Bulk create AD Users with random passwords

In the previous article, we discussed how to Create Active Directory Users from CSV with PowerShell. After the article got published, a question got asked by a reader. The question is as follows: Is it possible to automate the password workflow when creating new AD Users? The answer is: Yes, it’s possible. We can automate the passwords with PowerShell. In this article, you will learn how to bulk create AD Users with random passwords.

Table of contents

Before you start to bulk create AD Users

In the article, we are going to use the following files:

FileInfo
NewUsersRP.csvCSV template that contains the user accounts information
Add-NewUsersRandomPasswords.ps1PowerShell script that will create user accounts with random passwords

How it works

The PowerShell script will automatically create AD users from CSV file and generate random passwords for the users. After the user accounts are created with random passwords, a new CSV file will be exported. In that file, you will have the passwords column with the created passwords.

Prepare Add-NewUsersRandomPasswords PowerShell script

Before you start, you want to place the files in the right place. We recommend creating two folders with the name Scripts and Temp on the C:\ drive of the Management Server or Domain Controller.

Download the Powershell script Add-NewUsersRandomPasswords.ps1 (direct link). Save the file in the path C:\Scripts\.

  • Change line 7 if you are willing to place the CSV file to a different path then C:\scripts\.
  • Change line 10 if you want to export the CSV with passwords to a different path then C:\temp\.
  • Change line 13 to your UserPrincipalName (UPN). In our example, it’s exoip.com.
Bulk create AD Users with random passwords scripts folder

Download and edit CSV template

Download the CSV template NewUsersRP.csv (direct link). Save the file in C:\Temp\.

Bulk create AD Users with random passwords temp folder

Open the CSV file with your favorite editor. For example, Microsoft Excel. Edit the CSV file to your needs and save it.

Import CSV file in PowerShell

Before you start running the PowerShell script, it’s good to import the CSV file in PowerShell first. Run PowerShell as administrator. Change the directory to C:\temp\. Make use of the Import-Csv cmdlet.

PS C:\> cd C:\temp
PS C:\temp> Import-Csv NewUsersRP.csv | Format-Table

FirstName Initials Lastname Username        Email                      StreetAddress City   ZipCode State Department
--------- -------- -------- --------        -----                      ------------- ----   ------- ----- ----------
Max       MF       Fraser   Max.Fraser      Max.Fraser@exoip.com       21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Piers     PB       Bower    Piers.Bower     piers.bower@exoip.com      21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Kylie     KD       Davidson Kylie.Davidson  Kylie.Davidson@exoip.com   21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Richard   RG       Grant    richard.grant   richard.grant@exoip.com    21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Boris     BC       Campbell Boris.Campbell  boris.Campbell@exoip.com   21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Nicholas  NM       Murray   Nicholas.Murray Nicholas.Murray@exoip.com  21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Leonard   LC       Clark    Leonard.Clark   Leonard.Clark@exoip.com    21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Ruth      RD       Dickens  Ruth.Dickens    Ruth.Dickens@exoip.com     21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Jonathan  JF       Fisher   Jonathan.Fisher Johnathan.Fisher@exoip.com 21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT
Zoë       ZR       Rees     Zoe.Rees        Zoe.Rees@exoip.com         21 Baker St   London NW1 6XE       IT

If you don’t see all the information in the output, make use of the Out-GridView cmdlet.

PS C:\temp> Import-Csv NewUsersRP.csv | Out-GridView

It will show as below screen.

Bulk create AD Users with random passwords Out-GridView

If you get errors when importing the CSV file, troubleshoot further before proceeding to the next step.

Run Add-NewUsersRandomPasswords PowerShell script

Before running the script

Start Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC). Good to know is that the script will not create the Organizational Unit (OU). Create the OU if you don’t have it in AD.

In our example, the OU with the name IT is created and is empty.

Bulk create AD Users with random passwords temp folder before

Let’s run the script to create AD users.

PS C:\> cd scripts
PS C:\scripts> .\Add-NewUsersRandomPasswords.ps1
The user account Max.Fraser is created.
The user account Piers.Bower is created.
The user account Kylie.Davidson is created.
The user account Richard.Grant is created.
The user account Boris.Campbell is created.
The user account Nicholas.Murray is created.
The user account Leonard.Clark is created.
The user account Ruth.Dickens is created.
The user account Jonathan.Fisher is created.
The user account Zoe.Rees is created.
Press Enter to exit:

If you run the script and the user is already created in AD, you will get the following.

PS C:\> cd \scripts
PS C:\scripts> .\Add-NewUsersRandomPasswords.ps1
WARNING: A user account with username Max.Fraser already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Piers.Bower already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Kylie.Davidson already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Richard.Grant already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Boris.Campbell already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Nicholas.Murray already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Leonard.Clark already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Ruth.Dickens already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Jonathan.Fisher already exists in Active Directory.
WARNING: A user account with username Zoe.Rees already exists in Active Directory.
Press Enter to exit:

After running the script

The OU with the name IT is filled with new users.

Bulk create AD Users with random passwords temp folder after

New CSV file including the random passwords

A new CSV file will be created in the C:\temp\ folder. The CSV file will have the name Passwords with the date and time appended. For example, Passwords_13-09-2020_20384101.csv.

Open the CSV file with your favorite program. For example, Microsoft Excel. The CSV file will contain a new column with the name Initial Password. These are the generated passwords.

Bulk create AD Users with random passwords result

Did this help you to bulk create AD Users with random passwords?

Keep reading: Active Directory weak password checker »

Conclusion

To sum it up, you learned how to bulk create AD Users with random passwords. These random passwords are generated automatically with PowerShell. If you need to bulk create AD users, I recommend you to use this PowerShell script.

Did you enjoy this article? If so, you may like the article Bulk move AD users to another OU with PowerShell. Don’t forget to follow us and share this article.

ALI TAJRAN

ALI TAJRAN

ALI TAJRAN is a passionate IT Architect, IT Consultant, and Microsoft Certified Trainer. He started Information Technology at a very young age, and his goal is to teach and inspire others. Read more »

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This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Hi ALI TAJRAN,
    Thank you so much for your script and for sharing your idea.Really helpful.

    Reply

  2. Hi Ali

    question for you when I ran the script it created the account with no problem, but it doesn’t create the password file

    Export-Csv : The given path’s format is not supported.
    At line:1 char:13
    + $DataBase | Export-Csv -Encoding UTF8 $ExportPath -NoTypeInformation
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : OpenError: (:) [Export-Csv], NotSupportedException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : FileOpenFailure,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ExportCsvCommand

    Reply

  3. Hi,

    Is there a way to use the script but not for AD User, only for local user on many computer?
    I mean create a user local account

    Regards

    Reply

  4. Hi

    This is great content. How would I use this to import already created users, change their password, spit out a report (with passwords) but not create new users?

    thank you

    Reply

  5. Hello There,
    Thank you fore the script. Really helpful.
    Say if i have different sites and have users in different OU’s how can we modify the script so that when the script is run the users are created in respective OU’s
    Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hi Pavan,

      I am glad that you find it helpful.

      – Change line 13 in the PS script to the UPN you like to set.
      – Get the OUs distinguishedName that you want to create the users in. Place that in the CSV file under the header OU.

      After the above changes, run the script.

      Reply

      1. Hello Ali,
        I was thinking if we can use IF statements having the office header in the csv so that the user are moved while the accounts are created and get location specific settings like address telephone number and then add them to location based security and distribution groups?
        like for example
        if office eq london
        OU=
        Telephone=
        Address =
        etc
        and then add then to security and DL?
        Thank you

        Reply

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