Error creating a Active Directory OU =

PowerShell Help
1

Hello group I am new to Power-Shell and am trying to learn at a fair speed. Trying to take some code and modify it. Any help would be great.

I have some basic codding See Errors
-Path : The term ‘-Path’ is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling
of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

What am i missing here.

See Code below:

Enabled the execution of all scripts - disables a sercurity policy

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

Import active directory module for running AD cmdlets

Import-Module activedirectory

Password for users variables

$PASSWORD_FOR_USERS = “Welcome!1qaz”

Takes the names from the names.txt and put them into $USER_…

Note: Your PS C: prompt has to be run from the directory when the text names is in.

$USER_FIRST_LAST_LIST = Get-Content .\names.txt

Takes password and converts it to plaintext

$password = ConvertTo-SecureString $PASSWORD_FOR_USERS -AsPlainText -Force

creates a new org ion AD only if the Import-Module activedirectory cmd has been run

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name ‘Test Users’ -ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $false

$n is the user in the names.txt list.

The code will split the first and last name make them lowercase and store in the variables $Firstname etc.

foreach ($n in $USER_FIRST_LAST_LIST) {
$firstname = $n.Split(" “)[0].ToLower()
$lastname = $n.Split(” ")[1].ToLower()
$username = “$($firstname).$($lastname)”.ToLower()

Gives an output of the names.

Write-Host "Creating user: $($username)" -BackgroundColor Black -ForegroundColor Cyan

New-ADUser -AccountPassword $password `
        -EmployeeID $username `
        -PasswordNeverExpires $false `
        -SamAccountName $username `
        -UserPrincipalName "$username@mybdomain.com" `
        -Name "$firstname $lastname" `
        -GivenName $firstname `
        -Surname $lastname `
        -DisplayName "$lastname, $firstname" `
        # -Path $OU `
        #-City $city `
        -Company $company `
        -State $state `
        -StreetAddress $streetaddress `
        -OfficePhone $telephone `
        -EmailAddress $email `
        -Title $jobtitle `
        -Department $department `
        -AccountPassword (convertto-securestring $Password -AsPlainText -Force) -ChangePasswordAtLogon $True
        -Path "ou=Test Users,$(([ADSI]`"").distinguishedName)" `
        -Enabled $true
}
2

You’re missing a backtick in -AccountPassword line after $True. So it thinks -Path is a continuation of the -AccountPassword command.

3

I would also remove the 2 commented out arguments. When I copy your code, it thinks -Company is a cmdlet not an argument. Which is the same thing that’s happening to -Path with the missing back tick.

4

Everton,
Welcome to the forum. :wave:t4:

Using backticks as line continuation characters is considered very bad style and it is very error prone. Instead you should use splatting to make your code easier to read.

1 Like
5

Big Thanks Floppy. Was able to modify the text to work only issue is the error because the OU is already created.
PS C:\Users\adm-efoster\Desktop\AD_PS-master> C:\Users\adm-efoster\Desktop\AD_PS-master\Untitled1.ps1
New-ADOrganizationalUnit : An attempt was made to add an object to the directory with a name that is already in use
At C:\Users\adm-efoster\Desktop\AD_PS-master\Untitled1.ps1:20 char:1

  • New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name ‘Test Users’ -ProtectedFromAccidentalD …
  •   + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (OU=Test Users,DC=mybdomain,DC=com:String) [New-ADOrganizationalUnit], ADException
  + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryServer:8305,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.NewADOrganizationalUnit

Creating user: green.goblin.

Is there a way to add a if created ignore else create to the above script.

6

If you’re just creating a user in an existing OU, you dont need to use New-ADOrganizationalUnit. The New-ADUser will suffice.

If you just want to continue with the errors, you add $Erroractionpreference = ‘SilentlyContinue’ before running the commands.

7

Thnks Floppy makes perfect sense.

8

Olaf thanks for cluing me to the error. I will see if I can figure out the where to add the Splatting characters or do you know.

9

My comment was not about your error.

Please read the help. All of it. Including the examples.