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Summary : Microsoft PFE, Norman Drews, shows how to use the Active Directory cmdlets and the Exchange cmdlets to clean up distribution groups. Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. Welcome our guest blogger, Norman Drews. Norman is a Microsoft PFE, and I had the privilege to meet with him when...

Summary : Learn how to use a Windows PowerShell module to simplify scripting local users and groups. Weekend Scripter Microsoft Scripting Guy Ed Wilson here. There are two things about a module that I like. The first is it makes it really easy to share with others. The second thing is that it...

Summary : Learn how to use a free Windows PowerShell module to simplify working with local users and groups. Weekend Scripter Microsoft Scripting Guy Ed Wilson here. Well it is officially the Fourth of July weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. (For those around the globe, the United States celebrates...

Summary : In this article, Microsoft Scripting Guy Ed Wilson talks about using parameter sets to simplify Windows PowerShell commands. Microsoft Scripting Guy Ed Wilson here. I had a great time the other night talking to Windows PowerShell MVP Shane Hoey before my presentation to the PowerShell...

  Hey, Scripting Guy! I need to use Windows PowerShell 2.0 to find groups in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) that are not being used. Over the years, we have had several network administrators. Some of them were good, and some had challenges in the “good” category. As a result, there are...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I am a MCSE and I still remember my instructor at the training center running around the room shouting, “Users go into groups, and groups get assigned rights and permissions.” Over and over again in different manners and in different language, but always with the same intent, he kept...

Hey Scripting Guy! It seems that I can never find what I need anymore. I am looking for a Windows PowerShell script that will add a user to multiple groups. The user and the group are in the same organizational unit, and I do not want to have to run the same script multiple times to add a user to multiple...

Hey Scripting Guy! I have several groups created in Active Directory whose membership has changed dramatically. Rather than go through a long list of users and try to manually clean up the list, I would like to just delete all the users from the group so that I can later add the newly approved members...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I have several computers that seem to be identical, but they act like they are different. I mean, the same person set the computers up, so I imagine he followed the checklist and the machines should therefore be the same. But something weird is going on. What I need is a script that...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I enjoyed your article yesterday about creating a local user account. However, for my purposes I need to be able to create more than one user. Also I would like to be able to assign values to attributes such as the description. If it is not asking too much, I would also like to be...

How Do I Troubleshoot Some Scripts Not Executing on Certain Computers? Hey, Scripting Guy! I have VBScripts executed using GPOs per organizational unit. For some reason, the scripts are not executed on certain computers. Sometimes, clicking Repair on Local Area Network connection and logging off...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I manage over 300 servers in our environment. For each server I need to determine the members of the local Administrators account. It’s easy to get a list of local users and domain users that belong to the Admin account; it’s also easy to get a list of any domain groups that belong...

Hey, Scripting Guy! We’re trying to straighten out our Active Directory, and in order to do so, I’ve been asked to come up with a list of all the groups that have just 1 member or fewer. How can I write a script that will return this information for me? -- DR Hey, DR. Before we answer...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I recently came across your article where you showed people how to use VBScript to add a domain user to a local group. How can I do that same task using Windows PowerShell? -- KE Hey, KE. Before we begin we thought we should mention that the Scripting Guy who writes this column...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I get a list of all the users in an OU who are not a member of a specified group? -- TJ Hey, TJ. You know, the Scripting Guys are having so much fun with the 2008 Winter Scripting Games that we just can’t bear to see the excitement come to an end; therefore, we’ve...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I need to “clone” a local group; in other words, I want to create a new group that contains the same members as the original group. However, I can’t find any sort of copy command that would let me do this. How can I copy the membership of a local group to a new local group? -- SO...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I add a domain group to a local group? -- DR Hey, DR. Before we begin today, any chance that we could borrow $5 billion, at least until the next payday? Admittedly, it’s not our habit to go around asking for money, especially an amount of money as big as that. However,...

Hey, Scripting Guy! In yesterday’s column you showed a sample script that mapped a drive based on membership in an Active Directory group; along the way, you brought up the possibility of a user belonging to more than one group. “Suppose you have two groups,” you said. “What happens if a user is a member...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I need to map a drive based on a user’s membership in a particular Active Directory group. However, I have a twist as well: I need to map a different drive depending on whether or not the user is a manager. In other words, I need to map a drive based on both group membership and job...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I remove all the members of a group unless that member is another group? I need a group that has only other groups as members, no individual users, computers, contacts, etc. -- TH Hey, TH. You’ll have to be patient with us this morning; after all, we’re sending this column...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I return a list of all my Active Directory groups, along with the name of the user responsible for each group? -- PL Hey, PL. You know, we realize that most of you are thinking, “Wow, this has been a busy month for you Scripting Guys. You guys really deserve to take some...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I count the number of users in an Active Directory group? -- TP Hey, TP. You know, it’s our sad duty to confirm that the reports currently sweeping the Internet are true. Without wishing to alarm anyone, we must admit that one of the Around the World With Dr. Scripto Bobblehead...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I write a script that, for each member in a group, returns the member’s name, department, address, title, and description? -- TL-V Hey, TL-V. You would have to mention the word “script,” wouldn’t you? Usually that wouldn’t bother us too much, but in the past 9 days or so...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I delete all the users in an Active Directory group? -- AA Hey, AA. You know, that’s something we Scripting Guys never thought about: a script that could eliminate all the users in a particular group. The only problem we have with that is: where do we start? For example...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I convert a global security group to a universal security group? -- BB Hey, BB. We have to tell you the truth, we were pretty excited when we first read your email. Convert a global security group to a universal security group? That sounded like a mad scientist sort of...