Unlock-ADAccount
Unlock-ADAccount
Unlocks an Active Directory account.
Syntax
Unlock-ADAccount [-Identity] <ADAccount> [-AuthType {<Negotiate> | <Basic>}] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Partition <string>] [-PassThru <switch>] [-Server <string>] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
Identity
AuthType
Credential
Partition
PassThru
Server
Confirm
WhatIf
Detailed Description
The Unlock-ADAccount cmdlet restores Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) access for an account that is locked. AD DS access is suspended or locked for an account when the number of incorrect password entries exceeds the maximum number allowed by the account password policy.
The Identity parameter specifies the Active Directory account to unlock. You can identify an account by its distinguished name (DN), GUID, security identifier (SID) or Security Accounts Manager (SAM) account name. You can also set the Identity parameter to an account object variable such as $<localADAccountObject>, or you can pass an object through the pipeline to the Identity parameter. For example, you can use the Search-ADAccount cmdlet to get an account object and then pass the object through the pipeline to the Unlock-ADAccount cmdlet to unlock the account. Similarly, you can use Get-ADUser and Get-ADComputer to get objects to pass through the pipeline.
For AD LDS environments, the Partition parameter must be specified except when: - Using a DN to identify objects: the partition will be auto-generated from the DN. - Running cmdlets from an Active Directory provider drive: the current path will be used to set the partition. - A default naming context or partition is specified.
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.
Parameters
AuthType
Specifies the authentication method to use. Possible values for this parameter include:
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.
The following example shows how to set this parameter to Basic.
-AuthType Basic
The following lists the acceptable values for this parameter:
Negotiate**
Basic**
Default Value: Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AuthType.Negotiate
Data Type: ADAuthType
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
false |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
named |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
true |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
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 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-Credential cmdlet. You can then set the Credential parameter to the PSCredential object The following example shows how to create credentials.
$AdminCredentials = Get-Credential "Domain01\User01"
The following shows how to set the Credential parameter to these credentials.
-Credential $AdminCredentials
If the acting credentials do not have directory-level permission to perform the task, Active Directory PowerShell returns a terminating error.
Default Value: **
Data Type: PSCredential
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
false |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
named |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
true |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Identity
Specifies an Active Directory account object by providing one of the following property values. The identifier in parentheses is the LDAP display name for the attribute.
Distinguished Name
Example: CN=SaraDavis ,CN=Users,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com
GUID (objectGUID)
Example: 599c3d2e-f72d-4d20-8a88-030d99495f20
Security Identifier (objectSid)
Example: S-1-5-21-3165297888-301567370-576410423-1103
SAM Account Name (sAMAccountName)
Example: saradavis
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 account object instance.
Derived types such as the following are also accepted:
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADComputer
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADServiceAccount
This example shows how to set the parameter to a distinguished name.
-Identity "CN=saradavis,CN=Users,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com"
This example shows how to set this parameter to an account object instance named "accountInstance".
-Identity $accountInstance
Default Value: **
Data Type: ADAccount
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
true |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
true (ByValue) |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
1 |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
true |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
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 will be 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 will be evaluated.
In AD DS environments, a default value for Partition will be 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 will be set to the default partition or naming context of the target domain.
In AD LDS environments, a default value for Partition will be 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 will be 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 will not take any default value.
Default Value: **
Data Type: string
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
false |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
named |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
true |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
PassThru
Returns the new or modified object. By default (i.e. if -PassThru is not specified), this cmdlet does not generate any output.
Default Value: **
Data Type: switch
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
false |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
named |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
true |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Server
Specifies the Active Directory Domain Services 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: Active Directory Lightweight Domain Services, Active Directory Domain Services or Active Directory Snapshot instance.
Domain name values:
Fully qualified domain name
Examples: corp.contoso.com
NetBIOS name
Example: CORP
Directory server values:
Fully qualified directory server name
Example: corp-DC12.corp.contoso.com
NetBIOS name
Example: corp-DC12
Fully qualified directory server name and port
Example: corp-DC12.corp.contoso.com:3268
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 full qualified domain name as the parameter value.
-Server "corp.contoso.com"
Default Value: **
Data Type: string
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
false |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
named |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
true |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Confirm
Prompts you for confirmation before executing the command.
Default Value: **
Data Type: SwitchParameter
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
true |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
false |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
named |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
WhatIf
Describes what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.
Default Value: **
Data Type: SwitchParameter
Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
true |
variableLength |
Accept wildcard characters? |
false |
globbing |
Accept Pipeline Input? |
false |
pipelineInput |
Position? |
named |
position |
Value Attributes
| Name | Value | PSMAML Attribute |
|---|---|---|
Required? |
false |
required |
Variable Length? |
false |
variableLength |
Input Type
None or Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADAccount
An account object is received by the Identity parameter.
Derived types, such as the following are also accepted:
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADComputer
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADServiceAccount
Return Type
None
Notes
- This cmdlet does not work with an Active Directory Snapshot.
This cmdlet does not work with a read-only domain controller.
Examples
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------
Command Prompt: C:\PS>
Unlock-ADAccount -Identity KimAb
Unlocks the account with SamAccountName: KimAb.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------
Command Prompt: C:\PS>
Unlock-ADAccount -Identity "CN=Kim Abercrombie,OU=Finance,OU=UserAccounts,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM"
Unlocks the account with DistinguishedName: "CN=Kim Abercrombie,OU=Finance,OU=UserAccounts,DC=FABRIKAM,DC=COM".
See Also
Reference
Disable-ADAccount
Search-ADAccount
Enable-ADAccount
Set-ADAccountExpiration
Clear-ADAccountExpiration
Set-ADAccountPassword
Get-ADAccountAuthorizationGroup
Set-ADAccountControl