# Gather user information

**URL:** <https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118>\
**Category:** PowerShell Help\
**Created:** [December 8, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118 "2022-12-08T13:46:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Houle_Daniel_UCM)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/1 "2022-12-08T13:46:54Z")

</div>

Our AD contains over 20,000 users and I want to create a script to help our service desk gather basic details about the caller.

My goal is to offer the agent a script to search AD based on Name and Given Name with some wildcards. Then display a list of marches. Then the agent will “select” one match and the script would output user details such as full name, SAMACCOUNT NAME, UserPrincipalName,… group membership.  
to an out-grid.

I’m able to handle the start and end of the script, but I’m having issues creating a dynamic menu.

Could someone offer some guidance?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Olaf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/olaf/32/992_2.png) [@Olaf](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Olaf)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/2 "2022-12-08T15:14:13Z")

</div>

Daniel,  
Welcome to the forum. 👋🏽

> [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](#):
>
> but I’m having issues creating a dynamic menu.

Have you thought about using …

> **[Out-GridView (Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility) - PowerShell](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/out-gridview?view=powershell-7.3)**
>
> This cmdlet is only available on the Windows platform. The Out-GridView cmdlet sends the output from a command to a grid view window where the output is displayed in an interactive table. Because this cmdlet requires a user interface, it does not...

… for that purpose?

With the parameter `-OutputMode` you can set if it’s possible to select one or more elements of the list. 😉 👍🏽

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Houle_Daniel_UCM)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/3 "2022-12-08T19:53:17Z")

</div>

Thank you very much for that hint, I was able to figure out a way to leverage out-grid to select the correct account and then display the desired fields.

I’m still working on it, but here is a copy of my code. Please be gentile

#Get-Module -ListAvailable  
#Collect Name(s) from consule

#variables  
$targets = @()  
$inputGivenName = @()  
$inputsurname = @()  
$target = @()  
$suspects =@()  
$suspect =@()

#gather name info

$inputGivenName = Read-Host “Given Name (_aul or Pau_ are valid)”  
$inputsurname = Read-Host “Last name (_mith or Smit_ are valid)”

```auto
type or paste code here

```

#Find user and pipe to outgrid

$targets += Get-ADUser -Filter “givenname -like ‘$inputGivenName’ -and surname -like ‘$inputsurname’” -Properties \*  
#$suspects = $targets | Select-Object -Property Name,GivenName,SamAccountName #  
$target= $targets | Select-Object -Property Name,GivenName,SamAccountName,UserPrincipalName | Out-GridView -PassThru | Select-Object SamAccountName

#convert $target  
$TMP = $target.SamAccountName

$suspect = Get-ADUser $tmp -properties \*

#output user object details

Write-Host “\_\_\_\_”  
write-host "Name: " $suspect.Name  
write-host "Given Name: " $suspect.GivenName  
write-host "Display Name "$suspect.DisplayName  
Write-Host "Locket Out: " $suspect.LockedOut  
write-host "Sam Account Name: " $suspect.SamAccountName  
write-host "UPN: " $suspect.UserPrincipalName  
write-host "BadLogonCount: " $suspect.BadLogonCount  
write-host "Employee ID: " $suspect.EmployeeID  
write-host "Department: " $suspect.Department  
write-host "Description: "$suspect.Description  
write-host "DistinguishedName: " $suspect.DistinguishedName  
write-host "HomeDirectory: " $suspect.HomeDirectory  
write-host "Manager: "$suspect.Manager

#Gather Groups

$groups = Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership $suspect.SamAccountName  
Write-Host “\_\_\_\_”  
Write-Host “Group Memberships”

foreach ( $i in $groups) {

```
Write-Host $i.name  

```

}

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Olaf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/olaf/32/992_2.png) [@Olaf](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Olaf)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 11:03pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/4 "2022-12-08T23:03:32Z")

</div>

> [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](#):
>
> I was able to figure out a way to leverage out-grid to select the correct account and then display the desired fields.

