Set-ADGroup

Modifies an Active Directory group.

Syntax

Set-ADGroup
   [-WhatIf]
   [-Confirm]
   [-Add <Hashtable>]
   [-AuthType <ADAuthType>]
   [-Clear <String[]>]
   [-Credential <PSCredential>]
   [-Description <String>]
   [-DisplayName <String>]
   [-GroupCategory <ADGroupCategory>]
   [-GroupScope <ADGroupScope>]
   [-HomePage <String>]
   [-Identity] <ADGroup>
   [-ManagedBy <ADPrincipal>]
   [-Partition <String>]
   [-PassThru]
   [-Remove <Hashtable>]
   [-Replace <Hashtable>]
   [-SamAccountName <String>]
   [-Server <String>]
   [<CommonParameters>]
Set-ADGroup
   [-WhatIf]
   [-Confirm]
   [-AuthType <ADAuthType>]
   [-Credential <PSCredential>]
   -Instance <ADGroup>
   [-PassThru]
   [-Server <String>]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Set-ADGroup cmdlet modifies the properties of an Active Directory group. You can modify commonly used property values by using the cmdlet parameters. Property values that are not associated with cmdlet parameters can be modified by using the Add, Replace, Clear, and Remove parameters.

The Identity parameter specifies the Active Directory group to modify. You can identify a group by its distinguished name, GUID, security identifier, or Security Account Manager (SAM) account name. You can also set the Identity parameter to an object variable such as $<localGroupObject>, or you can pass a group object through the pipeline to the Identity parameter. For example, you can use the Get-ADGroup cmdlet to get a group object and then pass the object through the pipeline to the Set-ADGroup cmdlet.

The Instance parameter provides a way to update a group object by applying the changes made to a copy of the object. When you set the Instance parameter to a copy of an Active Directory group object that has been modified, the Set-ADGroup cmdlet makes the same changes to the original group object. To get a copy of the object to modify, use the Get-ADGroup cmdlet. The Identity parameter is not allowed when you use the Instance parameter. For more information about the Instance parameter, see the Instance parameter description.

Examples

Example 1: Set a property for a group

PS C:\>Set-ADGroup -Server localhost:60000 -Identity "CN=AccessControl,DC=AppNC" -Description "Access Group" -Passthru
DistinguishedName : CN=AccessControl,DC=AppNC
GroupCategory     : Security
GroupScope        : DomainLocal
Name              : AccessControl
ObjectClass       : group
ObjectGUID        : d65f5e8f-36da-4390-9840-8b9fde6282fc
SID               : S-1-510474493-936115905-2782881406-1264922549-3814061485-1557022459

This command sets the Description property of the group named AccessControl to Access Group on an Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) instance.

Example 2: Set the description for filtered groups

PS C:\>Get-ADGroup -Filter 'name -like "Access*"' | Set-ADGroup -Description "Access Group"

This command modifies the Description property on all groups that have a name that starts with Access by using the pipeline operator.

Example 3: Set a property by specifying an instance

PS C:\>$Group = Get-ADGroup -Server localhost:60000 -Identity "CN=AccessControl,DC=AppNC"
PS C:\> $Group.Description = "Access Group"
PS C:\> Set-ADGroup -Instance $Group -Passthru
DistinguishedName : CN=AccessControl,DC=AppNC
GroupCategory     : Security
GroupScope        : DomainLocal
Name              : AccessControl
ObjectClass       : group
ObjectGUID        : d65f5e8f-36da-4390-9840-8b9fde6282fc
SID               : S-1-510474493-936115905-2782881406-1264922549-3814061485-1557022459

This example sets the Description property on the AccessControl group by using the Instance parameter.

Parameters

-Add

Specifies values to add to an object property. Use this parameter to add one or more values to a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To modify an object property, you must use the LDAP display name. You can specify multiple values to a property by specifying a comma-separated list of values and more than one property by separating them using a semicolon.. The format for this parameter is

-Add @{Attribute1LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; Attribute2LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; AttributeNLDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...}

For example, if you want to remove the value "555-222-2222" and add the values "555-222-1111" and "555-222-3333" to Phone-Office-Other attribute (LDAP display name 'otherTelephone'), and add the value "555-222-9999" to Phone-Mobile-Other (LDAP display name 'otherMobile'), set the Add and Remove parameters as follows.

-Add @{otherTelephone='555-222-1111', '555-222-3333'; otherMobile='555-222-9999' } -Remove @{otherTelephone='555-222-2222'}

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace and Clear parameters together, the operations will be performed in the following order:

..Remove

..Add

..Replace

Type:Hashtable
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-AuthType

Specifies the authentication method to use. Possible values for this parameter include:

Negotiate or 0

Basic or 1

The default authentication method is Negotiate.

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection is required for the Basic authentication method.

The following example shows how to set this parameter to Basic.

