How to use Set-ADUser in PowerShell

33 thoughts on “How to use Set-ADUser in PowerShell”

1. I am trying to add legacyExchangeDN as well as a few other msExch attributes. Below is my script based on attribute imports as well as the error.

   Import-Csv -Delimiter “;” -Path C:\Users\demerge\Documents\ADAttributes\Test\legacyexchangedn_test.csv | Foreach {
   # Find user
   $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)'”

   if ($ADUser){
   Set-ADUser -Identity $ADUser -legacyExchangeDN $_.legacyExchangeDN
   }else{
   Write-Warning (“Failed to update ” + $($_.name))
   }
   }

   ERROR:
   Get-ADUser : The search filter cannot be recognized
   At line:3 char:15
   + $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)'”
   + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-ADUser], ADException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryServer:8254,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.M
   anagement.Commands.GetADUser

   WARNING: Failed to update

2. Hi Rudy,
   Thank you for explaining every step clearly and for showing real-world examples.
   May I ask you to help me with a little task I am trying to complete?

   I need to update the following user attributes in AD – mail, mailNickname, adminDescription, adminDisplayName – for some users only using a .CSV file.

   Here are the steps I have done:

   1) Exported the redundand users into a .CSV
   get-aduser -filter * -SearchBase “OU=Redundant Users,OU=Company Users Not Active,DC=contoso,DC=local” -Properties * | select name, mail, mailNickname, adminDescription, adminDisplayName | export-csv -path c:\temp\export-disabled-users-only.csv
   2) Modified the file so each column has a value (at the moment, some users have the mailNickname and/or the adminDisplayName attributes empty).
   3) Used your script to update the values for the users and got a warning message:

   PS U:\> Import-Csv -Delimiter “,” -Path c:\temp\redundant_users_test.csv | Foreach {
   >> # Find user
   >> $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter {name -eq ‘$($_.name)’} -Properties mail,mailNickname,adminDescription,adminDisplayName
   >> if ($ADUser){
   >> if ($_.mail) {$ADUser.mail = $_.mail}
   >> if ($_.mailNickname) {$ADUser.mailNickname= $_.mailNickname}
   >> if ($_.adminDescription) {$ADUser.adminDescription= $_.adminDescription}
   >> if ($_.adminDisplayName) {$ADUser.adminDisplayName= $_.adminDisplayName}
   >> Set-ADUser -Instance $ADUser
   >> }else{
   >> Write-Warning (“Failed to update ” + $($_.name))
   >> }
   >> }
   WARNING: Failed to update %username%
   WARNING: Failed to update %username%
   WARNING: Failed to update %username%
   WARNING: Failed to update %username%
   WARNING: Failed to update %username%

   * %username% indicates an AD username from the .CSV file.

   What am I doing wrong?
   Please help! 🙂

   • It look likes you filter is wrong:

     # Change
     {name -eq ‘$($_.name)’}
     
     # To
     "name -eq '$($_.name)'"
     

     • Thank you for your reply.
       I now get this error message:

       Get-ADUser : Error parsing query: ‘name -eq ‘zwhite’’ Error Message: ‘syntax error’ at position: ’10’.
       At line:3 char:11
       + $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)’” -Properties mail …
       + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       + CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [Get-ADUser], ADFilterParsingException
       + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryCmdlet:Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADFilterParsingException,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.GetADUser

       The .CSV file has the following columns:
       Name,mailNickname,adminDescription,adminDisplayName

       Should I clear the mailNickname, the adminDescription, and the adminDisplayName values before trying to update them, or the script should just overwrite them with the values I put in the CSV?

