Set-ADObject

Reference

Module:: ActiveDirectory

Modifies an Active Directory object.

Syntax

Set-ADObject
   [-WhatIf]
   [-Confirm]
   [-Add <Hashtable>]
   [-AuthType <ADAuthType>]
   [-Clear <String[]>]
   [-Credential <PSCredential>]
   [-Description <String>]
   [-DisplayName <String>]
   [-Identity] <ADObject>
   [-Partition <String>]
   [-PassThru]
   [-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion <Boolean>]
   [-Remove <Hashtable>]
   [-Replace <Hashtable>]
   [-Server <String>]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Set-ADObject
   [-WhatIf]
   [-Confirm]
   [-AuthType <ADAuthType>]
   [-Credential <PSCredential>]
   -Instance <ADObject>
   [-PassThru]
   [-Server <String>]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Set-ADObject cmdlet modifies the properties of an Active Directory object. You can modify commonly used property values by using the cmdlet parameters. Property values that are not associated with cmdlet parameters can be modified by using the Add, Replace, Clear, and Remove parameters.

The Identity parameter specifies the Active Directory object to modify. You can identify an object by its distinguished name 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 Set-ADObject cmdlet.

The Instance parameter provides a way to update an object by applying the changes made to a copy of the object. When you set the Instance parameter to a copy of an Active Directory object that has been modified, the Set-ADObject cmdlet makes the same changes to the original object. To get a copy of the object to modify, use the Get-ADObject object. The Identity parameter is not allowed when you use the Instance parameter. For more information about the Instance parameter, see the Instance parameter description.

For Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) environments, the Partition parameter must be specified except in the following two conditions:

The cmdlet is run from an Active Directory provider drive.
A default naming context or partition is defined for the AD LDS environment. To specify a default naming context for an AD LDS environment, set the msDS-defaultNamingContext property of the Active Directory directory service agent object (nTDSDSA) for the AD LDS instance.

Examples

Example 1: Set a property on an object by distinguished name

PS C:\>Set-ADObject -Identity 'CN=PattiFu Direct Reports,OU=Finance,OU=UserAccounts,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM' -Description "Distribution List of Patti Fuller Direct Reports"

This command sets the Description property on the object with the distinguished name CN=PattiFu Direct Reports,OU=Finance,OU=UserAccounts,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM.

Example 2: Add a site to a property for an object

PS C:\>Set-ADObject -Identity 'CN=DEFAULTIPSITELINK,CN=IP,CN=Inter-Site Transports,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM' -Add @{siteList='CN=BO3,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM'} -Partition 'CN=Configuration,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM'

This command adds the site CN=BO3,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM to the property siteList on the object with the distinguished name CN=DEFAULTIPSITELINK,CN=IP,CN=Inter-Site Transports,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM.

Example 3: Add URLs to an object property

PS C:\>$UrlValues = @()
PS C:\> $UrlValues += "www.contoso.com"
PS C:\> $UrlValues += "www.fabrikam.com"
PS C:\>Set-ADObject -Identity "cdadd380-d3a8-4fd1-9d30-5cf72d94a056" -Add @{url=$UrlValues}

This command adds two new URLs to the urlValues property in the object with the GUID cdadd380-d3a8-4fd1-9d30-5cf72d94a056.

Example 4: Set values for a multi-valued attribute

PS C:\>$UrlValues = @() 
PS C:\> $UrlValues += "www.contoso.com" 
PS C:\> $UrlValues += "www.fabrikam.com" 
PS C:\> Set-ADObject -Identity "cdadd380-d3a8-4fd1-9d30-5cf72d94a056" -Replace @{url=$UrlValues;description="Patti Fuller"}

This command replaces the old values of the multi-valued attribute url with the new values and sets the value of the attribute description.

Example 5: Remove a value from an attribute

PS C:\>Set-ADObject -Identity "cdadd380-d3a8-4fd1-9d30-5cf72d94a056" -Remove @{url="www.contoso.com"} -Replace @{description="Patti Fuller (European Manager)"}

This command removes the specified value from the url attribute and sets the value of the description attribute.

