fails though, because to "construct" a new object, the constructor may need additional mandatory information. Here is how you can list the available constructor methods and view the additional information they require:
PS> ([Type]'System.Management.Automation.PSCredential').GetConstructors() | ForEach-Object { $_.ToString() } Void .ctor(System.String, System.Security.SecureString)
As you see, the constructor for credential objects needs two pieces of information: a string , and an encrypted string – the user name and the user password. So here is how you create logon credentials that you then can use whenever a cmdlet provides a parameter -Credential:
$username = 'testdomain\testuser' $password = 'secret' | ConvertTo-SecureString -Force -AsPlainText $cred = New-Object -TypeName System.Management.Automation.PSCredential $username, $password
