Guy's Scripting Ezine number 27 - Vbscript to Move computers between OUs

Contents for Guy’s Scripting Ezine 27 – Moving Computers

This Week’s Secret
Example 1 – Moving computers from one OU to another
Guy’s Out Takes
Summary

This Week’s Secret – Mission Impossible

This week’s script is mission impossible. Given more time, I would have liked to have broken the script into simpler sections, then assembled it.

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Example 1 – Moving computers from one OU to another.

This weeks script is extremely difficult. There are three things you must do to succeed: a) Pay minute attention to detail, b) Immerse yourself in the scenario, c) amend the script to match your domain.

The scenario is that you wish to move a bunch of computers from one OU to another. My example uses Accounts OU as the source and Payroll OU as the destination.

In the original brief it was to move only those machines whose name contained a particular string. What the customer wanted was to move machines whose name began with XP and leave all the others where they were.

Preparation:

Go to Active Directory. Create an OU called Accounts, and another OU called payroll. Create 3 or 4 computer objects in the Accounts OU.

Go through the script looking for domain references to amend e.g. dc=cp, dc=com. Make sure you change this to your domain name(s).

Specifically, find, and edit these lines:

"Select Name, Location from ‘LDAP://OU=Accounts,dc=cp,dc=com’" _
strSourceOU = ",OU=Accounts,DC=cp,DC=com"
strDestinationOU = "OU=Payroll,DC=cp,DC=com"

Instructions

Follow the preparation above, create two OUs in Active Directory.
Copy and paste the script below into notepad. Alternatively, use a script editor like VBsEdit.
Be sure to make amendments so the script reflects YOUR domain name, not mine.
Save the file with .vbs extension e.g. MoveComputer.vbs
Double click and observe the message box
If you get errors, pay attention to syntax and object names.

‘ MoveComputer.vbs – A very difficult script.
‘ VBScript to Move computers from the Accounts to the Payroll OU
‘ Author Guy Thomas https://computerperformance.co.uk/
‘ Version 3.2 – April 25th 2004
‘ —————————————————————–‘

Option Explicit
Dim objConnection, objCommand, objRecordSet, objNewOU, objMoveComputer
Dim strComputer, strInitial, strSourceOU, strDestinationOU
Dim intCounter

‘ This is a tricky section. Makes a link to Active Directory
Const ADS_SCOPE_SUBTREE = 2
Set objConnection = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set objCommand = CreateObject("ADODB.Command")
objConnection.Provider = "ADsDSOObject"
objConnection.Open "Active Directory Provider"

Set objCOmmand.ActiveConnection = objConnection

‘ Selects all the computer objects (not Users) in the Accounts OU
‘ NB Change the LDAP://ou…. to reflect your domain.
objCommand.CommandText = _
"Select Name, Location from ‘LDAP://OU=Accounts,dc=cp,dc=com’" _
& "where objectClass=’computer’"
objCommand.Properties("Page Size") = 1000
objCommand.Properties("Timeout") = 30
objCommand.Properties("Searchscope") = ADS_SCOPE_SUBTREE
objCommand.Properties("Cache Results") = False

‘ Treats the computer objects as a set of record cards
Set objRecordSet = objCommand.Execute
objRecordSet.MoveFirst
‘ Get all the records
Do Until objRecordSet.EOF
    strComputer = objRecordSet.Fields("Name").Value
    strComputer = "CN="& strComputer
    intCounter = intCounter +1
    Wscript.Echo "Computer Name: " & strComputer

‘ N.B. change the next two lines to OUs in YOUR domain.
strSourceOU = ",OU=Accounts,DC=cp,DC=com"
strDestinationOU = "OU=Payroll,DC=cp,DC=com"

   Set objNewOU = GetObject("LDAP://" & strDestinationOU)
   Set objMoveComputer = objNewOU.MoveHere _
   ("LDAP://" & strComputer & strSourceOU, strComputer)

objRecordSet.MoveNext

Loop

Wscript.Echo intCounter & " Computers moved to " & strDestinationOU

WScript.Quit

‘ End of example VBScript

Learning Points

Note 1: The top sections makes a connection to Active Directory. In my mind’s eye, its like a pipe to draw off the computer names.

Note 2: Spot the DO WHILE …. LOOP and note how it uses the EOF (End of Record) marker to halt the looping.

Note 3: If you have problems, check the OU names, check the domain references.

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Summary:

This is a particularly challenging script, it combines numerous variables and components to move computers from one OU to another.

Guy’s Out Takes

This week there are no ‘Out Takes’. However, here is an example which filters the machine names that you want to move.

Note: Here is the crucial line:

If strInitial = "XP" Then
..

End If.

‘ MoveComputer.vbs – A very difficult script.
‘ VBScript to Move computers from the Accounts to the Payroll OU
‘ Author Guy Thomas https://computerperformance.co.uk/
‘ Version 3.5 – April 25th 2004
‘ —————————————————————–‘

Option Explicit
Dim objConnection, objCommand, objRecordSet, objNewOU, objMoveComputer
Dim strComputer, strInitial, strSourceOU, strDestinationOU
Dim intCounter

Set objCOmmand.ActiveConnection = objConnection

‘ Treats the computer objects as a set of record cards
Set objRecordSet = objCommand.Execute
objRecordSet.MoveFirst
‘ Get all the records
Do Until objRecordSet.EOF
strInitial = UCase(Left(objRecordSet.Fields("Name").Value,2))

‘ Should you wish to Filter Computers, then amend the next line.
If strInitial = "XP" Then

strComputer = objRecordSet.Fields("Name").Value
strComputer = "CN="& strComputer

intCounter = intCounter +1
Wscript.Echo "Computer Name: " & strComputer

‘ Nota Bene: change the next two lines to OUs in YOUR domain.
strSourceOU = ",OU=Accounts,DC=cp,DC=com"
strDestinationOU = "OU=Payroll,DC=cp,DC=com"

Set objNewOU = GetObject("LDAP://" & strDestinationOU)
Set objMoveComputer = objNewOU.MoveHere _
("LDAP://" & strComputer & strSourceOU, strComputer)

‘ Next line matches If strInitial
End if

objRecordSet.MoveNext

Loop

Wscript.Echo intCounter & " " & strInitial & " moved"

‘ End of example VBScript

Summary

The concept is to move computers from one OU to another. The second part applies a filter so that you can just move computers that match a particular criteria.

This is another marathon script out of the ‘mission impossible’ stable. However, applying that old saying ‘yard by yard and it’s hard, but inch by inch and it’s a cinch’ – you can get it to work.

See More Active Directory VBScripts featuring Active Directory

• Create Users •PB 55 CSVDE • Ezine 56 OU • Ezine 123 Ad Tree •Ezine 124 Ad Tree •IPAM 3 Review

• Ezine 23 enable accounts •UserAccountControl Values •Ezine 27 Move Computers • Ezine 42 LDAP

• Ezine 44 CSVDE • Ezines • PowerShell Add Computer • LDAP Properties • Free CSVDE Importer