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Asked: 2026-06-05T20:32:57+00:00

I have a powershell script that will generate an email for users whose password

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I have a powershell script that will generate an email for users whose password will expire in <=10 days. The email is formatted into HTML, but I want to change the font color of one sentence to red to call attention to it. However, I’m having a problem with the quotation marks around the html code. If I use double quotes powershell outputs the literal message and gives an error message with single quotes. Is there a way to use multiple font colors in a powershell email?

Here is the code I’m using currently. I’ll also add this is my first attempt at a script in powershell so if I’m doing things the long way I’m open to some input.

    # Import ActiveDirectory module for Powershell V2 AD cmdlets
    import-module activedirectory
    # Uncomment the following line to include optional cmdlets included with Exchange  2010 schema changes. No such cmdlets are included in this script
    # add-pssnapin microsoft.exchange.management.powershell.e2010 

    #Import the maximum password age from Active Directory GPO policy from domain
    $maxdays=(Get-ADDefaultDomainPasswordPolicy).MaxPasswordAge.TotalDays
    $date = date

    # Simple HTML Message to format body of email. Body is broken up into four parts for appearance and for easy function insertion into message.
    $body1 +=   "<html><body><br> Your network password will expire in "
    $body2 +=   " day(s).</body><html>"
    $body3 +=   "<html><body><br>Employees of Organization, when you receive this email please visit https://scriptlogic/iisadmpwd/aexp2b.asp to reset your network password."
    $body3 +=   "<br>If you are <font color =""#99000"">not employed by Organization</font>, please visit https://gateway.organization.org to reset your network password using our Citrix website."
    $body3 +=   "<br>If you need assistance resetting your password, please contact the Ibformation Service Department at 867-5309"
    $body3 +=   "<br>If you have a portable device, smart phone, etc. that you use to access the Network the new password will need to be updated on these devices also."
    $body3 +=   "<br><br>Thank you,"
    $body3 +=   "<br> IS Department"
    $body3 +=   "<br><img src='P:\Documents\PowerShell\Scripts\password\logo.jpg' alt='logo'/>"
    $body3 +=   "<br><br><hr>"
    $body3 +=   "From <b> IS Department</b>"
    $body3 +=   "<br>The information contained in this e-mail and any accompanying documents is confidential, may be privileged, and is intended solely for the person and/or entity to whom it is"
    $body3 +=   "<br>addressed (i.e. those identified in the <b> To: </b> and <b> cc:</b> box). They are the property of this organization. Unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or copying of this"
    $body3 +=   "<br>communication, or any part thereof, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.  The IT Department thanks you for your cooperation.<br>"
    $body4 +=   "<br><hr><br></body></html>"

    # Combine body segments into string for display
    $bod1y=$body1 | out-string 
    $body2=$body2 | out-string 
    $body3=$body3 | out-string 
    $body4=$body4 | out-string 

    #Gather ADusers which are enabled, password is set not set to never expire and all properties of user object. *Note Extension Attributes will not show up unless they are populated.
    (Get-ADUser -filter {(Enabled -eq "True") -and (PasswordNeverExpires -eq "False")} -properties *) | Sort-Object pwdLastSet |

    #Loop to validate password age of each account and generate email. Emails to non-domain addresses are generated based on extensionattribute1 and extensionattribute2. 
    #Active Directory is pre-populated with the user address as extensionattribute1 and domain information in extensionattribute2. For example, johndoe = extensionattribute1
    # gmail.com = extensionattribute2.
    foreach-object {
    $lastset=Get-Date([System.DateTime]::FromFileTimeUtc($_.pwdLastSet))
    $expires=$lastset.AddDays($maxdays).ToShortDateString()
    $daystoexpire=[math]::round((New-TimeSpan -Start $(Get-Date) -End $expires).TotalDays)
    $samname=$_.samaccountname
    $firstname=$_.GivenName
    $lastname=$_.SN
    $extensionattribute1=$_.extensionattribute1
    $extensionattribute2=$_.extensionattribute2
    $recipient="$extensionattribute1@$extensionattribute2"
                if (($daystoexpire -ge 1) -and ($daystoexpire -le 10)) {
                $ThereAreExpiring=$true

                $email = @{
                to = "$recipient" 
                from = 'IS_Notifications@org.org'
                subject = "$firstname $lastname your network password will expire in $daystoexpire day(s)"
                body = "$firstname $lastname" +  " $body1" + "$daystoexpire" + "$body2" + "$body3" + "$date" + "$body4"
                smtpserver = 'smtp.server.org'
                # attachments = "p:\documents\citrix\citrix_password_reset.doc"
            }
        Send-MailMessage @email  -BodyAsHTML
        }

}`

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    Have you looked at the “here string” feature of Powershell? There is a technet article that discusses the feature. I use them all of the time for strings that are templates for stuff.

    I like to use c#-style placeholders like {0} in such templates. This allows for fancy formatting of dates and currency. (I am using a ‘fancy’ date format in my example.)

    Using a template with placeholders also means I don’t have to remember to concatenate strings together in a particular order or keep in mind where stuff like $firstname has to go within those concatenizations. It’s also supposed to be more easily internationalized, but I’ve never done that.

    Here is a quickie example, you would need to integrate it into your looping logic.

    # first, stick the template into a variable for later use. Use a "here string" for ease of formatting and editting.
$bodyTemplate = @"
{0} {1}
<html><body><br> Your network password will expire in {2} day(s).</body><html>
<html><body><br>Employees of Organization, when you receive this email please visit https://scriptlogic/iisadmpwd/aexp2b.asp to reset your network password.
<br>If you are <font color =""#99000"">not employed by Organization</font>, please visit https://gateway.organization.org to reset your network password using our Citrix website.
<br>If you need assistance resetting your password, please contact the Ibformation Service Department at 867-5309
<br>If you have a portable device, smart phone, etc. that you use to access the Network the new password will need to be updated on these devices also.
<br><br>Thank you,
<br> IS Department
<br><img src='P:\Documents\PowerShell\Scripts\password\logo.jpg' alt='logo'/>
<br><br><hr>
From <b> IS Department</b>
<br>The information contained in this e-mail and any accompanying documents is confidential, may be privileged, and is intended solely for the person and/or entity to whom it is
<br>addressed (i.e. those identified in the <b> To: </b> and <b> cc:</b> box). They are the property of this organization. Unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or copying of this
communication, or any part thereof, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.  The IT Department thanks you for your cooperation.<br>
{3:D}
<br><hr><br></body></html>
"@

# Now, loop through your users, calculate $DaysUntilExpiry, test the value and build the email to be sent
# I'm just making up some dumb values here
$daystoexpire = 42 # or whatever
$firstname =  "George"
$lastname = "Washington"
$date = date

# using the template, stick the appropriate values into place and store that in a variable for convenience
$body = $bodyTemplate -f $firstname, $lastname, $daystoexpire, $date

# do whatever we want with $body
write-host $body
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