Windows PowerShell
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PS C:\Users\joshua> Get-Help Get-Credential -Full
NAME
Get-Credential
SYNOPSIS
Gets a credential object based on a user name and password.
SYNTAX
Get-Credential [-Credential] <PSCredential> [<CommonParameters>]
Get-Credential [[-UserName] <String>] -Message <String> [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
The Get-Credential cmdlet creates a credential object for a specified user name and password. You can use the
credential object in security operations.
Beginning in Windows PowerShell 3.0, you can use the Message parameter to specify a customized message on the
dialog box that prompts the user for their name and password.
The Get-Credential cmdlet prompts the user for a password or a user name and password. By default, an
authentication dialog box appears to prompt the user. However, in some host programs, such as the Windows
PowerShell console, you can prompt the user at the command line by changing a registry entry. For more information
about this registry entry, see the notes and examples.
PARAMETERS
-Credential <PSCredential>
Specifies a user name for the credential, such as "User01" or "Domain01\User01". The parameter name
("Credential") is optional.
When you submit the command, you are prompted for a password.
Starting in Windows PowerShell 3.0, if you enter a user name without a domain, Get-Credential no longer
inserts a backslash before the name.
If you omit this parameter, you are prompted for a user name and a password.
Required? true
Position? 1
Default value None
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Message <String>
Specifies a message that appears in the authentication prompt.
This parameter is designed for use in a function or script. You can use the message to explain to the user why
you are requesting credentials and how they will be used.
This parameter is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.
Required? true
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
-UserName <String>
Specifies a user name. The authentication prompt requests a password for the user name. By default, the user
name is blank and the authentication prompt requests both a user name and password.
When the authentication prompt appears in a dialog box, the user can edit the specified user name. However,
the user cannot change the user name when the prompt appears at the command line. When using this parameter in
a shared function or script, consider all possible presentations.
This parameter is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.
Required? false
Position? 1
Default value None (blank)
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters? false
<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (
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).
INPUTS
None
You cannot pipe input to this cmdlet.
OUTPUTS
System.Management.Automation.PSCredential
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Get-Credential returns a credential object.
NOTES
You can use the PSCredential object that Get-Credential creates in cmdlets that request user authentication,
such as those with a Credential parameter.
By default, the authentication prompt appears in a dialog box. To display the authentication prompt at the
command line, add the ConsolePrompting registry entry
(HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\ConsolePrompting) and set its value to True. If the
ConsolePrompting registry entry does not exist or if its value is False, the authentication prompt appears in
a dialog box. For instructions, see the examples.
The ConsolePrompting registry entry works in the Windows PowerShell console, but it does not work in all host
programs. For example, it has no effect in the Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE). For
information about the effect of the ConsolePrompting registry entry, see the help topics for the host program.
The Credential parameter is not supported by all providers that are installed with Windows PowerShell.
Beginning in Windows PowerShell 3.0, it is supported on selected cmdlet, such as the Get-WmiObject and
New-PSDrive cmdlets.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------
PS C:\>$c = Get-Credential
This command gets a credential object and saves it in the $c variable.
When you enter the command, a dialog box appears requesting a user name and password. When you enter the requested
information, the cmdlet creates a PSCredential object representing the credentials of the user and saves it in the
$c variable.
You can use the object as input to cmdlets that request user authentication, such as those with a Credential
parameter. However, some providers that are installed with Windows PowerShell do not support the Credential
parameter.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------
PS C:\>$c = Get-Credential
PS C:\>Get-WmiObject Win32_DiskDrive -ComputerName Server01 -Credential $c
These commands use a credential object that the Get-Credential cmdlet returns to authenticate a user on a remote
computer so they can use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to manage the computer.
The first command gets a credential object and saves it in the $c variable. The second command uses the credential
object in a Get-WmiObject command. This command gets information about the disk drives on the Server01 computer.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------
PS C:\>Get-WmiObject Win32_BIOS -ComputerName Server01 -Credential (Get-Credential -Credential Domain01\User01)
This command shows how to include a Get-Credential command in a Get-WmiObject command.
