Share via


Move an organizational unit

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To move an organizational unit

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

  1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers.

  2. In the console tree, right-click the organizational unit that you want to move.

    Where?

    • Active Directory Users and Computers/domain node/organizational unit
  3. Click Move, and then click the folder to which you want to move the organizational unit.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group or the Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Active Directory Users and Computers.

  • Active Directory Users and Computers can only move organizational units within the same domain. To move organizational units between domains, use Movetree. For more information about Movetree and other Active Directory support tools, see Related Topics.

Using a command line

  1. Open Command Prompt.

  2. Type:

    dsmovOuDN [-newparent ParentDN] -pwd {Password|*}

Value Description

OuDN

Specifies the distinguished name of the organizational unit object to be moved.

ParentDN

Specifies the new location to which you want to move the organizational unit object. The new location is specified as the distinguished name of the new parent node.

Pwd

Specifies to use either a password or a * to log on to a remote server. If you type *, then you are prompted for a password.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group or the Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • Active Directory Users and Computers can only move organizational units within the same domain. To move organizational units between domains, use Movetree. For more information about Movetree and other Active Directory support tools, see Related Topics.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Working with MMC console files
Organizational units
Find an organizational unit
Active Directory support tools