       Thank you!
       🙂

       • Sorry, it should be :

         $persons.foreach{
             Get-ADUser -Filter 'name -eq "$($_.name)"' -Properties mail
         }
         

3. I’m trying to bulk update AD users Web Page field but keep getting the error below. Any ideas whats wrong?

   $csv = import-csv ‘C:\Temp\Web Profile\test3.csv’
   ForEach($User in $csv) {
   #Find User
   $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “displayname -eq ‘$($User.name)'” -Properties DisplayName

   if ($ADUser){
   Set-ADUser -Identity $ADUser -wWWHomePage $User.URL}
   Else{
   Write-Warning (“Failed to update ” + $($User.name)) }
   }

   Set-ADUser : Cannot convert ‘System.Object[]’ to the type ‘Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser’ required by parameter ‘Identity’. Specified method is not supported.
   At line:7 char:30
   + Set-ADUser -Identity $ADUser -wWWHomePage $User.URL}
   + ~~~~~~~
   + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-ADUser], ParameterBindingException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.SetADUser

   • The Get-ADUser line isn’t retrieving / finding the user. Check out this article for more information.

4. Hey guys,

   Any suggestions on how to bulk deploy EMS license tag [Lic:+EMS] in notes under Telephone Tab? from a csv list.

   Appreciate the inputs 🙂

5. Any ideas on why this is not working?

   PS C:\Windows\system32> Import-Csv -Path c:\temp\TestImport1.csv | Foreach {
   >> # Find user
   >> $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)'” -Properties DisplayName,Company
   >>
   >> if ($ADUser){
   >> Set-ADUser -Identity $ADUser -DisplayName $_.DisplayName -Company $_.Company
   >> }else{
   >> Write-Warning (“Failed to update ” + $($_.name))
   >> }
   >> }
   WARNING: Failed to update test.user
   WARNING: Failed to update test.user2
   WARNING: Failed to update test.user3

   • The code looks ok. First step is to check if $aduser returns anything, might be a mismatch with the name property

   • Yup you weree right. My first column with the AD User name was not found. I changed it to Name the Name in AD and it worked. Thanks for your help appreciate it.

6. Hi Thank for such a great resource. I have 200 Users that I need to change their office location in Active Directory
   this command works on an individual basis and it confirms I can put office instead of the attrubute “I” Set-ADUser -Identity etes -Office “Epsom”

   I have tried to amend your script so that I can change just the office attribute

   this is the amendment

   Import-Csv -Delimiter “;” -Path C:\Admins\ChangeAttributes\Attributechange.csv | Foreach {
   # Find user
   $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)'” -Properties -Office

   if ($ADUser){
   Set-ADUser -Identity $ADUser -Office $_.Epsom
   }else{
   Write-Warning (“Failed to update ” + $($_.name))
   }
   }

   and this is the error

   Get-ADUser : One or more properties are invalid.
   Parameter name: -Office
   At line:3 char:15
   + … $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)'” -Properties -O …
   + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Get-ADUser], ArgumentException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryCmdlet:System.ArgumentException,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.GetADUser

   WARNING: Failed to update
   Get-ADUser : One or more properties are invalid.
   Parameter name: -Office
   At line:3 char:15
   + … $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)'” -Properties -O …
   + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Get-ADUser], ArgumentException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryCmdlet:System.ArgumentException,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.GetADUser

   WARNING: Failed to update

   can see what i am doing wrong ?

   • Remove the – before office in the Get-Aduser:

     
# Find user
$ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “name -eq ‘$($_.name)'” -Properties Office


7. Hi everyone!
   I need your help with the script below witch now helping me to create bulk AD users.
   Now i need to do something else with it .
   I need to modifiy it to just update email adress and phone number and nothing more!
   Could you help me?
   Thank you!

   foreach ($User in $ADUsers)
   {

   $Username = $User.username
