AD DS: The Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell must be installed and functioning properly on this domain controller

Updated: August 31, 2012

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

This topic is intended to address a specific issue identified by a Best Practices Analyzer scan. You should apply the information in this topic only to computers that have had the Active Directory Domain Services Best Practices Analyzer run against them and are experiencing the issue addressed by this topic. For more information about best practices and scans, see Best Practices Analyzer (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122786).

Issue

The Active Directory module either is not installed or is not functioning properly on this domain controller.

Impact

The Active Directory Domain Services Best Practices Analyzer (AD DS BPA) that is running on this domain controller cannot invoke the Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell script to collect and validate configuration data from the Active Directory environment that this domain controller belongs to.

Resolution

Make sure that the Active Directory module is installed and functioning properly on this domain controller.

The Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell provides command-line scripting for administrative, configuration, and diagnostic tasks, with a consistent vocabulary and syntax. When you run the AD DS BPA scan on a domain controller, the BPA engine invokes the AD DS BPA Windows PowerShell script that collects configuration data from the Active Directory environment to which this domain controller belongs. This script consist of both Active Directory module cmdlets and core Windows PowerShell cmdlets. If the Active Directory module on a domain controller is not installed or is not functioning properly, the AD DS BPA cannot invoke its script to collect configuration data from the Active Directory environment to which this domain controller belongs.

Troubleshoot your domain controller, and ensure that the Active Directory module is installed. You can install the Active Directory module by using any of the following methods:

• By default, on a Windows Server 2008 R2 server when you install the AD DS or AD LDS server roles

• By default, when you make a Windows Server 2008 R2 server a domain controller by running Dcpromo.exe

• As part of the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) feature on a Windows Server 2008 R2 server

If the Active Directory module is installed on your Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller, troubleshoot this domain controller to make sure that the Active Directory module is functioning properly. Complete the following tasks:

• Verify that Windows PowerShell and the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1 are installed on your Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller.

  By default, the Active Directory module is installed with Windows PowerShell and.NET Framework 3.5.1. For the Active Directory module to function correctly, Windows PowerShell and the .NET Framework 3.5.1 must be installed on your Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller. For more information about Windows PowerShell, see Windows PowerShell (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=102372).

• Verify that the Active Directory Web Services (ADWS) service is installed and running on your Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller. For more information, see What's New in AD DS: Active Directory Web Services (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=141393).

• Verify that Windows PowerShell is functioning properly. To verify that Windows PowerShell is functioning properly on a Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller:

  1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Windows PowerShell, and then click Windows PowerShell V2.

  2. At the Windows PowerShell prompt, load the Active Directory module manually by running the Import-Module ActiveDirectory command.

  3. To list all the cmdlets that are available in the Active Directory module, at the Windows PowerShell prompt, type Get-Command *-AD*, and then press ENTER.

• Verify that the Active Directory module is functioning properly. To verify that the Active Directory module is functioning properly:

  1. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell.

  2. To list all the cmdlets that are available in the Active Directory module, at the Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell prompt, type Get-Command *-AD*, and then press ENTER.

Additional references

For more information, see What's New in AD DS: Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=140056).