Example 6: Set a UAC bit on an object

PS C:\>$MyComp = Get-ADObject -Identity "cdadd380-d3a8-4fd1-9d30-5cf72d94a056" -Properties "userAccountControl","description" 
PS C:\> $MyComp.userAccountControl = $MyComp.userAccountControl -bor 50 
PS C:\> $MyComp.description = "Setting a new UAC on the object" 
PS C:\> Set-ADObject -Instance $MyComp

This command sets a new User Access Control (UAC) bit on an object by updating the userAccountControl attribute, and sets the value of the description attribute.

Example 7: Protect an object from accidental deletion

PS C:\>Set-ADObject -Identity "CN=InternalApps,DC=AppNC" -protectedFromAccidentalDeletion $True -Server "FABRIKAM-SRV1:60000"

This command sets container CN=InternalApps,DC=AppNC in an AD LDS instance to be protected from accidental deletion.

Example 8: Get an object and modify a property

PS C:\>Get-ADObject -Identity "SecurityLevel2AccessGroup" | Set-ADObject -DisplayName "Security Level 2"

This command modifies the DisplayName property for the SecurityLevel2AccessGroup object. The command uses the Get-ADObject cmdlet to get the object, and then passes the object to the current cmdlet by using the pipeline operator.

Parameters

-Add

Specifies values to add to an object property. Use this parameter to add one or more values to a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To modify an object property, you must use the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) display name. You can specify multiple values to a property by specifying a comma-separated list of values and more than one property by separating them using a semicolon. The format for this parameter is:

-Add @{Attribute1LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; Attribute2LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; AttributeNLDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...}

For example, if you want to remove the value 555-222-2222 and add the values 555-222-1111 and 555-222-3333 to Phone-Office-Other attribute (LDAP display name otherTelephone), and add the value 555-222-9999 to Phone-Mobile-Other (LDAP display name otherMobile), set the Add and Remove parameters as follows:

-Add @{otherTelephone='555-222-1111', '555-222-3333'; otherMobile='555-222-9999' } -Remove @{otherTelephone='555-222-2222'}

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace and Clear parameters together, the operations are performed in the following order:

Remove
Add
Replace
Clear

Type:	Hashtable
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-AuthType

Specifies the authentication method to use. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

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.

Type:	ADAuthType
Accepted values:	Negotiate, Basic
Position:	Named
Default value:	Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AuthType.Negotiate
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Clear

Specifies an array of object properties that are cleared in the directory. Use this parameter to clear one or more values of a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To modify an object property, you must use the LDAP display name. You can modify more than one property by specifying a comma-separated list. The format for this parameter is:

-Clear Attribute1LDAPDisplayName, Attribute2LDAPDisplayName

For example, if you want to clear the value for the Phone-Office-Other attribute (LDAP display name otherTelephone) set the Clear parameter as follows:

-Clear otherTelephone

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace and Clear parameters together, the operations are performed in the following order:

Remove
Add
Replace
Clear

Type:	String[]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Aliases:	cf
Position:	Named
Default value:	False
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-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 module for Windows 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-Credentialhttp://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=293936 cmdlet. You can then set the Credential parameter to the PSCredential object.

If the acting credentials do not have directory-level permission to perform the task, Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell returns a terminating error.

Type:	PSCredential
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Description

Specifies a description of the object. This parameter sets the value of the Description property for the object. The LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is description.

The following example shows how to set this parameter to a sample description.

-Description "Description of the object"

Type:	String
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-DisplayName

Specifies the display name of the object. This parameter sets the DisplayName property of the object. The LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is displayName.

The following example shows how to set this parameter:

-DisplayName "Patti Fuller Laptop"

Type:	String
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-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. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

Distinguished name
GUID (objectGUID)

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

Type:	ADObject
Position:	0
Default value:	None
Required:	True
Accept pipeline input:	True
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Instance

Specifies a modified copy of an Active Directory object to use to update the actual Active Directory object. When you specify this parameter, any modifications made to the modified copy of the object are also made to the corresponding Active Directory object. The cmdlet only updates the object properties that have changed.

The Instance parameter can only update Active Directory objects that have been retrieved by using the Get-ADObject cmdlet. When you specify the Instance parameter, you cannot specify other parameters that set properties on the object.

The following is an example of how to use the Get-ADObject cmdlet to retrieve an instance of the object. The object is modified by using the PowerShell command line. Then the Set-ADObject cmdlet saves the changes to the Active Directory object.

