---
description: |
  The `winrm` communicator establishes a WinRM connection, letting Packer upload files or execute scripts on the machine it creates. 
page_title: Establish a WinRM Connection
---

# Establish a WinRM Connection

This topic describes how to use the `winrm` communicator to establish a WinRM connection to the machine it creates so that Packer can perform actions, such as upload files and execute scripts.

## Introduction 

Communicators are the mechanism Packer uses to upload files, execute scripts,
etc. with the machine being created. The `winrm` communicator uses the
Windows Remote Management protocol to do this.

## Getting Ready to Use the `winrm` Communicator

The `winrm` communicator is not the default communicator, so you will always have
to set the `"communicator": "winrm",` template option explicitly. In addition,
you will almost always have to provide a pre-run script that enables and
configures WinRM on the guest machine. This will generally be in the form of a
PowerShell script or a batch file.

If you are building from a brand-new and unconfigured operating system
image, you will need to provide this pre-run script as part of your
Autounattend.xml file, required by Windows for automatic operating system
installation. If you are building in a cloud or from a pre-installed image, your
method for providing this pre-run script will vary based on the builder. Please
refer to each builder's documentation for more information on how to supply the
winrm configuration script.

If you are unfamiliar with how to use an autounattend file, take a look at our
[quick guides](/packer/guides/automatic-operating-system-installs); knowing
how to automatically initalize your operating system is critical for being able
to successfully use Packer to build from an iso.

## `winrm` Communicator Options

@include "packer-plugin-sdk/communicator/WinRM-not-required.mdx"

## Examples

### Basics of WinRM Connection

Please note that WinRM is not a Packer-specific protocol. Microsoft has a great
deal of documentation about WinRM. If you find after reading this guide that
you are still not able to connect via WinRM, check the
[Microsoft documentation](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/winrm/installation-and-configuration-for-windows-remote-management)
to make sure there isn't anything you're missing.

There are some steps that you will normally need to take in order for Packer
to be able to connect via WinRM

1. Set up a username and password that Packer to connect with.
2. Make any necesary registry edits to enable remote execution
   (and remote execution with elevated privileges, if needed)
3. Start WinRM, setting any config needed for allowing basic auth
4. Open ports 5985 and/or 5986 depending on how you're connecting
5. launch WinRM and set it to automatically launch when the computer restarts
6. If necessary, generate a self-signed certificate or provide a real certificate
   to the WinRM listener.

#### Configuring WinRM in VMware

If you are configuring WinRM using an Autounattend.xml, the simplest way to set
up WinRM is to put the configuration commands directly into the Autounattend
file as shown [here](https://github.com/StefanScherer/packer-windows/blob/6e603e904e9b280eeb97f7eb542940a043954112/answer_files/2008_r2_core/Autounattend.xml#L157-L234)

Instead of entering each line individually, you can also add a batch file to
your autounattend that contains the commands for configuring winrm. Depending
on your winrm setup, this could be a complex batch file, or a very simple one.

Below is an example of how we would call a batch file from inside the
Autounattend file.

```xml
<FirstLogonCommands>
  ...
  <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
      <CommandLine>cmd.exe /c a:\winrmConfig.bat</CommandLine>
      <Description>Configure WinRM</Description>
      <Order>3</Order>
      <RequiresUserInput>true</RequiresUserInput>
  </SynchronousCommand>
  ...
</FirstLogonCommands>
```

It is also possible to call PowerShell scripts in a similar manner.

The winrmConfig.bat referenced above can be as simple as

```powershell
rem basic config for winrm
cmd.exe /c winrm quickconfig -q

rem allow unencrypted traffic, and configure auth to use basic username/password auth
cmd.exe /c winrm set winrm/config/service @{AllowUnencrypted="true"}
cmd.exe /c winrm set winrm/config/service/auth @{Basic="true"}

rem update firewall rules to open the right port and to allow remote administration
cmd.exe /c netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="remote administration" new enable=yes

rem restart winrm
cmd.exe /c net stop winrm
cmd.exe /c net start winrm
```

Please note that the above batch file is _extremely_ simplistic, and not secure.
It is intended to be an example of the bare minimum configuration. Below, you'll
find a more complicated example of a more secure WinRM configuration process.

This batch file will only work for HTTP connections, not HTTPS, but will enable
you to connect using only the username and password created earlier in the
Autounattend file. The above batchfile will allow you to connect using a very
simple Packer config:

```json
        "communicator": "winrm",
        "winrm_username": "packeruser",
        "winrm_password": "SecretPassword"
```

A more complex example of a PowerShell script used for configuration can be seen
below.

```powershell
# A Packer config that works with this example would be:
#
#
#    "winrm_username": "Administrator",
#    "winrm_password": "SuperS3cr3t!!!",
#    "winrm_insecure": true,
#    "winrm_use_ssl": true
#
#

# Create username and password
net user Administrator SuperS3cr3t!!!
wmic useraccount where "name='Administrator'" set PasswordExpires=FALSE

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope LocalMachine -Force -ErrorAction Ignore

# Don't set this before Set-ExecutionPolicy as it throws an error
$ErrorActionPreference = "stop"

# Remove HTTP listener
Remove-Item -Path WSMan:\Localhost\listener\listener* -Recurse

# Create a self-signed certificate to let ssl work
$Cert = New-SelfSignedCertificate -CertstoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\My -DnsName "packer"
New-Item -Path WSMan:\LocalHost\Listener -Transport HTTPS -Address * -CertificateThumbPrint $Cert.Thumbprint -Force

# WinRM
write-output "Setting up WinRM"
write-host "(host) setting up WinRM"

# Configure WinRM to allow unencrypted communication, and provide the
# self-signed cert to the WinRM listener.
cmd.exe /c winrm quickconfig -q
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/service" '@{AllowUnencrypted="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/client" '@{AllowUnencrypted="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/service/auth" '@{Basic="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/client/auth" '@{Basic="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/service/auth" '@{CredSSP="true"}'
cmd.exe /c winrm set "winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS" "@{Port=`"5986`";Hostname=`"packer`";CertificateThumbprint=`"$($Cert.Thumbprint)`"}"

# Make sure appropriate firewall port openings exist
cmd.exe /c netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="remote administration" new enable=yes
cmd.exe /c netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Port 5986" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=5986 profile=any

# Restart WinRM, and set it so that it auto-launches on startup.
cmd.exe /c net stop winrm
cmd.exe /c sc config winrm start= auto
cmd.exe /c net start winrm
```

Please note that having WinRM auto-launch on all start ups may not be the right
choice for you, if you don't need the server to recieve WinRM connections in the
future. Clean up after yourself and close unnecesary firewall ports at a final
provisioning step to make sure your image is secure.

#### Configuring WinRM in the Cloud

Most clouds allow you to provide a configuration script that runs when the
instance is launched. In AWS, this is the
[user_data_file](/packer/plugins/builders/amazon/ebs#user_data_file). In Google
Cloud, this is provided using the `windows-startup-script-cmd`
[metadata](/packer/plugins/builders/googlecompute#metadata) tag.
[Example](/packer/plugins/builders/googlecompute#windows-example)

Essentially, these files are powershell or cmd scripts that configure winrm,
without having to be wrapped in an Autounattend. Provide the script in the
format requested by each cloud, and make sure you manually configure any
firewall rules that the cloud doesn't allow you to manage internally. More
specific details for each cloud can be found in the builder sections.

The above examples will work in cloud prep too, but may be overkill depending on
how much preconfiguration the cloud has done for you.
