April 4, 2016
HomeActive DirectoryMove Bulk AD user from One OU to another using Powershell.

Move Bulk AD user from One OU to another using Powershell.

By  Active Directory, Blog  20 Comments

As of the transfer with in the organization of different departments or branch happens, it is hetic job for the IT Admin to manage all the users from one OU to another. Doing it manually really kills the time and makes insane. So here, i have create a script that could help IT admin to get relief of such hetic job. In this script I made a source as a CSV file where IT Admin can just have a user CN and Target OU and boom every users will get transfer to the desired OU.

#################################################################
# This script will help yo move bulk ad accounts into target OU
# Written 04/04/2016 Prashant,Dhewaju
# Fell free to change use any part of this script
# http://pdhewaju.com.np
#################################################################
# Import AD Module
import-module ActiveDirectory

# Import CSV
# Import the data from CSV file and assign it to variable
$Imported = Import-Csv -Path "C:\temp\move.csv"
$Imported | ForEach-Object {
# Retrieve DN of User.
$UserDN = (Get-ADUser -Identity $_.Username).distinguishedName
$TargetOU = $_.TargetOU
Write-Host " Moving Accounts ..... "
# Move user to target OU.
Move-ADObject -Identity $UserDN -TargetPath $TargetOU

}
Write-Host " Completed move "
$total = ($Imported).count
Write-Host $total "User Moved Successfully"

Download script and sample CSV format from this link

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About Author

pdhewjau

Prashant is a Principal Cybersecurity Specialist at Thakral One Nepal. His prior position as a Modern Work Security Specialist at Microsoft saw him providing invaluable guidance to major clients in Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, and Myanmar, assisting them with their foundational security needs. Awarded the esteemed Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) accolade in 2017, Prashant is recognized globally among Microsoft peers. Since 2010, he has imparted his expertise as a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), conducting specialized training across Nepal.

20 Comments
  1. Thuan

    Dear Sirs,

    I have got the problems when run this scrip, below is error. Could you please give me an advice?

    User Moved Successfully
    PS C:scriptsmove> .moveUser.ps1
    Moving Accounts …..
    Move-ADObject : Access is denied
    At C:scriptsmovemoveUser.ps1:20 char:19
    + Move-ADObject <<<< -Identity $UserDN -TargetPath $TargetOU
    + CategoryInfo : PermissionDenied: (CN=Thuan Phan,O…svietnam,DC=com:ADObject) [Move-ADObject], Unauthor
    izedAccessException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Access is denied,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.MoveADObject

    Completed move
    User Moved Successfully

    Many thanks.
    Best regards,
    Thuan

    Reply
    • admin

      Hi Thuan,

      Can you please use your Admin Powershell mode. It should be working with it. seems like you didn’t have enough credential for this purpose.

      Reply
  2. Thuan

    Dear Admin,

    Thanks so much for your advice.

    I did as your advice already but I have got another problems, please see below message.

    ——————————
    PS C:scriptsmove> .moveUser.ps1
    Moving Accounts …..
    Move-ADObject : The operation could not be performed because the object’s parent is either uninstantiated or deleted
    At C:scriptsmovemoveUser.ps1:20 char:19
    + Move-ADObject <<<< -Identity $UserDN -TargetPath $_.TargetOU
    + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (CN=test,OU=IT,O…svietnam,DC=com:ADObject) [Move-ADObject], ADException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : The operation could not be performed because the object's parent is either uninstantiate
    d or deleted,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.MoveADObject
    ————————————————
    Could you please give me one more advice?

    Thank you,
    Thuan

    Reply
  3. Thuan

    Dear Admin,

    I am wrong the OU=com with DC=com.

    Thank you so much for your advice.

    Best regards,

    Thuan

    Reply
  4. Mohammed

    Hi,

    I followed the instructions and copied the style of your example csv but I can’t seem to get this to work. The powershell window just closes, no error messages or anything.

    Reply
    • pdhewjau

      Hi Mohammed,
      can you please help me with you result, what actually happened when you tried to run this script?

      Reply
      • Mohammed

        Nothing, I right click and hit open with powershell, the powershell window opens for like a second or so then just closes.

        Reply
        • pdhewjau

          Hi Mohammed, you need to make some edit on the script as per your environment, like the location of CSV file and detail of your domain controller.

          Reply
  5. Demitri

    Having a problem moving mine.. need some help please..