   $Password = $User.password
   $Firstname = $User.firstname
   $Lastname = $User.lastname
   $Department = $User.department
   $Description = $User.description
   $emailAddress = $User.email
   $OU = $User.ou
   $HomeDrive = $User.homefolder

   if (Get-ADUser -F {SamAccountName -eq $Username})
   {
   l
   Write-Warning “Contul userului $Allready exist.”
   }
   else
   {

   New-ADUser `
   -SamAccountName $Username `
   -UserPrincipalName “$Username@domain” `
   -Name “$Firstname $Lastname” `
   -GivenName $Firstname `
   -Surname $Lastname `
   -Enabled $True `
   -ChangePasswordAtLogon $False `
   -DisplayName “$Firstname $Lastname” `
   -Department $Department `
   -Description $Description `
   -EmailAddress $User.email `
   -Path $OU `
   -Homedrive “H:” `
   -HomeDirectory “path” `
   -HomePage $User.email `
   -HomePhone $User.email `
   -AccountPassword (convertto-securestring $Password -AsPlainText -Force)
   Add-ADGroupMember “group name” $User.username;
   if ( $Username -like ‘S*’)
   {
   Add-ADGroupMember “group name” $User.username;
   }
   }
   }

   • Have you seen this article?

8. I simply cant get it to work.

   I’m testing it with 1 person.
   This is the information im trying to add to Alena Kumel.
   It is created in a csv file.

   Name,Street,City,postalCode,Mobile,Title,Company
   Alena Kumel,Ramsherred 25,Aabenraa,6200,76106350,Underviser,Job&Dansk

   Here is my script:

   Import-Csv -Delimiter “,” -Path C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\test.csv | Foreach {
   # Find user
   $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “Name -eq ‘$($_.name)'” -Properties Name,Street,City,postalCode,Mobile,Title,Company

   if ($ADUser){
   if ($_.MobilePhone) {$ADUser.Name = $_.Name}
   if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Street = $_.Street}
   if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.City = $_.City}
   if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.postalCode = $_.postalCode}
   if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Mobile = $_.Mobile}
   if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Title = $_.Title}
   if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Company = $_.Company}
   Set-ADUser -Instance $ADUser
   }else{
   Write-Warning (“Failed to update ” + $($_.name))
   }
   }

   • You have a typo in the Get-Aduser line. The single quote after Name -eg is incorrect.

     It should be:
     $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “Name -eq '$($_.name)'” -Properties Name,Street,City,postalCode,Mobile,Title,Company

     • I copied your line and replaced it into the script.
       I wish I could show you a screenshot.

       This is now the script:

       Import-Csv -Delimiter “,” -Path C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\test.csv | Foreach {
       # Find user
       $ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter “Name -eq ‘$($_.name)’” -Properties Name,Street,City,postalCode,Mobile,Title,Company

       if ($ADUser){
       if ($_.MobilePhone) {$ADUser.Name = $_.Name}
       if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Street = $_.Street}
       if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.City = $_.City}
       if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.postalCode = $_.postalCode}
       if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Mobile = $_.Mobile}
       if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Title = $_.Title}
       if ($_.OfficePhone) {$ADUser.Company = $_.Company}
       Set-ADUser -Instance $ADUser
       }else{
       Write-Warning (“Failed to update ” + $($_.name))
       }
       }

       It just says “WARNING: failed to update Alena Kumel”
       I can see when im copying from my text note into this reply, the “ is not showing up as yours, but I can promise you they look exactly like yours in my text note.
       So i dont know why they are not showing up like yours.
       I tripled check the script, and they are correct.

9. i need help regarding office attribute i want to clear office attribute but it is not working my script is

   “”””””””$users = Get-Content C:\Users\ADM-in305907\Desktop\DisableUsers.csv

   foreach ($user in $users)
   { Get-ADUser -Server india.accretivehealth.local -Identity $user -Properties office | Set-ADUser -Clear office
