Windows Server 2012 R2 AD User Import

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BTR

1522 posts

Uber Geek

#142716 21-Mar-2014 15:00

Before anyone jumps to conclusions I am a Mac user and have had my first experience with Server 2012 today. I have setup AD and am at the point of importing users, over 600 to be exact.

My question is simple, is there a way of doing the whole lot in one go and have them added to the correct groups without having to use power shell. To me it seems nuts why their isn't an import users button.

What I am trying to do is possible on a Mac server using a import feature from a drop down menu so I am hoping I am just not looking in the right place.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Jonski

265 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1010649 21-Mar-2014 15:12

Yes, there are two other options, but they're both command-line. However I'm not going to tell you what they are

because powershell is by far and away the best way to do it. Besides, a quick google will give you the answer.

OK, I'll tell. CSVDE and LDIFDE. If you google for how to use those, it's easier to google for a ready made powershell script. But also, there are thrid-party GUI tools that may do it for you, although I've no experience of them. Caveat Emptor.

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BTR

1522 posts

Uber Geek

#1012318 25-Mar-2014 10:54

Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong. Trying to import using PowerShell using the command import-csv \accountstoimport.csv and I keep getting a "member already exists" error.

Everything I have found on the internet suggests this is how to import users but stuffed if I can get it to work, have spent 2 days on this now and ready to drop the project and look into Linux options.

gjm

787 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1012345 25-Mar-2014 11:38

well at a guess I would say that there is already an account in the domain that has the same name as something in the spreadsheet you are importing from. Maybe its something as simple as the administrator account? Is there a log file anywhere from the failed import that you can look at or post?

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stevenz

2800 posts

Uber Geek

#1012374 25-Mar-2014 12:31

Export a list of all users AD already knows about, copy it into the same list then delete the duplicates in Excel\Numbers & try again.

@KnightNZ

gehenna

7946 posts

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#1012451 25-Mar-2014 13:37

Perhaps you exported users that include the BuiltIn user accounts OU along with other normal user accounts, and you're trying to import duplicate accounts?

BTR

1522 posts

Uber Geek

#1012460 25-Mar-2014 13:40

The AD has just been setup from scratch and does not contain any user account apart from the default ones the system creates. I haven't been successful in trying to get any accounts to import.

gehenna

7946 posts

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#1012480 25-Mar-2014 13:50

Yeah so I'm asking if you exported the default users from the other AD that you're trying to import from.

EDIT: Unless I'm on the wrong track and you're just trying to set up bulk new users from the csv.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1012490 25-Mar-2014 14:01

are you logged on as a domain admin/ running PowerShell elevated

are there any error messages?

gehenna

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#1012496 25-Mar-2014 14:08

Or anything being logged in the Event Logs?