While your code may do what you need it is quite inefficient and cumbersome.

You should not use “ **`*`** ” for the `-Properties` parameter for your `Get-ADUser` query as this slows your query down quite a lot. You should always only query the least amount of data from your AD as possible. … and never more attributes than needed. I’d recommend as well to use a `-SearchBase` for your query.

Next - you query your AD twice - that’s unnecessary and time consuming. Instead you should use the data you already queried for the final output of the selected user.

With the parameter `-OutputMode Single` for `Out-GridView` you can control if the user is able to select only one element or more.

The extended use of `Write-Host` is considered bad style and should be avoided. … and it is unnecessary in the vast majority of the cases. 😉

Something like this could be a good starting point:

```auto
$InputGivenName = Read-Host "Given Name (*aul or Pau* are valid)"
$InputSurname = Read-Host "Last name (*mith or Smit* are valid)" 

$Searchbase = 'OU=Users,OU=Berlin,OU=Germany,OU=Europe,DC=contoso,DC=de'

$ADUserProperties = 
'Name',
'GivenName',
'DisplayName',
'LockedOut',
'SamAccountName',
'UserPrincipalName',
'BadLogonCount',
'EmployeeID',
'Department',
'Description',
'DistinguishedName',
'HomeDirectory',
'Manager'

$QueryResultList = 
    Get-ADUser -Filter "givenname -like '$InputGivenName' -and surname -like '$InputSurname'" -Properties $ADUserProperties -SearchBase $Searchbase
$SelectedUser = 
    $QueryResultList | 
        Select-Object -Property Name, GivenName, SamAccountName, UserPrincipalName | 
            Out-GridView -OutputMode Single

"`nSelected User:`n-------------"
$QueryResultList |
    Where-Object -Property sAMAccountName -EQ -Value $SelectedUser.sAMAccountName |
        Select-Object -Property $ADUserProperties

$GroupMembershipList = 
    Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership $SelectedUser.SamAccountName

"`nGroup Memberships`n-----------------"
$GroupMembershipList.Name

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Houle_Daniel_UCM)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/5 "2022-12-09T14:52:32Z")

</div>

inefficient and cumbersome, I’ve been called worse!

I will take your notes and try to improve the code… Thank you

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Olaf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/olaf/32/992_2.png) [@Olaf](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Olaf)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 3:04pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/6 "2022-12-09T15:04:32Z")

</div>

> [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](#):
>
> inefficient and cumbersome, I’ve been called worse!

Not you - your code! 😉 … and who says you couldn’t improve? … yourself and your code!! 😉👍🏽 🤟🏽

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Houle_Daniel_UCM)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/7 "2022-12-09T15:52:15Z")

</div>

Your script is a huge improvement, thank you for sharing and guiding me here. I’m taking notes…

But the $QueryResultList variable contains all the properties defined VIA $ADUserProperties. But $SelectedUser does not contain the same properties. It only contains the properties defined in the select-object statement before out-gridView

Here is the get-member output of $QueryResultList and $SelectedUser.

This is why I was reading AD twice… the properties I want to display don’t survive the Out-GridView instructions.

PS H:\Dev\> $QueryResultList | gm

TypeName: Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser

Name MemberType Definition

* * *

GetType Method type GetType()  
ToString Method string ToString(), string ToString(string format, System.IFormatProvider format…  
PSComputerName NoteProperty string PSComputerName=localhost  
PSShowComputerName NoteProperty bool PSShowComputerName=False  
RunspaceId NoteProperty guid RunspaceId=5b7ee0e5-22eb-4cb5-bbfb-cc59048d0a2d  
AccountExpirationDate Property {get;set;}  
accountExpires Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
AccountLockoutTime Property {get;set;}  
AccountNotDelegated Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
AllowReversiblePasswordEncryption Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
AuthenticationPolicy Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
AuthenticationPolicySilo Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
BadLogonCount Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
badPasswordTime Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
badPwdCount Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
businessCategory Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
CannotChangePassword Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
CanonicalName Property System.String {get;set;}  
Certificates Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
chicagoID Property System.String {get;set;}  
City Property {get;set;}  
CN Property System.String {get;set;}  
codePage Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