-AuthType Basic

Type:ADAuthType
Accepted values:Negotiate, Basic
Position:Named
Default value:Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AuthType.Negotiate
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Clear

Specifies an array of object properties that will be cleared in the directory. Use this parameter to clear one or more values of a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To modify an object property, you must use the LDAP display name. You can modify more than one property by specifying a comma-separated list. The format for this parameter is

-Clear Attribute1LDAPDisplayName, Attribute2LDAPDisplayName

For example, if you want to clear the value for the Phone-Office-Other attribute (LDAP display name 'otherTelephone') set the Clear parameter as follows.

-Clear otherTelephone

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace and Clear parameters together, the operations will be performed in the following order:

..Remove

..Add

..Replace

..Clear

Type:String[]
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:cf
Position:Named
Default value:False
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Credential

Specifies the user account credentials to use to perform this task. The default credentials are the credentials of the currently logged on user unless the cmdlet is run from an Active Directory PowerShell provider drive. If the cmdlet is run from such a provider drive, the account associated with the drive is the default.

To specify this parameter, you can type a user name, such as "User1" or "Domain01\User01" or you can specify a PSCredential object. If you specify a user name for this parameter, the cmdlet prompts for a password.

You can also create a PSCredential object by using a script or by using the Get-Credential cmdlet. You can then set the Credential parameter to the PSCredential object The following example shows how to create credentials.

$AdminCredentials = Get-Credential "Domain01\User01"

The following shows how to set the Credential parameter to these credentials.

-Credential $AdminCredentials

If the acting credentials do not have directory-level permission to perform the task, Active Directory PowerShell returns a terminating error.

Type:PSCredential
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Description

Specifies a description of the object. This parameter sets the value of the Description property for the object. The LDAP Display Name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is "description".

The following example shows how to set this parameter to a sample description.

-Description "Description of the object"

Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-DisplayName

Specifies the display name of the object. This parameter sets the DisplayName property of the object. The LDAP Display Name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is "displayName".

The following example shows how to set this parameter.

-DisplayName "Sara Davis Laptop"

Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-GroupCategory

Specifies the category of the group. Possible values of this parameter are:

Distribution or 0

Security or 1

This parameter sets the GroupCategory property of the group. This parameter value combined with other group values sets the LDAP Display Name (ldapDisplayName) attribute named "groupType".

The following example shows how to specify that a group is a security group.

-GroupCategory security

Type:ADGroupCategory
Accepted values:Distribution, Security
Position:Named
Default value:Security
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-GroupScope

Specifies the group scope of the group. Possible values of this parameter are:

DomainLocal or 0

Global or 1

Universal or 2

This parameter sets the GroupScope property of a group object to the specified value. The LDAP display name of this property is "groupType".

The following example shows two ways to set this parameter to DomainLocal.

-GroupScope DomainLocal

-GroupScope 0

Type:ADGroupScope
Accepted values:DomainLocal, Global, Universal
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-HomePage

Specifies the URL of the home page of the object. This parameter sets the homePage property of an Active Directory object. The LDAP Display Name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is "wWWHomePage".

The following example shows how to set this parameter to a URL.

-HomePage "http://employees.contoso.com/sdavis"

Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Identity

Specifies an Active Directory group object by providing one of the following values. The identifier in parentheses is the LDAP display name for the attribute.

Distinguished Name

Example: CN=saradavisreports,OU=europe,CN=users,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com

GUID (objectGUID)

Example: 599c3d2e-f72d-4d20-8a88-030d99495f20

Security Identifier (objectSid)

Example: S-1-5-21-3165297888-301567370-576410423-1103

Security Accounts Manager (SAM) Account Name (sAMAccountName)

Example: saradavisreports

The cmdlet searches the default naming context or partition to find the object. If two or more objects are found, the cmdlet returns a non-terminating error.

This parameter can also get this object through the pipeline or you can set this parameter to an object instance.

This example shows how to set the parameter to a distinguished name.

-Identity "CN=saradavisreports,OU=europe,CN=users,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com"

This example shows how to set this parameter to a group object instance named "ADGroupInstance".

-Identity $ADGroupInstance

Type:ADGroup
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Instance

Specifies a modified copy of a group object to use to update the actual Active Directory group object. When this parameter is used, any modifications made to the modified copy of the object are also made to the corresponding Active Directory object. The cmdlet only updates the object properties that have changed.

The Instance parameter can only update group objects that have been retrieved by using the Get-ADGroup cmdlet. When you specify the Instance parameter, you cannot specify other parameters that set properties on the object.

The following is an example of how to use the Get-ADGroup cmdlet to retrieve an instance of the ADGroup object. The object is modified by using the Windows PowerShell command line. Then the Set-ADGroup cmdlet saves the changes to the Active Directory object.

Step 1: Retrieve a local instance of the object.

$groupInstance = Get-ADGroup -Identity "SaraDavisReports"

Step 2: Modify one or more properties of the object instance.

$groupInstance.GroupScope= "Global"

Step3: Save your changes to "SaraDavisReports".

Set-ADGroup -Instance $groupInstance

Type:ADGroup
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-ManagedBy

Specifies the user or group that manages the object by providing one of the following property values. Note: The identifier in parentheses is the LDAP display name for the property.