Step 1: Get a local instance of the object:

$ObjectInstance = Get-ADObject -Identity "CN=someObject, DC=contoso,DC=com"

Step 2: Modify one or more properties of the object instance:

$ObjectInstance.Description = "New Description"

Step3: Save your changes to the object:

Set-ADObject -Instance $ObjectInstance

Type:	ADObject
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	True
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-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 is 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 are evaluated.

In Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) environments, a default value for Partition is 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 is set to the default partition or naming context of the target domain.

In AD LDS environments, a default value for Partition is 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 is 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 does not take any default value.

Type:	String
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-PassThru

Returns an object representing the item with which you are working. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion

Specifies whether to prevent the object from being deleted. When this property is set to true, you cannot delete the corresponding object without changing the value of the property. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

$False or 0
$True or 1

The following example shows how to set this parameter to $True.

-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $True

Type:	Boolean
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Remove

Specifies that the cmdlet remove values of an object property. Use this parameter to remove one or more values of a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To remove an object property, you must use the LDAP display name. You can remove more than one property by specifying a semicolon-separated list. The format for this parameter is:

``-Remove @{Attribute1LDAPDisplayName=value[]; Attribute2LDAPDisplayName=value[]}

For example, if you want to add the values blue and green and remove the value pink from a property with a LDAP display name of FavColors, set the Add and Remove parameters as follows:

-Add @{FavColors=Blue,Green} -Remove {FavColors=Pink}

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace and Clear parameters together, the operations are performed in the following order:

Remove
Add
Replace
Clear

Type:	Hashtable
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Replace

Specifies values for an object property that will replace the current values. Use this parameter to replace one or more values of a property that cannot be modified using a cmdlet parameter. To modify an object property, you must use the LDAP display name. You can specify multiple values to a property by specifying a comma-separated list of values, and more than one property by separating them using a semicolon. The format for this parameter is:

-Replace @{Attribute1LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; Attribute2LDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...; AttributeNLDAPDisplayName=value1, value2, ...}

When you use the Add, Remove, Replace, and Clear parameters together, the operations will be performed in the following order:

Remove
Add
Replace
Clear

Type:	Hashtable
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Server

Specifies the AD DS 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: AD LDS, AD DS, or Active Directory snapshot instance.

Domain name values:

Fully qualified domain name (FQDN)
NetBIOS name

Directory server values:

Fully qualified directory server name
A NetBIOS name
Fully qualified directory server name and port

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 FQDN as the parameter value.

-Server "corp.contoso.com"

Type:	String
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-WhatIf

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Aliases:	wi
Position:	Named
Default value:	False
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Inputs

None or Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADObject

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
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADDomain

An object that was retrieved by using the Get-ADObject cmdlet and then modified is received by the Instance parameter.

Outputs

None or Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADObject

Returns the modified object when the PassThru parameter is specified. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

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

Share via

Set-ADObject

Syntax

Description

Examples

Example 1: Set a property on an object by distinguished name

Example 2: Add a site to a property for an object

Example 3: Add URLs to an object property

Example 4: Set values for a multi-valued attribute

Example 5: Remove a value from an attribute

Example 6: Set a UAC bit on an object

Example 7: Protect an object from accidental deletion

Example 8: Get an object and modify a property

Parameters

-Add

-AuthType

-Clear

-Confirm

-Credential

-Description

-DisplayName

-Identity

-Instance

-Partition

-PassThru

-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion

-Remove

-Replace

-Server

-WhatIf

Inputs

Outputs

Notes

Feedback

Additional resources

Share via

Set-ADObject

Syntax

Description

Examples

Example 1: Set a property on an object by distinguished name

Example 2: Add a site to a property for an object

Example 3: Add URLs to an object property

Example 4: Set values for a multi-valued attribute

Example 5: Remove a value from an attribute

Example 6: Set a UAC bit on an object

Example 7: Protect an object from accidental deletion

Example 8: Get an object and modify a property

Parameters

-Add

-AuthType

-Clear

-Confirm

-Credential

-Description

-DisplayName

-Identity

-Instance

-Partition

-PassThru

-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion

-Remove

-Replace

-Server

-WhatIf

Inputs

Outputs

Notes

Related Links

Feedback

Additional resources