Company Property System.String {get;set;}  
CompoundIdentitySupported Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
Country Property {get;set;}  
countryCode Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
Created Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
createTimeStamp Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
Deleted Property {get;set;}  
Department Property System.String {get;set;}  
Description Property System.String {get;set;}  
DisplayName Property System.String {get;set;}  
DistinguishedName Property System.String {get;set;}  
Division Property System.String {get;set;}  
DoesNotRequirePreAuth Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
dSCorePropagationData Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
EmailAddress Property System.String {get;set;}  
EmployeeID Property System.String {get;set;}  
EmployeeNumber Property {get;set;}  
employeeType Property System.String {get;set;}  
Enabled Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
extensionAttribute13 Property System.String {get;set;}  
extensionAttribute2 Property System.String {get;set;}  
Fax Property {get;set;}  
GivenName Property System.String {get;set;}  
HomeDirectory Property System.String {get;set;}  
HomedirRequired Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
HomeDrive Property System.String {get;set;}  
homeMDB Property System.String {get;set;}  
homeMTA Property System.String {get;set;}  
HomePage Property {get;set;}  
HomePhone Property {get;set;}  
info Property System.String {get;set;}  
Initials Property {get;set;}  
instanceType Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
isDeleted Property {get;set;}  
KerberosEncryptionType Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
LastBadPasswordAttempt Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
LastKnownParent Property {get;set;}  
lastLogoff Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
lastLogon Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
LastLogonDate Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
lastLogonTimestamp Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
legacyExchangeDN Property System.String {get;set;}  
LockedOut Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
logonCount Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
LogonWorkstations Property {get;set;}  
mail Property System.String {get;set;}  
mailNickname Property System.String {get;set;}  
Manager Property {get;set;}  
mDBUseDefaults Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
MemberOf Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
MNSLogonAccount Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
MobilePhone Property {get;set;}  
Modified Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
modifyTimeStamp Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
msDS-User-Account-Control-Computed Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
msExchBlockedSendersHash Property System.Byte {get;set;}  
msExchHideFromAddressLists Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
msExchHomeServerName Property System.String {get;set;}  
msExchMailboxGuid Property System.Byte {get;set;}  
msExchMailboxSecurityDescriptor Property System.String {get;set;}  
msExchOmaAdminWirelessEnable Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
msExchPoliciesIncluded Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
msExchRBACPolicyLink Property System.String {get;set;}  
msExchRecipientDisplayType Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
msExchRecipientTypeDetails Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
msExchTextMessagingState Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
msExchUMDtmfMap Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
msExchUserAccountControl Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
msExchUserCulture Property System.String {get;set;}  
msExchVersion Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
msExchWhenMailboxCreated Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
msTSExpireDate Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
msTSLicenseVersion Property System.String {get;set;}  
msTSLicenseVersion2 Property System.String {get;set;}  
msTSLicenseVersion3 Property System.String {get;set;}  
msTSManagingLS Property System.String {get;set;}  
Name Property System.String {get;set;}  
nTSecurityDescriptor Property System.String {get;set;}  
ObjectCategory Property System.String {get;set;}  
ObjectClass Property System.String {get;set;}  
ObjectGUID Property System.Guid {get;set;}  
objectSid Property System.String {get;set;}  
Office Property {get;set;}  
OfficePhone Property System.String {get;set;}  
Organization Property {get;set;}  
OtherName Property {get;set;}  
PasswordExpired Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
PasswordLastSet Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
PasswordNeverExpires Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
PasswordNotRequired Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
