PowerShell - net use doesn't work - issue with variables

Question

I want to map a network resource remotely via net use.

This is my PowerShell code:

$user = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter Username"
$pw = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter Password" -AsSecureString
net use X: \\Server\dir1\dir2 /persistent:no /user:$user $pw

It works if I write my credentials instead of the variables.

But I need to read in the credentials.

Is there a way to use variables in the net use command?

Answer 1

As PetSerAl answered in a comment, you can remove -AsSecureString, but a better approach might be offering the security/niceness of getting the password in a secure manner (doesn't reveal password characters as you type), and only decrypting it when you need it for your variable.

$pw = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter Password" -AsSecureString

$BSTR = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($pw)
$UnsecurePassword = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto($BSTR)

Write-Output "UnsecurePassword is: $UnsecurePassword"

Note: answer adapted from: Convert a secure string to plain text