Script error - Send an email

PowerShell Help
1

Hi,

I need to found a monitoring solution in order to run a script that reports new updates available on the WSUS Server.

Scripts are executed locally.

It works on 49 serveurs, but there’s one that gives me a hard time.

I get this error message.

Exception calling “Send” with “1” argument(s): “Failure to send the mail.”
At C:\Temp\script_notif.ps1:172 char:7

  • $smtp.Send($msg)
  • CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:slight_smile: , MethodInvocationException
  • FullyQualifiedErrorId : SmtpException

Do you have any idea ?

Thank you for your help.

<span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #ff8000">#########################################################
#                                                       #
# Monitoring Windows Updates and Pending Restarts       #
#                                                       #
#########################################################

#########################################################
# List of computers to be monitored
#########################################################
</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Servers </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"10.254.x.x"

</span><span style="color: #ff8000">#########################################################
# List of users who will receive the report
#########################################################
</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$mailto </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"x"

</span><span style="color: #ff8000">#########################################################
# SMTP properties
#########################################################
</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$emailFrom </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"x"
</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$smtpServer </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"x" </span><span style="color: #ff8000">#SMTP Server. 
#$smtpUsername = "myUsername"
#$smtpPassword = "myPassword"

</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$results </span><span style="color: #007700">= foreach (</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Computer in $Servers</span><span style="color: #007700">) 
{ 
    </span><span style="color: #0000bb">try 
      </span><span style="color: #007700">{ 
          </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$service </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">Get</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">WmiObject Win32_Service </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Filter </span><span style="color: #dd0000">'Name="wuauserv"' </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">ComputerName $Computer </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Ea 0
        $WUStartMode </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$service</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">StartMode
        $WUState </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$service</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">State
        $WUStatus </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$service</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Status
      
        try</span><span style="color: #007700">{
            if (</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Test</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Connection </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">ComputerName $Computer </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Count 1 </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Quiet</span><span style="color: #007700">)
            { 
                </span><span style="color: #ff8000">#check if the server is the same where this script is running
                </span><span style="color: #007700">if(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Computer </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">eq </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"$env:computername.$env:userdnsdomain"</span><span style="color: #007700">)
                {
                    </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$UpdateSession </span><span style="color: #007700">= New-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Object </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">ComObject Microsoft</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Update</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Session
                </span><span style="color: #007700">}
                else { </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$UpdateSession </span><span style="color: #007700">= [</span><span style="color: #0000bb">activator</span><span style="color: #007700">]::</span><span style="color: #0000bb">CreateInstance</span><span style="color: #007700">([</span><span style="color: #0000bb">type</span><span style="color: #007700">]::</span><span style="color: #0000bb">GetTypeFromProgID</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #dd0000">"Microsoft.Update.Session"</span><span style="color: #007700">,</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Computer</span><span style="color: #007700">)) }
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$UpdateSearcher </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$UpdateSession</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">CreateUpdateSearcher</span><span style="color: #007700">()
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$SearchResult </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$UpdateSearcher</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Search</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #dd0000">"IsAssigned=1 and IsHidden=0 and IsInstalled=0"</span><span style="color: #007700">)
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Critical </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$SearchResult</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">updates </span><span style="color: #007700">| </span><span style="color: #0000bb">where </span><span style="color: #007700">{ </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$_</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">MsrcSeverity </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">eq </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"Critical" </span><span style="color: #007700">}
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$important </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$SearchResult</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">updates </span><span style="color: #007700">| </span><span style="color: #0000bb">where </span><span style="color: #007700">{ </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$_</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">MsrcSeverity </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">eq </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"Important" </span><span style="color: #007700">}
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$other </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$SearchResult</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">updates </span><span style="color: #007700">| </span><span style="color: #0000bb">where </span><span style="color: #007700">{ </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$_</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">MsrcSeverity </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">eq $null </span><span style="color: #007700">}
                </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># Get windows updates counters
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">= $(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$SearchResult</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">updates</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">count</span><span style="color: #007700">)
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalCriticalUp </span><span style="color: #007700">= $(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Critical</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">count</span><span style="color: #007700">)
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalImportantUp </span><span style="color: #007700">= $(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Important</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">count</span><span style="color: #007700">)
                