personalTitle Property System.String {get;set;}  
POBox Property {get;set;}  
PostalCode Property {get;set;}  
PrimaryGroup Property System.String {get;set;}  
primaryGroupID Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
PrincipalsAllowedToDelegateToAccount Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
ProfilePath Property {get;set;}  
ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
proxyAddresses Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
pwdLastSet Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
SamAccountName Property System.String {get;set;}  
sAMAccountType Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
ScriptPath Property System.String {get;set;}  
sDRightsEffective Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
ServicePrincipalNames Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
SID Property System.String {get;set;}  
SIDHistory Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
SmartcardLogonRequired Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
sn Property System.String {get;set;}  
State Property {get;set;}  
StreetAddress Property {get;set;}  
Surname Property System.String {get;set;}  
telephoneNumber Property System.String {get;set;}  
thumbnailPhoto Property System.Byte {get;set;}  
Title Property System.String {get;set;}  
TrustedForDelegation Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
TrustedToAuthForDelegation Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
UseDESKeyOnly Property System.Boolean {get;set;}  
userAccountControl Property System.Int32 {get;set;}  
userCertificate Property Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection {ge…  
UserPrincipalName Property System.String {get;set;}  
uSNChanged Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
uSNCreated Property System.Int64 {get;set;}  
whenChanged Property System.DateTime {get;set;}  
whenCreated Property System.DateTime {get;set;}

and

PS H:\Dev\> $SelectedUser | GM

TypeName: Selected.System.Management.Automation.PSCustomObject

Name MemberType Definition

* * *

Equals Method bool Equals(System.Object obj)  
GetHashCode Method int GetHashCode()  
GetType Method type GetType()  
ToString Method string ToString()  
GivenName NoteProperty string GivenName=Daniel  
Name NoteProperty string Name=Daniel Houle  
SamAccountName NoteProperty string SamAccountName=www6329  
UserPrincipalName NoteProperty string UserPrincipalName=www6329@UCHAD.UCHOSPITALS.EDU

Thank you

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Olaf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/olaf/32/992_2.png) [@Olaf](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Olaf)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/8 "2022-12-09T16:04:49Z")

</div>

> [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](#):
>
> But the $QueryResultList variable contains all the properties defined VIA $ADUserProperties. But $SelectedUser does not contain the same properties. It only contains the properties defined in the select-object statement before out-gridView

You’re perfectly right … ooops … 😉

I corrected my code suggestion above … try now.

> [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](#):
>
> This is why I was reading AD twice… the properties I want to display don’t survive the Out-GridView instructions.

They don’t have to. We just need to use the selected user as filter for the already collected data.

> [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](#):
>
> PS H:\Dev\> $QueryResultList | gm
> 
> TypeName: Deserialized.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser

But the outut of this looks like you’re still querying with `-Properties *` … I’d recommend to change that. Depending on your AD it slows your query and puts al lot more stress on to your AD for the query.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Houle_Daniel_UCM)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/9 "2022-12-09T16:32:01Z")

</div>

Thank you for that correction.

This script is to be used on an Ad Hoc bases to collect user details for service tickets. I’m not concerned by the load… it will be used 20 times per day max…

Thank you

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Olaf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/olaf/32/992_2.png) [@Olaf](https://forums.powershell.org/u/Olaf)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/10 "2022-12-09T16:44:04Z")

</div>

> [@Houle\_Daniel\_UCM](#):
>
> This script is to be used on an Ad Hoc bases to collect user details for service tickets. I’m not concerned by the load… it will be used 20 times per day max…

At the end of the day it stays your decision of course … but because it’s actually no effort you could add this little optimization anyway … it won’t hurt you but it will actually improve your script. 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dotnVo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@dotnVo](https://forums.powershell.org/u/dotnVo)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/gather-user-information/21118/12 "2024-05-16T20:16:09Z")

</div>