Convert a Group to Another Type
Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012
Membership in Account Operators , Domain Admins , or Enterprise Admins , or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477.
Converting a group to another group type
Using the Windows interface
Using a command line
To convert a group to another group type using the Windows interface
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 .
To open Active Directory Users and Computers in Windows Server® 2012, click Start , type dsa.msc .
In the console tree, click the folder that contains the group that you want to convert to another group type.
Where?
- Active Directory Users and Computers\ domain node \ folder that contains the group
In the details pane, right-click the group, and then click Properties .
On the General tab, under Grouptype , click the group type.
Additional considerations
To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Account Operators group, Domain Admins group, or Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
To convert a group, the domain functional level must be set to Windows 2000 native or higher. Groups cannot be converted when the domain functional level is set to Windows 2000 mixed.
You can also perform the task in this procedure by using the Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell. To open the Active Directory module, click Start , click Administrative Tools , and then click Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell .
To open the Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell in Windows Server 2012, open Server Manager , click Tools and then click Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell .
For more information, see Convert a Group to Another Type (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=180675). For more information about Windows PowerShell, see Windows PowerShell (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=102372).
Additional references
To convert a group to another group type using a command line
To open a command prompt, click Start , click Run , type cmd , and then click OK .
To open a command prompt in Windows Server 2012, click Start , type cmd , and then click OK .
Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
dsmod group <GroupDN> -secgrp {yes|no}
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
<GroupDN> |
Specifies the distinguished name of the group object for which you want to change the group type. |
-secgrp |
Sets the group type value. |
{yes|no} |
Specifies that the group type is set to security group ( yes ) or distribution group ( no ). |
To view the complete syntax for this command, and for information about entering user account information, at a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
dsmod group /?
Additional considerations
To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Account Operators group, Domain Admins group, or Enterprise Admins group in AD DS, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
To convert a group, the domain functional level must be set to Windows 2000 native or higher. Groups cannot be converted when the domain functional level is set to Windows 2000 mixed.
You can also perform the task in this procedure by using the Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell. To open the Active Directory module, click Start , click Administrative Tools , and then click Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell .
To open the Active Directory module in Windows Server 2012, open Server Manager , click Tools and then click Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell .
For more information, see Convert a Group to Another Type (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=138379). For more information about Windows PowerShell, see Windows PowerShell (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=102372).