                if(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">gt 0</span><span style="color: #007700">)
                {
                    </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$updatesToInstall </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$true
                </span><span style="color: #007700">}
                else { </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$updatesToInstall </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$false </span><span style="color: #007700">}
            }
            else
            {
                </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># if cannot connected to the server the updates are listed as not defined
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"nd"
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalCriticalUp </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"nd"
                </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalImportantUp </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"nd"
            </span><span style="color: #007700">}
        }
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">catch 
        </span><span style="color: #007700">{ 
            </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># if an error occurs the updates are listed as not defined
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">Write</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Warning </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"$Computer`: $_" 
             </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"nd"
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalCriticalUp </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"nd"
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalImportantUp </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"nd"
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$updatesToInstall </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$false
        </span><span style="color: #007700">}
  
        </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># Querying WMI for build version 
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WMI_OS </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">Get</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">WmiObject </span><span style="color: #007700">-Class </span><span style="color: #0000bb">Win32_OperatingSystem </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Property BuildNumber</span><span style="color: #007700">, </span><span style="color: #0000bb">CSName </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">ComputerName $Computer </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Authentication PacketPrivacy </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Impersonation Impersonate

        </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># Making registry connection to the local/remote computer 
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegCon </span><span style="color: #007700">= [</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Microsoft</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Win32</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">RegistryKey</span><span style="color: #007700">]::</span><span style="color: #0000bb">OpenRemoteBaseKey</span><span style="color: #007700">([</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Microsoft</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Win32</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">RegistryHive</span><span style="color: #007700">]</span><span style="color: #dd0000">"LocalMachine"</span><span style="color: #007700">,</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$Computer</span><span style="color: #007700">) 
         
        </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># If Vista/2008 & Above query the CBS Reg Key 
        </span><span style="color: #007700">If (</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WMI_OS</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">BuildNumber </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">ge 6001</span><span style="color: #007700">) 
        { 
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegSubKeysCBS </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegCon</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">OpenSubKey</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #dd0000">"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\"</span><span style="color: #007700">).</span><span style="color: #0000bb">GetSubKeyNames</span><span style="color: #007700">() 
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$CBSRebootPend </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegSubKeysCBS </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">contains </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"RebootPending" 
        </span><span style="color: #007700">}
        else{
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$CBSRebootPend </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$false
        </span><span style="color: #007700">}
           
        </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># Query WUAU from the registry 
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegWUAU </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegCon</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">OpenSubKey</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #dd0000">"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update\"</span><span style="color: #007700">) 
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegSubKeysWUAU </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegWUAU</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">GetSubKeyNames</span><span style="color: #007700">() 
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WUAURebootReq </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegSubKeysWUAU </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">contains </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"RebootRequired" 
        
        </span><span style="color: #007700">If(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$CBSRebootPend –OR $WUAURebootReq</span><span style="color: #007700">)
        {
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$machineNeedsRestart </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$true
        </span><span style="color: #007700">}
        else
        {
            </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$machineNeedsRestart </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$false
        </span><span style="color: #007700">}
         
        </span><span style="color: #ff8000"># Closing registry connection 
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$RegCon</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Close</span><span style="color: #007700">() 
        
        if(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$machineNeedsRestart </span><span style="color: #007700">-or </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$updatesToInstall </span><span style="color: #007700">-or (</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WUStartMode </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">eq </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"Manual"</span><span style="color: #007700">) -or (</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">eq </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"nd"</span><span style="color: #007700">))
        {
            New-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Object PSObject </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Property </span><span style="color: #007700">@{
                   </span><span style="color: #0000bb">Computer </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WMI_OS</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">CSName 
                WindowsUpdateStatus </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WUStartMode </span><span style="color: #007700">+ </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"/" </span><span style="color: #007700">+ </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WUState </span><span style="color: #007700">+ </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"/" </span><span style="color: #007700">+ </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$WUStatus 
                UpdatesToInstall </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$updatesToInstall 
                TotalOfUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalUpdates  
                TotalOfCriticalUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalCriticalUp 
                TotalOfImportantUpdates </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$totalImportantUp
                RebootPending </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$machineNeedsRestart
            </span><span style="color: #007700">}
        }
      }
    </span><span style="color: #0000bb">Catch 
     </span><span style="color: #007700">{ 
        </span><span style="color: #0000bb">Write</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Warning </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"$Computer`: $_" 
      </span><span style="color: #007700">}
}

