Download files from SFTP server using PowerShell

Question

I need to download files from SFTP server to a local machine using a PowerShell script.

The API/library that will be used for the download needs to be able to monitor results of the transfer, log the transfer, and also to archive/move the downloaded files.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

There's no SFTP support in PowerShell or .NET framework. So you have to use an external SFTP library.

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One possibility (which you have tagged yourself in your question) is WinSCP .NET assembly. There's an article on using WinSCP from PowerShell.

There's even a code example in PowerShell for SFTP download:

try
{
    # Load WinSCP .NET assembly
    Add-Type -Path "WinSCPnet.dll"
 
    # Setup session options
    $sessionOptions = New-Object WinSCP.SessionOptions -Property @{
        Protocol = [WinSCP.Protocol]::Sftp
        HostName = "example.com"
        UserName = "user"
        Password = "mypassword"
        SshHostKeyFingerprint = "ssh-rsa 2048 xxxxxxxxxxx...="
    }
 
    $session = New-Object WinSCP.Session
 
    try
    {
        # Connect
        $session.Open($sessionOptions)
 
        # Download files
        $transferOptions = New-Object WinSCP.TransferOptions
        $transferOptions.TransferMode = [WinSCP.TransferMode]::Binary
 
        $remotePath = "/home/user/*";
        $localPath = "d:\download\*";
        $transferResult =
            $session.GetFiles($remotePath, $localPath, $False, $transferOptions)
 
        # Throw on any error
        $transferResult.Check()
 
        # Print results
        foreach ($transfer in $transferResult.Transfers)
        {
            Write-Host "Download of $($transfer.FileName) succeeded"
        }
    }
    finally
    {
        # Disconnect, clean up
        $session.Dispose()
    }
 
    exit 0
}
catch [Exception]
{
    Write-Host "Error: $($_.Exception.Message)"
    exit 1
}

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WinSCP GUI can even generate a PowerShell SFTP download code, like the one above, for your specific session settings and transfer options:

• Login to your server with WinSCP GUI;
• Select the files for download in the remote file panel;
• Navigate to the target directory in the local file panel;
• Invoke the Download command;

• On the Transfer options dialog, go to Transfer Settings > Generate Code;
• On the Generate transfer code dialog, select the .NET assembly code tab; Choose PowerShell language.

(I'm the author of WinSCP)

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Another way is to invoke OpenSSH sftp (the one commonly used on Linux systems). OpenSSH comes built-in in recent versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11.