   }””””””””””””

   what’s wrong with this.

10. How do you Bulk update display name to match GivenName and Surname with Set-ADUser?

    • Write a little for-each loop script. Get the AD user with get-aduser, and select the fields GivenName and Surname. Combine the fields and set the display name.

      Read more about writing scripts in this article.

11. thank you Rudy for your response. i am looking for a way to script it to first scan Active directory for users who have the initials and email address empty , then use the Set-ADUser to fill in the details for these users . if you get what i mean . thank you

    • I haven’t fully tested it, but something like this should do the job:

      
$users = Get-AdUser -Filter "Initials -notlike '*' -or EmailAddress -notlike '*'" -Properties Initials,EmailAddress | Select UserPrincipalName, GivenName,Surname,Initials,EmailAddress,Enabled

      $users.ForEach{
      Write-Host "User" $_.GivenName $_.SurName

      if ($null -eq $_.Initials) {
      $initials = Read-host -Prompt "Enter the initials of the user"
      }
      if ($null -eq $_.EmailAddress) {
      $email = Read-host -Prompt "Enter the emailsaddress of the user"
      }

      Set-ADUser -Identity $_.UserPrincipalName -Initials $initials -EmailAddress $email
}

      You can limit the Get-AdUser cmdlet with a searchbase for example.

      • Oh My Goodness!!! i am so grateful you went out of your way to look into this . i will go and test this out and come back with a feedback. ohh thanks so much

        cheers

12. Hi ,

    i am trying to set email and initail field for users who have it empty , without using a csv, do you know how i can do this with powershell

    • You can do it per user:
      Set-ADUser -identity name -Initials "N.M" -EmailAddress name@lazyadmin.nl

13. Hello,

    thank you for this script which works perfectly, is it possible to add a condition? Because if there is an empty column in the csv file, the script returns an error.

    Thank you for your comeback.

    • I have updated the article with an example using the -Instance parameter

14. Hi

    Trying to add/replace an extension with the following command:
    $OUsers = Get-ADUser -Filter * -SearchBase “OU=Service Accounts,OU=Users,OU=xx yyyyy,OU=xxx yyy,DC=xxxxx,DC=yy,DC=se”

    ForEach ($User in $OUsers) {Set-ADUser –$User -Add @{employeeType = “Servicekonto”}

    But is do not work, any ideas?

    • Try this inside the foreach
      Set-ADUser –identity $_ -Add @{employeeType = “Servicekonto”}

15. How can I change the following script to update the user and/or add user if the user doesn’t exist. Right now it works to add users if they don’t exist.
    
#Import active directory module for running AD cmdlets
Import-Module activedirectory

    #Store the data from ADUsers.csv in the $ADUsers variable
    $Users = Import-csv c:\powershell_create_bulk_users-CBPS-NEWSTUDENTS\bulk_import.csv

    #Loop through each row containing user details in the CSV file
    foreach ($User in $Users) {
    # Read user data from each field in each row
    # the username is used more often, so to prevent typing, save that in a variable
    $Username = $User.SamAccountName

    # Check to see if the user already exists in AD
    if (Get-ADUser -F {SamAccountName -eq $Username}) {
    #If user does exist, give a warning
    Write-Warning "A user account with username $Username already exist in Active Directory."
    }
    else {
    # User does not exist then proceed to create the new user account

    # create a hashtable for splatting the parameters
    $userProps = @{
    SamAccountName = $User.SamAccountName
    Path = $User.path
    GivenName = $User.GivenName
    Surname = $User.Surname
    Initials = $User.Initials
    Name = $User.Name
    DisplayName = $User.DisplayName
    Description = $User.Description
    UserPrincipalName = $user.UserPrincipalName
    EmailAddress = $User.EmailAddress
    Company = $User.Company
    AccountPassword = (ConvertTo-SecureString $User.password -AsPlainText -Force)
    Enabled = $true
    ChangePasswordAtLogon = $true
    } #end userprops

    New-ADUser @userProps
    # Write-Host "The user account $User is created." -ForegroundColor Cyan

    } #end else

    }

16. Thanks for this script! name-eq should be name -eq 🙂

    • Thanks, fixed the typo.