Active Directory 2012 Tip: how to import users in bulk from a CSV

Here's a sample PowerShell script for importing users in bulk into Active Directory (AD).  It configures these AD fields:

• SamAccountName
• UserPrincipalName
• GivenName
• Initials
• Surname
• DisplayName
• Name
• Description
• Company
• StreetAddress
• City
• State
• PostalCode
• OfficePhone
• Fax
• EmailAddress
• AccountPassword
• ChangePasswordAtLogon
• PasswordNeverExpires
• Enabled
• PassThru

And then here's the script that I use to perform the import:

import-csv c:\temp\100.csv | foreach-object {New-ADUser -SamAccountName $_.SAMAccountName -UserPrincipalName $_.SAMAccountName -GivenName $_.givenName -Initials $_.Initials -Surname $_.Surname -DisplayName $_.DisplayName -Name ($_.givenName + $_.Initials + $_.Surname) -Description $_.Description -Company $_.Company -StreetAddress $_.StreetAddress -City $_.City -State $_.State -PostalCode $_.PostalCode -OfficePhone $_.OfficePhone -Fax $_.Fax -EmailAddress $_.EmailAddress -AccountPassword (ConvertTo-SecureString "P@ssw0rd" -AsPlainText -Force) -ChangePasswordAtLogon $False -PasswordNeverExpires $True -Enabled $True -PassThru -WhatIf}

References

• What's New in AD DS: Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell
• Active Directory Management with PowerShell in Windows Server 2008 R2
• Build a SharePoint Server 2010 Two-Tier Dev Environment on Windows 2008 R2
• How to generate complex AD account metrics
• Import-Csv
• Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell – Quick start guide

Notes

• Execute this in an elevated shell.
• Execute Import-Module ActiveDirectory before running this script.