Windows IT Pro is the leading independent community for IT professionals deploying Microsoft Windows server and client applications and technologies.
  
  
  Advanced Search 


November 10, 2003

How can I determine what groups a user belongs to from the command line in Windows Server 2003?

RSS
Subscribe to Windows IT Pro | See More Active Directory (AD) Articles Here | Reprints | Or get the Monthly Online Pass—only $5.95 a month!

A. To display groups that a user belongs to, use the Dsget command with the -memberof switch. For example, when I type

dsget user "CN=John K. Savill,CN=Users,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com" -memberof

my computer displays

"CN=sale2,OU=Sales,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"
"CN=Domain Admins,CN=Users,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"
"CN=Domain Users,CN=Users,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"

These results show that the user is a member of three direct groups: sale2, Domain Admins, and Domain Users. Because the direct groups that the user belongs to might be members of other groups, which makes the user a member of those other groups as well, you can add the -expand switch to view implicit group memberships. For example, if I type

dsget user "CN=John K. Savill,CN=Users,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com" -memberof -expand

my computer displays

"CN=sale2,OU=Sales,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"
"CN=Domain Admins,CN=Users,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"
"CN=Domain Users,CN=Users,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"
"CN=sale1,OU=Sales,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"
"CN=Administrators,CN=Builtin,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"
"CN=Users,CN=Builtin,DC=uk,DC=savilltech,DC=com"

Because I've expanded the list of groups, notice that groups sale1, Administrators, and Users appear in the list. In this example, sale2 is a member of sale1, Domains Admins is a member of Administrators, and Domain Users is a member of Users.

End of Article



Reader Comments

You must be a registered user or online subscriber to comment on this article. Please log on before posting a comment. Are you a new visitor? Register now




Top Viewed ArticlesView all articles
Microsoft, News Corp. Discuss Locking Out Google

Microsoft and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. recently discussed an alliance that would counter Google's fledgling online news service. ...

2009 Windows IT Pro Editors' Best and Community Choice Awards

Picking a favorite product from an impressive crowd of competitive offerings is never an easy task, and such was the case with our Editors' Best and Community Choice awards this year. ...

Command Prompt Tricks

One reader shares his tip for setting up the command prompt to reflect a remote path. ...


Active Directory (AD) Whitepapers Meeting Compliance Objectives in SharePoint

Email Controls and Regulatory Compliance

Related Events Troubleshooting Active Directory

Deep Dive into Windows Server 2008 R2 presented by John Savill

Cutting Costs with Client Management

Check out our list of Free Email Newsletters!

Active Directory (AD) eBooks The Essentials Series: Active Directory 2008 Operations

Keeping Your Business Safe from Attack: Monitoring and Managing Your Network Security

Windows 2003: Active Directory Administration Essentials

Related Active Directory (AD) Resources Introducing Left-Brain.com, the online IT bookstore
Looking for books, CDs, toolkits, eBooks? Prime your mind at Left-Brain.com

Discover Windows IT Pro eLearning Series!
Clear & detailed technical information and helpful how-to's, all in our trademark no-nonsense format


Windows IT Pro Home Register FAQ for Windows WinInfo News
Europe Edition About Us Contact Us/Customer Service Media Kit Affiliates / Licensing  
SQL Server Magazine Office & SharePoint Pro DevProConnections IT Job Hound
Left-Brain.com Technology Resource Directory asp.netPRO ITTV Windows SuperSite 
 
 Windows IT Pro is a Division of Penton Media Inc.
 © 2009 Penton Media, Inc. Terms of Use | Privacy Statement