Manage user accounts for Skype for Business Server

The sections in this article describe how to enable, temporarily disable, or remove Active Directory users from Skype for Business Server.

For information on how to enable an Active Directory user, see Create a New User Account. For information on how to delete an Active Directory user, see Delete a User Account.

These procedures should be performed during a maintenance window, when Skype for Business usage is lowest. Whether this is done on a daily or weekly schedule will be determined by the needs of your organization.

This article contains the following procedures:

Search for one or more users

You can use the results of a search query to configure Active Directory users for Skype for Business Server. You can search for users by display name, first name, last name, Security Accounts Manager (SAM) account name, SIP address, or line Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

You can search for users by using the Skype for Business Server Control Panel or the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. The following procedure describes how to use Skype for Business Server Control Panel to search for users.

Note

In an environment with a central forest topology, search results might not be accurate when you search for a user by the user's email address. Instead, you can search for users by specifying a SIP address prefix, for example, sip:name, add a search filter and select a SIP address that contains a partial email address, or use the Get-CSUser cmdlet.

Search for users using the new Control Panel

  1. Open a browser window and enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  2. Log in using a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role.

  3. In the left pane, select Users.

  4. On the Users page, in the Search box, type all or the first portion of the display name that you want to search for and press Enter.

  5. (Optional) Specify additional search criteria to narrow the results:

    1. Click the filter button next to the Search box.

    2. In the Filter panel that appears, select the required user property by clicking the arrow in the dropdown list.

    3. Click the arrow in the dropdown operator list, to select the required operator.

    4. In the text box, type the search criteria you want to use to filter search results, and then click OK.

  6. The search results appear on the Users page. You can select any or all of the users in the list and perform configuration tasks on the users you select.

Note

The new Control Panel is not available for Skype for Business Server 2015.

Search for users using the legacy Control Panel

  1. From a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  3. In the left pane, select Users.

  4. In the Search users box, type all or the first portion of the display name, first name, last name, SAM account name, SIP address, or line URI of the user account that you want to search for, and then click Find.

  5. (Optional) Specify additional search criteria to narrow the results:

    1. Click the expand arrow button in the upper-right corner of the screen above Search results, and then click Add Filter.

    2. Enter the user property by typing it or clicking the arrow in the dropdown list to select a user property.

    3. In the Equal to list, select Equal to or Not equal to.

    4. In the text box, type the search criteria you want to use to filter search results, and then click Find.

  6. The search results appear under Search Results. You can select any or all of the users in the list and perform configuration tasks on the users you select.

Add and enable a new Skype for Business Server user

After enabling a user account in Active Directory Users and Computers, you can use Skype for Business Server Control Panel to create and enable new Skype for Business Server user accounts by adding an Active Directory user to Skype for Business Server.

You can also use a cmdlet, specifically Enable-CsUser.

Add a user using the new Control Panel

  1. Open a browser window and enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  2. Log in using a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role.

  3. Navigate to Users > Enable Users, and click Add.

  4. In the Search box, type all or the first portion of the display name and click Find.

  5. (Optional) To specify additional user criteria, click + Add filter, select the required user property, select the operator, and enter the value. Click Find.

  6. In the table, select the account you want to add to Skype for Business Server, and then click OK.

  7. Assign the user to a pool, specify any additional details, and assign the required policies to the user, and then click Enable.

Note

The new Control Panel is not available for Skype for Business Server 2015.

Add a user using the legacy Control Panel

  1. From a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  3. Navigate to Users > Enable users > New Lync Server User, and click Add.

  4. In the Search users box, type all or the first portion of the name, display name, first name, last name, Security Accounts Manager (SAM) account name, email address, User Principal Name (UPN), or phone number of the Active Directory user account that you want, and then click Find.

  5. In the table, select the account you want to add to Skype for Business Server, and then click OK.

  6. Assign the user to a pool, specify any additional details, and assign the policies to the user you want, and then click Enable.

Disable or re-enable a user account for Skype for Business Server

You can use the following procedure to disable a previously enabled user account in Skype for Business Server without losing the Skype for Business Server settings that you configured for the user account. Because you do not lose the Skype for Business Server user account settings, you can re-enable a previously enabled user account again without having to reconfigure the user account.

Disable or re-enable a user account using the new Control Panel

  1. Open a browser window and enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  2. Log in using a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role.

  3. In the left pane, select Users.

  4. On the Users page, in the Search box, type all or the first portion of the display name and press Enter.

  5. In the table, double-click the user account that you want to disable or re-enable.

    1. In the panel that appears, to temporarily disable the user account for Skype for Business Server, select Disable User. In the panel that appears, click Save.
    2. To re-enable the user account for Skype for Business Server, in the panel, select Re-enable User. In the next panel that appears, click Save.

Note

The new Control Panel is not available for Skype for Business Server 2015.

Disable or re-enable a user account using the legacy Control Panel

  1. From a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  3. In the left pane, select Users.

  4. In the Search users box, type all or the first portion of the display name, first name, last name, Security Accounts Manager (SAM) account name, SIP address, or line Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the user account that you want to disable or re-enable, and then click Find.

  5. In the table, click the user account that you want to disable or re-enable.

  6. On the Action menu, do one of the following:

    1. To temporarily disable the user account for Skype for Business Server, select Temporarily disable for Lync Server.
    2. To enable the user account for Skype for Business Server, select Re-enable for Lync Server.

Disable or re-enable user accounts using Windows PowerShell

User accounts can be temporarily disabled, and then later re-enabled, by using the Set-CsUser cmdlet. You can run this cmdlet either from the Skype for Business Server Management Shell or from a remote session of Windows PowerShell. For details about using remote Windows PowerShell to connect to Skype for Business Server, see Microsoft Lync Remote PowerShell Administration. The process is the same in Skype for Business Server.

To disable a user account using Windows PowerShell

  • To temporarily disable a user account, set the value of the enabled property to False ($False). For example:

    Set-CsUser -Identity "Ken Myer" -Enabled $False
    

To re-enable a user account using Windows PowerShell

  • To re-enable a disabled user account, set the value of the enabled property to True ($True). For example:

    Set-CsUser -Identity "Ken Myer" -Enabled $True
    

For more information, see the help topic for the Set-CsUser cmdlet.

Disable a user for Enterprise Voice

Use the following procedure to disable Enterprise Voice for a user account that is enabled for Skype for Business Server.

Disable a user for Enterprise Voice using new Control Panel

  1. Open a browser window and enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  2. Log in using a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role.

  3. In the left pane, click Users.

  4. In the Search box, type all or the first portion of the display name and click Find.

  5. In the table, double-click the user account that you want to disable for Enterprise Voice.

  6. In the panel that appears, click the pencil icon next to Assigned Policies.

  7. In the Assigned Policies panel, under Telephony, click any option except Enterprise Voice in the dropdown list.

  8. Click Save.

    Note

    To restrict a user from making audio or video calls, under Telephony, click Audio/Video disabled.

The user is now unable to use the Enterprise Voice feature.

Note

The new Control Panel is not available for Skype for Business Server 2015.

Disable a user account for Enterprise Voice using legacy Control Panel

  1. From a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  3. In the left pane, click Users.

  4. In the Search users box, type all or the first portion of the display name, first name, last name, Security Accounts Manager (SAM) account name, SIP address, or line Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the user account that you want to enable, and then click Find.

  5. In the table, click the user account that you want to enable for Enterprise Voice.

  6. On the Edit menu, click Show details.

  7. On the Edit Lync Server User page, under Telephony, click any option except Enterprise Voice.

    Note

    To restrict a user from making audio or video calls by using Lync, under Telephony, click Audio/video disabled.

  8. Click Commit.

The user is now unable to use the Enterprise Voice feature.

Related information:
Enterprise Voice and mobility
Enable users for Enterprise Voice in Skype for Business Server
Skype for Business Server Management Shell

Remove a user account with the Skype for Business Server Management Shell

You can use the following procedure to remove a previously added user account in Skype for Business Server.

Note

Removing a user will cause you to lose any settings you configured for the user account. If you would like to temporarily disable a user account instead, see Disable or re-enable a user account previously enabled for Skype for Business Server.

Remove a user using the new Control Panel

  1. Open a browser window and enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  2. Log in using a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role.

  3. In the left pane, select Users.

  4. In the Search box, type all or the first portion of the display name and click Find.

  5. In the table, double-click the user account that you want to remove.

  6. In the panel that appears, click Remove User. In the next panel that appears, click OK.

Note

The new Control Panel is not available for Skype for Business Server 2015.

Remove a user using the legacy Control Panel

  1. From a user account that is assigned to the CsUserAdministrator role or the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Skype for Business Server Control Panel.

  3. In the left pane, select Users.

  4. In the Search users box, type all or the first portion of the display name, first name, last name, Security Accounts Manager (SAM) account name, SIP address, or line Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the user account that you want to remove, and then click Find.

  5. In the table, click the user account that you want to remove.

  6. On the Action menu, select Remove from Lync Server, and a dialog box appears.

  7. From the dialog box, select OK to remove the user.

Remove user accounts with Windows PowerShell cmdlets

You can remove user accounts by using the Disable-CsUser cmdlet. This cmdlet can be run either from the Skype for Business Server Management Shell or from a remote session Windows PowerShell. For details about using remote Windows PowerShell to connect to Skype for Business Server, see Microsoft Lync Remote PowerShell Administration. The process is the same in Skype for Business Server.

To remove a user account, use the Disable-CsUser cmdlet. For example:

Disable-CsUser -Identity "Ken Myer"

After this command has run there is no way to re-enable the account and its previous settings. Instead, you will need to use the Enable-CsUser cmdlet to create a brand-new account for Ken Myer.

For more information, see the help topic for the Disable-CsUser cmdlet.

See also

Enable-CsUser

Disable-CsUser