Run Powershell Script on Boot without being logged in

Question

have searched around but cant get this to work. I have as PS script that sends email on server boot. It works when I run it through a cmd file. I have setup a Task under Task Scheduler to run that cmd file and selected 'Run whether user is logged in or not' and also 'Run wit highest privileges'

When I restart the PC it doesnt run the script.

The script only gets run when I log in.

Any ideas please?

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When computer starts. Sent output to log as suggested get this:

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Exception calling "Send" with "4" argument(s): "Failure sending mail." At C:\\Users\\ravlo\\sendEmail.ps1:9 char:1 + $SMTPClient.Send($EmailFrom, $EmailTo, $Subject, $Body) + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : SmtpException

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Full Script is this:

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$EmailFrom = "x"
$EmailTo = "y"
$Subject = "SERVER JUST REBOOTED"
$Body = "z"
$SMTPServer = "smtp.gmail.com"
$SMTPClient = New-Object Net.Mail.SmtpClient($SmtpServer, 587)
$SMTPClient.EnableSsl = $true
$SMTPClient.Credentials = New-Object System.Net.NetworkCredential("emaillogin", "emailpwd");
$SMTPClient.Send($EmailFrom, $EmailTo, $Subject, $Body)

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Runs OK when I actually log in.

Answer 1

Can you test your mail server accessibility before you execute Send() ? You can add

if ((Test-NetConnection -ComputerName $SMTPServer -Port 25).TcpTestSucceeded) {
    $SMTPClient.Send($EmailFrom, $EmailTo, $Subject, $Body)
} else {
    Write-Output "SMTP Server not accessible"
}

If you have Windows Pro and higher, you can use Group Policy startup scripts in Computer configuration scope.