Distinguished Name

Example: CN=SaraDavis,OU=Europe,CN=Users,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com

GUID (objectGUID)

Example: 599c3d2e-f72d-4d20-8a88-030d99495f20

Security Identifier (objectSid)

Example: S-1-5-21-3165297888-301567370-576410423-1103

SAM Account Name (sAMAccountName)

Example: saradavis

This parameter sets the Active Directory attribute with an LDAP Display Name of "managedBy".

The following example shows how to specify this parameter.

-ManagedBy ContosoAdmins

Type:ADPrincipal
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Partition

Specifies the distinguished name of an Active Directory partition. The distinguished name must be one of the naming contexts on the current directory server. The cmdlet searches this partition to find the object defined by the Identity parameter.

The following two examples show how to specify a value for this parameter.

-Partition "CN=Configuration,DC=EUROPE,DC=TEST,DC=CONTOSO,DC=COM"

-Partition "CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=EUROPE,DC=TEST,DC=CONTOSO,DC=COM"

In many cases, a default value will be used for the Partition parameter if no value is specified. The rules for determining the default value are given below. Note that rules listed first are evaluated first and once a default value can be determined, no further rules will be evaluated.

In AD DS environments, a default value for Partition will be set in the following cases: - If the Identity parameter is set to a distinguished name, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from this distinguished name.

  • If running cmdlets from an Active Directory provider drive, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from the current path in the drive.
  • If none of the previous cases apply, the default value of Partition will be set to the default partition or naming context of the target domain.

In AD LDS environments, a default value for Partition will be set in the following cases:

  • If the Identity parameter is set to a distinguished name, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from this distinguished name.
  • If running cmdlets from an Active Directory provider drive, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from the current path in the drive.
  • If the target AD LDS instance has a default naming context, the default value of Partition will be set to the default naming context. To specify a default naming context for an AD LDS environment, set the msDS-defaultNamingContext property of the Active Directory directory service agent (DSA) object (nTDSDSA) for the AD LDS instance.
  • If none of the previous cases apply, the Partition parameter will not take any default value.
Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-PassThru

Returns the new or modified object. By default (i.e. if -PassThru is not specified), this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Remove

Specifies that the cmdlet remove values of an object property. Use this parameter to remove one or more values of a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To remove an object property, you must use the LDAP display name. You can remove more than one property by specifying a semicolon-separated list. The format for this parameter is

-Remove @{Attribute1LDAPDisplayName=value[]; Attribute2LDAPDisplayName=value[]}

For example, if you want to add the values blue and green and remove the value pink from a property with a LDAP display name of FavColors, set the Add and Remove parameters as follows.

-Add @{FavColors=Blue,Green} -Remove {FavColors=Pink}

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace and Clear parameters together, the parameters will be applied in the following sequence:

..Remove

..Add

..Replace

..Clear

Type:Hashtable
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Replace

Specifies values for an object property that will replace the current values. Use this parameter to replace one or more values of a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To modify an object property, you must use the LDAP display name. You can specify multiple values to a property by specifying a comma-separated list of values, and more than one property by separating them using a semicolon. The format for this parameter is:

-Replace @{Attribute1LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; Attribute2LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; AttributeNLDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...}

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace, and Clear parameters together, the operations will be performed in the following order:

  • Remove
  • Add
  • Replace
  • Clear
Type:Hashtable
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-SamAccountName

Specifies the Security Account Manager (SAM) account name of the user, group, computer, or service account. The maximum length of the description is 256 characters. To be compatible with older operating systems, create a SAM account name that is 20 characters or less. This parameter sets the SAMAccountName for an account object. The LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is "sAMAccountName".

The following example shows how to specify this parameter.

-SAMAccountName "saradavis"

Note: If the string value provided is not terminated with a '$' character, the system adds one if needed.

Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Server

Specifies the Active Directory Domain Services instance to connect to, by providing one of the following values for a corresponding domain name or directory server. The service may be any of the following: Active Directory Lightweight Domain Services, Active Directory Domain Services or Active Directory Snapshot instance.

Domain name values:

Fully qualified domain name

Examples: corp.contoso.com

NetBIOS name

Example: CORP

Directory server values:

Fully qualified directory server name

Example: corp-DC12.corp.contoso.com

NetBIOS name

Example: corp-DC12

Fully qualified directory server name and port

Example: corp-DC12.corp.contoso.com:3268

The default value for the Server parameter is determined by one of the following methods in the order that they are listed:

-By using Server value from objects passed through the pipeline.

-By using the server information associated with the Active Directory PowerShell provider drive, when running under that drive.

-By using the domain of the computer running Powershell.

The following example shows how to specify a full qualified domain name as the parameter value.

-Server "corp.contoso.com"

Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-WhatIf

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:wi
Position:Named
Default value:False
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

Inputs

None or Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup

A group object is received by the Identity parameter.

A group object that was retrieved by using the Get-ADGroup cmdlet and then modified is received by the Instance parameter.

Outputs

None or Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup

Returns the modified group object when the PassThru parameter is specified. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

  • This cmdlet does not work with an Active Directory Snapshot.

    This cmdlet does not work with a read-only domain controller.