This command uses the Get-WmiObject cmdlet to get information about the BIOS on the Server01 computer. It uses
the Credential parameter to authenticate the user, Domain01\User01, and a Get-Credential command as the value of
the Credential parameter.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------
PS C:\>$c = Get-Credential -credential User01
PS C:\>$c.Username
\User01
This example creates a credential that includes a user name without a domain name. It demonstrates that
Get-Credential inserts a backslash before the user name.
The first command gets a credential with the user name User01 and stores it in the $c variable.
The second command displays the value of the Username property of the resulting credential object.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------
PS C:\>$Credential = $host.ui.PromptForCredential("Need credentials", "Please enter your user name and password.",
"", "NetBiosUserName")
This command uses the PromptForCredential method to prompt the user for their user name and password. The command
saves the resulting credentials in the $Credential variable.
The PromptForCredential method is an alternative to using the Get-Credential cmdlet. When you use
PromptForCredential, you can specify the caption, messages, and user name that appear in the message box.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 6 --------------------------
PS C:\>Set-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds" -Name ConsolePrompting -Value $true
This example shows how to modify the registry so that the user is prompted at the command line, instead of by
using a dialog box.
The command creates the ConsolePrompting registry entry and sets its value to True. To run this command, start
Windows PowerShell with the "Run as administrator" option.
To use a dialog box for prompting, set the value of the ConsolePrompting to false ($false) or use the
Remove-ItemProperty cmdlet to delete it.
The ConsolePrompting registry entry works in some host programs, such as the Windows PowerShell console. It might
not work in all host programs.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 7 --------------------------
The first command saves the user account name in the $User parameter. The value must have the "Domain\User" or
"ComputerName\User" format.
PS C:\>$User = "Domain01\User01"
The second command uses the ConvertTo-SecureString cmdlet to create a secure string from a plain text password.
The command uses the AsPlainText parameter to indicate that the string is plain text and the Force parameter to
confirm that you understand the risks of using plain text.
PS C:\>$PWord = ConvertTo-SecureString –String "P@sSwOrd" –AsPlainText -Force
The third command uses the New-Object cmdlet to create a PSCredential object from the values in the $User and
$PWord variables.
PS C:\>$Credential = New-Object –TypeName System.Management.Automation.PSCredential –ArgumentList $User, $PWord
This example shows how to create a credential object that is identical to the object that Get-Credential returns
without prompting the user. This method requires a plain text password, which might violate the security standards
in some enterprises.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 8 --------------------------
PS C:\>Get-Credential -Message "Credential are required for access to the \\Server1\Scripts file share." -User
Server01\PowerUsers
Windows PowerShell Credential Request
Credential are required for access to the \\Server1\Scripts file share.
Password for user ntdev\juneb:
This command uses the Message and UserName parameters of the Get-Credential cmdlet. This command format is
designed for shared scripts and functions. In this case, the message tells the user why credentials are needed and
gives them confidence that the request is legitimate.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 9 --------------------------
PS C:\>Invoke-Command -ComputerName Server01 {Get-Credential Domain01\User02}
Windows PowerShell Credential Request : Windows PowerShell Credential Request
Warning: This credential is being requested by a script or application on the SERVER01 remote computer. Enter your
credentials only if you
trust the remote computer and the application or script requesting it.
Enter your credentials.
Password for user Domain01\User02: ***************
PSComputerName : Server01
RunspaceId : 422bdf52-9886-4ada-ab2f-130497c6777f
PSShowComputerName : True
UserName : Domain01\User01
Password : System.Security.SecureString
This command gets a credential from the Server01 remote computer. The command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to
run a Get-Credential command on the remote computer. The output shows the remote security message that
Get-Credential includes in the authentication prompt.
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