I work a lot with text files containing data which is, to some degree or another, structured. Whether a breach file from a published breach, or the result of a powershell query such as Get-ADUser, Get-ADComputer, or Get-ADDirectReports, I need to separate the data into columns so that I can work with it. This is where the Text to Columns feature in Excel comes in handy.
Leave a CommentThoughts on many things Posts
In a recently closed ticket, I had specified that the solution would be automatically applied upon reboot of a computer. As so often happens one of the twenty or so users affected by the solution emailed to say that it didn’t work. Having dealt with said user before, I had a hunch that they hadn’t actually read the solution text, and wanted to see if I could find out when the computer had last been rebooted.
Leave a CommentLast week, I showed you how to get specific properties for all users in a given OU. Knowing that the output of that query quickly gets hard to navigate, wanting to remove the extraneous data that the customer didn’t request, and assuming that they wanted to manipulate the data, I decided to return the results as a CSV-file.
Leave a CommentTwo weeks ago, I showed you how I got some specific properties for a specific user. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the next request from my customer was a similar dump from a specific OU. While the Identity parameter works well when you’re dealing with a specific user, it doesn’t help when you want all users.
Leave a CommentHi there! You are most likely here because I sent you a link to this post in response to an email from you which probably sounded something like this:
Leave a CommentI was asked to provide an overview of all available properties in an Active Directory user object for an upcoming project. As it turns out, that is very easily accomplished. Unsurprisingly, PowerShell has an applet for this. We use the Get-ADUser applet, with the parameters Identity to identify the user in question and Properties with a wildcard to return all properties.
A little while ago, I had a user call in and ask when their password would expire. Luckily, this information is readily accessible if you know where – and how – to look. Here’s how:
Leave a CommentIn the Organisation tab of a user object in Active Directory, you have the option to set who is the manager of a given user. While this may seem unnecessary, I have found it very useful when supporting a customer where I don’t know the reporting lines, as it gives me a one-stop place to go to find that information.
Leave a CommentLast week, I wrote about the importance of establishing a routine, and of keeping in touch with your team. I did not, however, talk about specific tools. This is the post where I do that. Without further ado, here are the tools I’ve been using:
Leave a CommentI am sure I am not alone in working from home these days. For veteran telecommuters, this is nothing new. To the rest of us, however, it can be a little challenging. Drawing on my experiences of the past week or so, here are some things that have worked well for me:
Leave a CommentA few weeks ago, I showed you how to get a list of all enabled user accounts in PowerShell. Perhaps unsurprisingly, after having presented this to my customer, it transpired that what they really wanted, was to know how many enabled user accounts existed in Active Directory.
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