</span><span style="color: #ff8000">#########################################################
# Formating result
#########################################################
</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$tableFragment </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$results </span><span style="color: #007700">| </span><span style="color: #0000bb">ConvertTo</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">HTML </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">fragment

</span><span style="color: #ff8000"># HTML Format for Output 
</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$HTMLmessage </span><span style="color: #007700">= @</span><span style="color: #dd0000">"
<font color=""black"" face=""Arial"" size=""3"">
<h1 style='font-family:arial;'><b>Rapport des majs en attentes et/ou d'un redemarrage en attente</b>
</h1>
<p style='font: .8em ""Lucida Grande"", Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;'>Ce rapport a été 
généré car il y a des updates en attentes d'installation et/ou d'un reboot en attente sur ce 
serveur. Merci de suivre la procédure : http://doc4tme.all4it.local/doku.php/clients/a4i_it/system/
majs_4cliwinrdpgwa .</p>
<br><br>
<style type=""text/css"">body{font: .8em ""Lucida Grande"", Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}
ol{margin:0;}
table{width:80%;}
thead{}
thead th{font-size:120%;text-align:left;}
th{border-bottom:2px solid rgb(79,129,189);border-top:2px solid rgb(79,129,189);padding-bottom:10px;
padding-top:10px;}
tr{padding:10px 10px 10px 10px;border:none;}
#middle{background-color:#900;}
</style>
<body BGCOLOR=""white"">
$tableFragment
</body>
"</span><span style="color: #007700">@


</span><span style="color: #ff8000">#########################################################
# Validation and sending email
#########################################################
# Regular expression to get what's inside of <td>'s
</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$regexsubject </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$HTMLmessage
$regex </span><span style="color: #007700">= [</span><span style="color: #0000bb">regex</span><span style="color: #007700">] </span><span style="color: #dd0000">'(?im)<td>'

</span><span style="color: #ff8000"># If you have data between <td>'s then you need to send the email
</span><span style="color: #007700">if (</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$regex</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">IsMatch</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$regexsubject</span><span style="color: #007700">)) {
     </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$smtp </span><span style="color: #007700">= New-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Object Net</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Mail</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">SmtpClient </span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">ArgumentList $smtpServer 
      </span><span style="color: #ff8000">#$smtp.credentials = New-Object System.Net.NetworkCredential($smtpUsername, $smtpPassword); 
      </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$msg </span><span style="color: #007700">= New-</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Object Net</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Mail</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">MailMessage
     $msg</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">From </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$emailFrom
     $msg</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">To</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Add</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$mailto</span><span style="color: #007700">)
     </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$msg</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Subject </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #dd0000">"Update et/ou reboot en attente sur $computer"
     </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$msg</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">IsBodyHTML </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$true
     $msg</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Body </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000bb">$HTMLmessage    
      $smtp</span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #0000bb">Send</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000bb">$msg</span><span style="color: #007700">)   
}</span>
</span>
2

If it works on 49 servers, but not one, surely this points to the issue being local to that server not to the script?

Looking at the error, it states it failed to send the mail, so i’d start with looking at the SMTP relay configuration first (checking that the single failed server can reach\access it), then stepping out to firewall rules etc.

Start with simple SMTP testing from that single server to elimate networking issues:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/mail-flow/test-smtp-with-telnet?view=exchserver-2019

3

Thank you for your answer.

Yes, it is a local problem, because it is the same script for all servers.

The port to the SMTP relay is open.

What should I look for in the firewall?

4

Without knowing the environment, difficult to say. These would be my first troubleshooting steps…

  • Is the troublesome host on a different network/vlan to the others?
  • If so, are there any rules preventing source traffic from the troublesome host on the main router/core switch/gateway etc
  • Can you access the SMTP server using the guidance notes I sent above from the troublesome host?
 
5

Thanks for the feedback.

We checked the PowerShell version and the framework.
Everything’s fine on that side.

The same goes for the firewall.

Until my colleague looks at the script in question and realizes that the @ip is not the one of the SMTP gateway.

Beginner’s mistake.
The problem is solved.

Have a great weekend to you.

6

Did you know the mailing functionality is built in WSUS?

If you want to configure it on multiple computers, you can use the PoshWSUS module from the PowerShell Gallery.
It contains a cmdlet named Set-PSWSUSEmailConfig which allows you to configure your WSUS notifications.