New-ADGroup

Creates an Active Directory group.

Syntax

New-ADGroup
   [-WhatIf]
   [-Confirm]
   [-AuthType <ADAuthType>]
   [-Credential <PSCredential>]
   [-Description <String>]
   [-DisplayName <String>]
   [-GroupCategory <ADGroupCategory>]
   [-GroupScope] <ADGroupScope>
   [-HomePage <String>]
   [-Instance <ADGroup>]
   [-ManagedBy <ADPrincipal>]
   [-Name] <String>
   [-OtherAttributes <Hashtable>]
   [-PassThru]
   [-Path <String>]
   [-SamAccountName <String>]
   [-Server <String>]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The New-ADGroup cmdlet creates an Active Directory group object. Many object properties are defined by setting cmdlet parameters. Properties that cannot be set by cmdlet parameters can be set using the OtherAttributes parameter.

The Name and GroupScope parameters specify the name and scope of the group and are required to create a new group. You can define the new group as a security or distribution group by setting the GroupCategory parameter. The Path parameter specifies the container or organizational unit (OU) for the group.

The following methods explain different ways to create an object by using this cmdlet.

Method 1: Use the New-ADGroup cmdlet, specify the required parameters, and set any additional property values by using the cmdlet parameters.

Method 2: Use a template to create the new object. To do this, create a new group object or retrieve a copy of an existing group object and set the Instance parameter to this object. The object provided to the Instance parameter is used as a template for the new object. You can override property values from the template by setting cmdlet parameters. For more information, see the Instance parameter description for this cmdlet.

Method 3: Use the Import-Csv cmdlet with the New-ADGroup cmdlet to create multiple Active Directory group objects. To do this, use the Import-CSV cmdlet to create the custom objects from a comma-separated value (CSV) file that contains a list of object properties. Then pass these objects through the pipeline to the New-ADGroup cmdlet to create the group objects.

Examples

Example 1: Create a group and set its properties

PS C:\> New-ADGroup -Name "RODC Admins" -SamAccountName RODCAdmins -GroupCategory Security -GroupScope Global -DisplayName "RODC Administrators" -Path "CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=Com" -Description "Members of this group are RODC Administrators"

This command creates a group named RODC Admins in the container CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=Com and set the GroupCategory, DisplayName, GroupScope, and Description properties on the new object.

Example 2: Create a group using existing property values

PS C:\> Get-ADGroup FabrikamBranch1 -Properties Description | New-ADGroup -Name "Branch1Employees" -SamAccountName "Branch1Employees" -GroupCategory Distribution -PassThru
GroupScope        : Universal
Name              : Branch1Employees
GroupCategory     : Distribution
SamAccountName    : Branch1Employees
ObjectClass       : group
ObjectGUID        : 8eebce44-5df7-4bed-a98b-b987a702103e
SID               : S-1-5-21-41432690-3719764436-1984117282-1117
DistinguishedName : CN=Branch1Employees,CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com

This command creates a new group using the property values from a current group.

Example 3: Create a group on an LDS instance

PS C:\> New-ADGroup -Server localhost:60000 -Path "OU=AccountDeptOU,DC=AppNC" -Name "AccountLeads" -GroupScope DomainLocal -GroupCategory Distribution

This command creates a group named AccountLeads on an AD LDS instance.

Parameters

-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: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-Credential 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 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) display name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is description.

Type:String
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:True
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.

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

-GroupCategory

Specifies the category of the group. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

  • Distribution or 0
  • Security or 1

This parameter sets the GroupCategory property of the group. This parameter value combined with other group values sets the LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) attribute named groupType.

Type:ADGroupCategory
Accepted values:Distribution, Security
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-GroupScope

Specifies the group scope of the group. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

  • DomainLocal or 0
  • Global or 1
  • Universal or 2

This parameter sets the GroupScope property of a group object to the specified value. The LDAP display name of this property is groupType.

Type:ADGroupScope
Accepted values:DomainLocal, Global, Universal
Position:2
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-HomePage

Specifies the URL of the home page of the object. This parameter sets the homePage property of an Active Directory object. The LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is wWWHomePage.

