Move-ADObject

Move-ADObject

Moves an Active Directory object or a container of objects to a different container or domain.

Syntax

Move-ADObject [-Identity] <ADObject> [-TargetPath] <string> [-AuthType {<Negotiate> | <Basic>}] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Partition <string>] [-PassThru] [-Server <string>] [-TargetServer <string>] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
  • Identity

  • TargetPath

  • AuthType

  • Credential

  • Partition

  • PassThru

  • Server

  • TargetServer

  • Confirm

  • WhatIf

Detailed Description

The Move-ADObject cmdlet moves an object or a container of objects from one container to another or from one domain to another.

The Identity parameter specifies the Active Directory object or container to move. You can identify an object or container by its distinguished name (DN) or GUID. You can also set the Identity parameter to an object variable such as $<localObject>, or you can pass an object through the pipeline to the Identity parameter. For example, you can use the Get-ADObject cmdlet to retrieve an object and then pass the object through the pipeline to the Move-ADObject cmdlet. You can also use the Get-ADGroup, Get-ADUser, Get-ADComputer, Get-ADServiceAccount, Get-ADOrganizationalUnit and Get-ADFineGrainedPasswordPolicy cmdlets to get an object that you can pass through the pipeline to this cmdlet.

The TargetPath parameter must be specified. This parameter identifies the new location for the object or container.

Parameters

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

The following lists the acceptable values for this parameter:

  • Negotiate**

  • Basic**

Default Value: Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AuthType.Negotiate

Data Type: ADAuthType

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

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.

Default Value: **

Data Type: PSCredential

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Identity

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

Distinguished Name
Example: CN=saradavis,OU=users,OU=asia,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com
GUID (objectGUID)
Example: 599c3d2e-f72d-4d20-8a88-030d99495f20

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.

Derived types, such as the following are also accepted:
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADComputer
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADServiceAccount
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADFineGrainedPasswordPolicy
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADDomain

This example shows how to set this parameter to an ADObject object instance named "ADObjectInstance".
-Identity $ADObjectInstance

Default Value: **

Data Type: ADObject

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

true (ByValue)

pipelineInput

Position?

1

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

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.

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

PassThru

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

Default Value: **

Data Type: SwitchParameter

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

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"

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

TargetPath

Specifies the new location for the object. This location must be the path to a container or organizational unit.

The following example shows how to specify a target path by providing the distinguished name.
-TargetPath "ou=sales,dc=corp,dc=contoso,dc=com"

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

2

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

TargetServer

Specifies the Active Directory instance to use by providing the following value for a corresponding domain name or directory server.

Note: A cross domain move requires a FQDN server name.

Domain name values:
Fully qualified domain name (FQDN)
Examples: contoso.com

Directory server values:
Fully qualified directory server name
Example: server01.europe.contoso.com
Fully qualified directory server name and port
Example: server01.europe.contoso.com:3268

The following example shows how to specify a target server by specifying the fully-qualified directory server name.
-TargetServer "server01.europe.contoso.com"

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

true

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before executing the command.

Default Value: **

Data Type: SwitchParameter

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

true

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

WhatIf

Describes what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.

Default Value: **

Data Type: SwitchParameter

Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

true

variableLength

Accept wildcard characters?

false

globbing

Accept Pipeline Input?

false

pipelineInput

Position?

named

position

Value Attributes

Name Value PSMAML Attribute

Required?

false

required

Variable Length?

false

variableLength

Input Type

Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AObject

An Active Directory object is received by the Identity parameter. Derived types, such as the following are also accepted:
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADComputer
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADServiceAccount
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADOrganizationalUnit
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADFineGrainedPasswordPolicy

Return Type

None

Notes

  • This cmdlet does not work with an Active Directory Snapshot.
    This cmdlet does not work with a read-only domain controller.

Examples

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

Move-ADObject -Identity "OU=ManagedGroups,DC=Fabrikam,DC=Com" -TargetPath "OU=Managed,DC=Fabrikam,DC=Com"


                          

Moves the Organizational Unit 'ManagedGroups' to a new location. The OU 'ManagedGroups' must NOT be protected from accidental deletion for the successful move.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

Move-ADObject "8d0bcc44-c826-4dd8-af5c-2c69960fbd47" -TargetPath "OU=Managed,DC=Fabrikam,DC=Com"

Moves the object identified by the specified GUID to the new location.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

Move-ADObject "8d0bcc44-c826-4dd8-af5c-2c69960fbd47" -TargetPath "1c2ea8a8-c2b7-4a87-8190-0e8a166aee16"

Moves an object to a new location. Both the object and the target path are specified using GUIDs.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

Move-ADObject -Identity "CN=Peter Bankov,OU=Accounting,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com" -TargetPath "OU=Accounting,DC=Europe,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com" -TargetServer "server01.europe.fabrikam.com"

Moves an object with DistinguishedName 'CN=Peter Bankov,OU=Accounting,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com' to a different domain.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

Move-ADObject -Identity "CN=AccountLeads,DC=AppNC" -TargetPath "OU=AccountDeptOU,DC=AppNC" -server "FABRIKAM-SRV1:60000"

Moves an object to a new location within an LDS instance.

See Also

Reference

Rename-ADObject
New-ADObject
Get-ADObject
Set-ADObject
Remove-ADObject
Restore-ADObject

Other Resources

Online version: