Net user
Adds or modifies user accounts or displays user account information.
Syntax
net user [UserName [Password | *] [options]] [/domain]
net user [UserName {Password | *} /add [options] [/domain]]
net user [UserName [/delete] [/domain]]
Parameters
UserName : Specifies the name of the user account to add, delete, modify, or view. The name of the user account can have as many as 20 characters.
Password : Assigns or changes a password for the user's account. Type an asterisk (*) to produce a prompt for the password. The password is not displayed when you type it at the password prompt.
/domain : Performs the operation on the domain controller in the computer's primary domain.
options : Specifies a command-line option. The following table lists valid command-line options that you can use.
Command-line option syntax |
Description |
|---|---|
/active:{no | yes} |
Enables or disables the user account. If the user account is not active, the user cannot access resources on the computer. The default is yes (that is, active). |
/comment:" text " |
Provides a descriptive comment about the user's account. This comment can have as many as 48 characters. Enclose the text in quotation marks. |
/countrycode: nnn |
Uses the operating system Country/Region codes to implement the specified language files for a user's Help and error messages. A value of 0 signifies the default Country/Region code. |
/expires:{{mm/dd/yyyy | dd/mm/yyyy | mmm,dd ,yyyy} | never} |
Causes the user account to expire if you specify date. Expiration dates can be in [mm/dd/yyyy], [dd/mm/yyyy], or [mmm,dd ,yyyy] format, depending on the Country/Region code. Note that the account expires at the beginning of the specified date. For the month value, you can use numbers, spell it out, or use a three-letter abbreviation (that is, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). You can use two or four numbers for the year value. Use commas or slashes to separate parts of the date. Do not use spaces. If you omit yyyy, the next occurrence of the date (that is, according to your computer's date and time) is assumed. For example, the following entries are equivalent if entered between Jan. 10, 1994, and Jan. 8, 1995: jan,9 |
/fullname:" name " |
Specifies a user's full name rather than a user name. Enclose the name in quotation marks. |
/homedir: Path |
Sets the path for the user's home directory. The path must exist. |
/passwordchg:{yes | no} |
Specifies whether users can change their own password. The default is yes. |
/passwordreq:{yes | no} |
Specifies whether a user account must have a password. The default is yes. |
/profilepath:[Path] |
Sets a path for the user's logon profile. This path points to a registry profile. |
/scriptpath: Path |
Sets a path for the user's logon script. Path cannot be an absolute path. Path is relative to %systemroot%\System32\Repl\Import\Scripts. |
/times:{day[-day][,day[-day]] ,time[-time][,time[-time]] [;] | all} |
Specifies the times that users are allowed to use the computer. Time is limited to 1-hour increments. For the day values, you can spell out or use abbreviations (that is, M,T,W,Th,F,Sa,Su). You can use 12-hour or 24-hour notation for hours. If you use 12-hour notation, use AM and PM, or A.M. and P.M. The value all means a user can always log on. A null value (blank) means a user can never log on. Separate day and time with commas, and units of day and time with semicolons (for example, M,4AM-5PM;T,1PM-3PM). Do not use spaces when designating times. |
/usercomment:" text " |
Specifies that an administrator can add or change the "User comment" for the account. Enclose the text in quotation marks. |
/workstations:{ComputerName[,...] | *} |
Lists as many as eight workstations from which a user can log on to the network. Separate multiple entries in the list with commas. If /workstations has no list or if the list is an asterisk (*), users can log on from any computer. |
net help command : Displays help for the specified net command.
Remarks
Used without parameters, net user displays a list of the user accounts on the computer. You can also type net users.
A password must satisfy the minimum length set with net accounts /minpwlen. It can have as many as 127 characters. However, if you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP on a network that also has computers using Windows 95 or Windows 98, consider using passwords not longer than 14 characters. Windows 95 and Windows 98 support passwords of up to 14 characters. If your password is longer, you might not be able to log on to your network from those computers.
Examples
To display a list of all user accounts for the local computer, type:
net user
To view information about the user account jimmyh, type:
net user jimmyh
To add a user account for Jay Jamison, with logon rights from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., Monday through Friday (no spaces in time designations), a mandatory password (jayj), and the user's full name, type:
net user jayj /add /passwordreq:yes /times:monday-friday,8am-5pm/fullname:"Jay Jamison"
To set johnsw's logon time (8 A.M. to 5 P.M.) using 24-hour notation, type:
net user johnsw /time:M-F,08:00-17:00
To set johnsw's logon time (8 A.M. to 5 P.M.) using 12-hour notation, type:
net user johnsw /time:M-F,8am-5pm
To specify logon hours of 4 A.M. until 5 P.M. on Monday, 1 P.M. until 3 P.M. on Tuesday, and 8 A.M. until 5 P.M. Wednesday through Friday for marysl, type:
net user marysl /time:M,4am-5pm;T,1pm-3pm;W-F,8:00-17:00
Formatting legend
Format |
Meaning |
|---|---|
Italic |
Information that the user must supply |
Bold |
Elements that the user must type exactly as shown |
Ellipsis (...) |
Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line |
Between brackets ([]) |
Optional items |
Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd} |
Set of choices from which the user must choose only one |
Courier font |
Code or program output |