Using Rename-ADObject to rename Security Groups

PowerShell Help
1

Hello Everyone,

I’m new PS and have really been enjoying it so far. I’ve been coming here in search of answers and appreciate the communities input.

I have been asked to rename some security groups in AD and have run into some issues.

(I running ps v5 and using the “rename-adobject” command)

Rename-ADObject [-Identity] ADObject [-NewName] string

The below script is really to test/debug/practice, before gathering all the security groups, objects, filters, etc.

For now I’m trying to rename two accounts in a csv file. The script seems to work with -whatif (output below), but as soon as I removed it. I receive the following error:

With -Whatif: = no errors

$dn | ForEach-Object {Rename-ADObject $_.distinguishedname -NewName $NewName -WhatIf}
What if: Performing the operation “Rename” on target “CN=#US.SDTest-RW,OU=SharedDrive Groups,OU=Corporate,OU=Do
main-Groups,DC=Domain,DC=com”.
What if: Performing the operation “Rename” on target “CN=#US.SDTestv2-RO,OU=SharedDrive Groups,OU=Corporate,OU=
Domain-Groups,DC=Domain,DC=com”.

Removing -whatif: = Error

Rename-ADObject : The parameter is incorrect
At line:1 char:23

  • … rEach-Object {Rename-ADObject $_.distinguishedname -NewName $NewName}
  •               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sample Script:

$renameSG = Import-Csv D:\scripts\testSD.csv
#works up to here - import Security Group Names

$Oldname = $renameSG.oldname
#works up to here - Add Oldname strings into Var

$dn = foreach($group in $Oldname){Get-ADGroup -Identity $group}
#works up to here - create new var with SG names

$NewName = $renameSG.newname | out-string
#works up to here

#Testing >> $dn | ForEach-Object {echo $_.distinguishedname}

$dn | ForEach-Object {Rename-ADObject $_.distinguishedname -NewName $NewName}

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Best of all, I’d like to learn why this is not working. I thought using out-string cmdlet for $NewName would convert output to strings which then can be used for the -NewName parameter.

Thanks in advance.

2

Hello,

Have you tested it with a lower version of Powershell?
As far as I know Powershell v5 is a preview and the Active Directory cmdlets might not be compatible with it.

/Alexander

3

Hello Alexander,

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, it didn’t have make a difference. Same errors when I remove “-whatif”

I also, replaced out-string with select-object to convert the $NewName objects into strings which I believe did (SystemString). See output below:

PS C:> $NewName = $renameSG | select newname

PS C:> $NewName | 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()
NewName NoteProperty System.String NewName=US.SDTest RW2

Tried a machine running psv4

PS C:> $PSVersionTable

Name Value

PSVersion 4.0

Error:

Rename-ADObject : The parameter is incorrect

4

TafTak,

Could it be because it accepts an ADObject rather than just a string?
You could retrieve the object first, via Get-ADObject, to use with Rename-ADObject and the -NewName parameter?

Rename-ADObject (Get-ADObject  $_.distinguishedname) -NewName $NewName
5

Thanks for replies.

I finally got it working by creating an empty array; $renamesg = @()
Then imported the csv containing the security groups. $renamesg = import-csv

By doing so, I was able to see the different columns with the correct objects.

PS C:> $renameSG | gm

TypeName: 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()
NewName NoteProperty System.String NewName=Accounting…
OldName NoteProperty System.String OldName=CN=#Accounting…

I then ran:

#Rename SamAccountName - Security groups
$renameSG | ForEach-Object {Set-ADGroup -Identity $.Oldname -SamAccountName $.NewName}

#Rename Security groups
$renameSG | ForEach-Object {Rename-ADObject -Identity $.Oldname -NewName $.NewName}

Thanks for the help.

Luis

6

I see that you solved this, but I just did the same thing, and I think the issue you had was with this:

Rename-ADObject $_.distinguishedname

The line I used to do a mass rename was this:

$foo = Get-ADGroup -Filter "name -like 'blah*'"
$foo | % { Rename-ADObject -Identity $_ -NewName ($_.Name -Replace "^blah", "blah_blah_") }

Granted, you’d have to finagle your rename to be what you wanted, but I was just replacing the first bit of the name with something different.