Install Active Directory Powershell Module in Windows 10

For whatever reason, Microsoft has now changed the way the powershell module for Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services tools.

Most documentation suggests you install this from the "Turn Windows features on or off" menu located under Programs and Features within Control Panel - but in later Windows 10 releases, the feature is no longer available. It was previously called "Role Administration Tools".

Role Administration Tools is no longer visible under Turn Windows Features on or off

Likewise, the previously used powershell command is no longer recognised

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName RSATClient-Roles-AD-Powershell

You now get an error when running this command

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature : Feature name RSATClient-Roles-AD-Powershell is unknown.

So, how do you do it? Follow the steps below

1. Click the Start button then select Settings
2. Select Apps
3. Select Optional Features
4. Click Add a Feature
5. Search for "RSAT" and select the option for RSAT: Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services Tools. 
   
   
   
   

   

   Select the option for RSAT: Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services

   
   
6. Click Install

If you get an error saying the install failed, make sure you aren't using a WSUS server as windows will try and install it from there by default if you are.

To check, open regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU and set the UseWUServer key to 0

Automatically Disable Expired Accounts in Active Directory with Powershell

Active Directory has the ability to set an expiration date on accounts so that the account becomes inactive and can't be accessed/logged into once this date has passed. The problem with the way this works, is that technically the account is still "enabled" - as it's not actually "disabled" - it's simply expired. Disabled accounts are easily identified within Active Directory Users & Computers  by a slightly different icon next to the account name. Expired accounts however, do not have any visual indication that they are expired, making them harder to identify.

I have created a powershell script which I run on a daily basis to automatically identify, and then disable any Active Directory accounts that have expired.

$report = @()

$expiredusers = get-aduser -Filter * -Properties AccountExpirationDate | where {$_.AccountExpirationDate -lt (get-date) -and $_.AccountExpirationDate -ne $null -and $_.enabled -eq $true}

if ($expiredusers)

    {

    set-aduser -identity $($user.samaccountname) -enabled $false -description $newdesc

    $report += new-object psobject -property @{Username=$($user.userprincipalname);AccountExpirationDate=$($user.accountexpirationdate);DN=$($user.distinguishedname)}

    }

The $report = @() line creates a new/blank array that we will use later on to store the results of any expired 

Next we perform a search using the get-aduser cmdlet to search all Active Directory accounts for those with an expiration date prior (less than) the current date and whose current account status is Enabled

An If statement is then run if any expired accounts are found which disables the account, and adds the account into the $report variable/array we declared earlier.

You can then export the $report variable to a CSV file, email it to yourself etc.

Active Directory User Account Audit including Status with Powershell

Here is a script I have created that searches for all users within an Active Directory domain and provides a report (.csv file) showing all account names and their status. The status is determined from the useraccountcontrol property contained within each account.

The useraccountcontrol property is stored as a number/integer - the most common numbers/values I've translated to their meanings as part of this script - eg. Enabled, Disabled, Password Expired etc.

You only need to change the value for $outfile variable if required - the script should work in it's current form on any windows/active directory domain

$report = @()
$outfile = "C:\temp\UserAudit.csv"

$searcher = New-Object DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher 
$searcher.filter = "(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user))"

$userlist =  $searcher.FindAll()

foreach ($user in $userlist)
    {
    $name = $($user.properties.displayname)
    $dn = $($user.properties.distinguishedname)
    $status = $($user.properties.useraccountcontrol)
        if ($status -eq "66050"){$status = "Disabled, password never expires"}
        elseif ($status -eq "66048"){$status = "Enabled, password never expires"}
        elseif ($status -eq "512"){$status = "Enabled Account"}
        elseif ($status -eq "514"){$status = "Disabled Account"}
        elseif ($status -eq "66080"){$status = "Enabled, password never expires, user cannot change password"}
    
    $report += new-object psobject -property @{Name=$name;DN=$dn;Status=$status}
    }
    
$report | select Name, Status, DN | export-csv -path $outfile -notype

The script could be further customized to include other values/properties from the account as required. In it's current form it includes the users display name, distinguished name and status.