    # Import CSV
    # Import the data from CSV file and assign it to variable
    $Imported = Get-Content -Path “C:\temp\move.csv”
    $Imported | ForEach-Object {
    # Retrieve DN of User.
    $UserDN = (Get-ADUser -Identity $_.Username).distinguishedName
    $TargetOU = $_.TargetOU
    Write-Host ” Moving Accounts ….. ”
    # Move user to target OU.
    Move-ADObject -Identity $UserDN -TargetPath $TargetOU “OU=Temp Disabled Users,OU=duckerEnergy.com,DC=tesg,DC=duckerenergy,DC=com”

    }
    Write-Host ” Completed move ”
    $total = ($Imported).count
    Write-Host $total “User Moved Successfully”

    …

    I think i am putting my target OU info in the wrong place. can someone please advise…

    Reply
    • pdhewjau

      Hi Demitri,

      can you help me with your domain name and path of the OU on which you want to move the users… although can you try this format?
      — Move-ADObject -Identity $UserDN -TargetPath $TargetOU “OU=Temp Disabled Users,DC=duckerenergy,DC=com” —

      appreciate your feedback on this ?

      Reply
  6. StarLord

    Hi Demitri,

    What if the destination OU has the same name as the user you’re trying to move into that OU. How would you add the duplicate name to the same OU?

    Reply
    • pdhewjau

      You cannot have unique login name in AD, i.e. unique samaccount name. So you don’t need to worry with display name.

      Reply
  7. Dirco

    Hi Pdhewjau,
    Thank you for the helpful instructions.
    I attempted to move user one OU to another without csv.
    Unfortunately, some reason i get : Get-ADObject : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument

    Not sure if i do the things right way. Could you please look into it and let me know where i can fix.

    Thank you.

    Import-Module ActiveDirectory
    $Imported = Get-ADObject -Filter *SearchBase “OU=Hamal_new,DC=dircolab,DC=com”
    $Imported |ForEach-Object {
    $UserDN = (Get-ADUser Identity $_.Username).distinguishedName
    $targetOU = “OU=Managers,DC=dircolab,DC=com”
    Write-Host “Moving Accounts …”
    Move-ADObject -Identity $UserDN -TargetPath $targetOU
    }
    Write-Host “Completed move”
    $Total = ($Imported).count
    Write-Host $Total “User Moved Successfully”

    Reply
    • pdhewjau

      Hi Dirco,
      Which version of Active Directory you are working with and can you check if you can do Import-Module Active Directory.

      Reply
  8. salih

    hi,
    ı experienced this error today and solved it by correcting ou path.
    thanks…

    Reply
  9. weezy

    You’re the best

    Reply
  10. SJ

    Good Day

    I am getting this error.

    PS C:\Windows\system32> C:\AD Scripts\Bulk user Move\Bulk user move _v1.0.ps1
    Get-ADUser : Cannot find an object with identity: ‘*********,”OU=PLP,OU=NCV Students,OU=Active Students,DC=******,DC=local”‘ under:
    ‘DC=*******,DC=local’.
    At C:\AD Scripts\Bulk user Move\Bulk user move _v1.0.ps1:16 char:18
    + $UserDN = (Get-ADUser -Identity $_.Username).distinguishedName
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (161739482,”OU=P…bstud,DC=local”:ADUser) [Get-ADUser], ADIdentityNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryCmdlet:Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADIdentityNotFoundException,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Managem
    ent.Commands.GetADUser

    Moving Accounts …..
    Move-ADObject : Cannot validate argument on parameter ‘Identity’. The argument is null or an element of the argument collection contains a null value.
    At C:\AD Scripts\Bulk user Move\Bulk user move _v1.0.ps1:20 char:31
    + Move-ADObject -Identity $UserDN -TargetPath $TargetOU
    + ~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Move-ADObject], ParameterBindingValidationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.MoveADObject

    Completed move
    User Moved Successfully

    PS C:\Windows\system32>

    Reply
  11. Claudiu

    Hello admin

    The OU on the device need to be rfdbeaufort.local/_Survitec Services/_Survitec Services US/Service Miami/Computers/

    Can you advise how to add the line to the script ?

    Thank you

    Reply
  12. pdhewjau

    Hi Claudiu,
    you need to manage that with Excel sheet. There is link to download Sample CSV at last of my blog.

    Reply

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