Create a file with the encrypted server password:
In Powershell, enter the following command (replace myPassword with your actual password):
"myPassword" | ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText -Force | ConvertFrom-SecureString | Out-File "C:\EmailPassword.txt"
Create a powershell script (Ex. sendEmail.ps1):
$User = "usernameForEmailPassword@gmail.com"
$File = "C:\EmailPassword.txt"
$cred=New-Object -TypeName System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -ArgumentList $User, (Get-Content $File | ConvertTo-SecureString)
$EmailTo = "emailTo@yahoo.com"
$EmailFrom = "emailFrom@gmail.com"
$Subject = "Email Subject"
$Body = "Email body text"
$SMTPServer = "smtp.gmail.com"
$filenameAndPath = "C:\fileIwantToSend.csv"
$SMTPMessage = New-Object System.Net.Mail.MailMessage($EmailFrom,$EmailTo,$Subject,$Body)
$attachment = New-Object System.Net.Mail.Attachment($filenameAndPath)
$SMTPMessage.Attachments.Add($attachment)
$SMTPClient = New-Object Net.Mail.SmtpClient($SmtpServer, 587)
$SMTPClient.EnableSsl = $true
$SMTPClient.Credentials = New-Object System.Net.NetworkCredential($cred.UserName, $cred.Password);
$SMTPClient.Send($SMTPMessage)
Automate with Task Scheduler:
Create a batch file (Ex. emailFile.bat) with the following:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -File C:\sendEmail.ps1
Create a task to run the batch file. Note: you must have the task run with the same user account that you used to encrypted the password! (Aka, probably the logged in user)
That’s all; you now have a way to automate and schedule sending an email and an attachment with Windows Task Scheduler and Powershell. No 3rd party software and the password is not stored as plain text (though granted, not terribly secure either).