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

-Instance

Specifies an instance of a group object to use as a template for a new group object.

You can use an instance of an existing group object as a template or you can construct a new group object by using the Windows PowerShell command line or by using a script.

Method 1: Use an existing group object as a template for a new object. Use the Get-ADGroup cmdlet to retrieve a group object then pass this object to the Instance parameter of the New-ADGroup cmdlet to create a new group object. You can override property values of the new object by setting the appropriate parameters.

Method 2: Create a new ADGroup object and set the property values by using the Windows PowerShell command line interface. Then pass this object to the Instance parameter of the New-ADGroup cmdlet to create the new group object.

Note: Specified attributes are not validated, so attempting to set attributes that do not exist or cannot be set raises an error.

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

-ManagedBy

Specifies the user or group that manages the object by providing one of the following property values. Note: The identifier in parentheses is the LDAP display name for the property. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

  • A distinguished name
  • A GUID (objectGUID)
  • A security identifier (objectSid)
  • SAM account name (sAMAccountName)
Type:ADPrincipal
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Name

Specifies the name of the object. This parameter sets the Name property of the Active Directory object. The LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) of this property is name.

Type:String
Position:1
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-OtherAttributes

Specifies object attribute values for attributes that are not represented by cmdlet parameters. You can set one or more parameters at the same time with this parameter. If an attribute takes more than one value, you can assign multiple values. To identify an attribute, specify the LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) defined for it in the Active Directory schema.

To specify a single value for an attribute:

-OtherAttributes @{'AttributeLDAPDisplayName'=value}

To specify multiple values for an attribute

-OtherAttributes @{'AttributeLDAPDisplayName'=value1,value2,...}

You can specify values for more than one attribute by using semicolons to separate attributes. The following syntax shows how to set values for multiple attributes:

-OtherAttributes @{'Attribute1LDAPDisplayName'=value; 'Attribute2LDAPDisplayName'=value1,value2;...}

Type:Hashtable
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

-Path

Specifies the X.500 path of the Organizational Unit (OU) or container where the new object is created.

In many cases, a default value is used for the Path 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 Path is set in the following cases:

  • If the cmdlet is run from an Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell provider drive, the parameter is set to the current path of the provider drive.
  • If the cmdlet has a default path, this is used. For example: in New-ADUser, the Path parameter defaults to the Users container.
  • If none of the previous cases apply, the default value of Path is set to the default partition or naming context of the target domain.

In Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) environments, a default value for Path is set in the following cases:

  • If the cmdlet is run from an Active Directory PowerShell provider drive, the parameter is set to the current path of the provider drive.
  • If the cmdlet has a default path, this is used. For example: in New-ADUser, the Path parameter defaults to the Users container.
  • If the target AD LDS instance has a default naming context, the default value of Path 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 Path parameter does not take a default value.

Note: The Active Directory Provider cmdlets, such as New-Item, Remove-Item, Remove-ItemProperty, Rename-Item, and Set-ItemProperty, also contain a Path property. However, for the provider cmdlets, the Path parameter identifies the path of the actual object and not the container as with the Active Directory cmdlets.

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

-SamAccountName

Specifies the Security Account Manager (SAM) account name of the user, group, computer, or service account. The maximum length of the description is 256 characters. To be compatible with older operating systems, create a SAM account name that is 20 characters or less. This parameter sets the SAMAccountName for an account object. The LDAP display name (ldapDisplayName) for this property is sAMAccountName.

Note: If the string value provided is not terminated with a $ (dollar sign) character, the system adds one if necessary.

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

-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.

Specify the Active Directory Domain Services instance in one of the following ways:

Domain name values:

  • Fully qualified domain name
  • NetBIOS name

Directory server values:

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

The default value for this parameter is determined by one of the following methods in the order that they are listed:

  • By using the Server value from objects passed through the pipeline
  • By using the server information associated with the Active Directory Domain Services Windows PowerShell provider drive, when the cmdlet runs in that drive
  • By using the domain of the computer running Windows PowerShell
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.ADGroup

A group object that is a template for the new group object is received by the Instance parameter.

Outputs

None or Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup

Returns the new group 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.