Save Credentials to File in PowerShell

• Ben Liebowitz
• September 12, 2022September 20, 2022
• 1
• 12058

Have you ever wanted to schedule a script to run overnight but need to pass secure credentials? You may do it once in open-text, but after that you say to yourself… There has to be a more secure way! Well, you were right!

See how I saved my credentials to a file to use later. Remember, you need to remember to update this each time your password changes!

First, we need to store the credentials in a variable. I’m using the variable $creds (short for credentials).

$creds = get-credential

Now, you can export those credentials to a file.

$creds | Export-Clixml -Path C:\ben\ben.cred

If you open the .cred file, you’ll see the password is ENCRYPTED and not stored in open text.

<Objs Version="1.1.0.1" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04">
  <Obj RefId="0">
    <TN RefId="0">
      <T>System.Management.Automation.PSCredential</T>
      <T>System.Object</T>
    </TN>
    <ToString>System.Management.Automation.PSCredential</ToString>
    <Props>
      <S N="UserName">LAB\ben</S>
      <SS N="Password">01000000d08c9ddf0115d1118c7a00c04fc297eb01000000bd02a1a498abfe478b7d44a850d6382b0000000702000000000003660000c000000010000000ebd4a492452b1a9945a94b622931f13200000000a4800000a0000000100000003cc11af92858c65696e1333a743f864d300000006fed165160a77598d7bc53u3dfd28684b47402712c21f2cefd2435h12e7fef1d87ccce0eac554573d30c9b629ec89f5883140000007d1ddc030547677827ddc39cba02eb8fb969d9a1</SS>
    </Props>
  </Obj>
</Objs>

Now, whenever you want to call on these credentials in a script or just in a PS window, you can just do this.

$creds = Import-Clixml -Path C:\ben\ben.cred

Connect-VIServer vcsa.lab.local -credentials $creds

Of course, you can also use the New-VICredentialStoreItem cmdlet to save your credentials for that target.

New-VICredentialStoreItem -Host vcsa.lab.local -User lab\ben -Password ********

Now, whenever you want to connect to your vCenter, you don’t have to pass credentials, as they’re stored in the PowerCLI Credential Store.

Connect-VIServer vcsa.lab.local

I hope this helps someone!

Ben Liebowitz, VCP, vExpert
NJ VMUG Leader