Windows Server 2003 - ADModify Support Tool Utility
ADModify is one of
the most exciting
tools in the Windows Server 2003 toolkit. Here is a step-by-step tutorial for getting started with Microsoft's ADModify. What I particularly enjoy about this utility is the way that it combines the business
of making bulk changes to Active Directory settings with the pleasure of navigating a friendly interface.
With any new utility I always ask, where does this tool originate? In the case of ADModify, the answer is Microsoft's lesser
known arm PSS (Product Support Services), the operate from the Codeplex website. These PSS utilities come with a disclaimer that says beware use them at your own risk. Far from putting me off, the disclaimer just makes me realize how much testing has to go into an official Microsoft
tool.
In July 2007 version 2.1 was released, it's principle advantage is that
version 2.1 is designed to work with .NET version 2.0.
I want to guide you through one 'killer' example of ADModify in action. Both the Exchange 2003 Address book
(GAL) and Active Directory Users and Computers display the
'Name' column as First Name Last Name. I actually like that sequence because it's friendly, and translates to, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears or Guy Thomas. However, most big businesses and many of my
customers want to display: Last Name, Firstname, therefore they wish to see Cruise, Tom or Spears, Britney.
As an alternative to ADModify, you can use ADSI Edit to alter the createDialog attribute in Active
Directory, but unfortunately this change only alters future user accounts, and as a result you could get confusion where half the users display First Name Last Name, and the other half the reverse (Last Name
First Name).
So, here is the 'killer' application of ADModify, to change the display of all existing users (in ADUC and the GAL) to Last Name First Name. Perhaps you are wondering, 'What about new users? Will their
names display with the new settings?' Good news. The answer is, 'yes' with ADModify. On reflection, it would be silly if it did NOT change new names, but there again you never know what happens until you
test.
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If need to download ADModify before you tackle my step-by-step instructions see here.
Before you launch the ADModify wizard,
check Active Directory Users and Computers and note how the user names are displayed in the first column.
Stage 1
Launch ADModify.
Select 'Modify Attributes'.
Click on the drop down menus to select your domain. See diagram on the right.
Optionally, Select a Domain Controller.
Decide if you want to show all objects, or just Users. If in doubt, go for
consistency and leave all objects ticked.
Click on the large green arrow.
Stage 2
It is important to
maximise the ADModify Window.
For your first try, select a test OU, just in case something goes wrong.
Be careful, you need the correct sequence here, click Add to List.
Now you are ready to Select All.
Click on the small Next>>> button.
Stage 3
Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Tick the box: Display Name.
Remember your goal and click LastName, FirstName.
Note
the syntax, especially the percentage signs and the comma.
Decide if you want to keep the comma. (Most people prefer the comma)
Stage 4
If the test OU worked as expected, and the 'Name' column is now sorted by LastName and not FirstName, then you could run ADModify again, but this time leave the focus at the domain level
when you Select All.
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If you run ADModify again, then select other LDAP attributes that you see on the Active Directory Users and Computer Properties sheets. For
example you could add a digit to the telephone number, change the manager or place the users in a different department.
More good news ADModify can easily undo previous changes, all you need is to
preserve the XML
files that ADModify creates automatically on each run.
I thank Johan Ramestam for pointing me to this latest version which works much
better with .NET 2.0.
I thank Chris Hatcher for pointing out: Stage 3 Tick the box: Display
Name. (and not Change CN (RDN))
It is a pleasure to run the ADModify tool through its paces. On this page we had a real challenge to change the GAL 'Name' display from: FirstName LastName to LastName, FirstName. I hope that on the
journey you picked up other ideas for ADModify. My greatest joy would be if you ran ADModify again, but this time make different decisions.
If you like this page then please share it with your friends
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