Move a User Account
Applies To: Windows Server 2008
Membership in Account Operators, Domain Admins, or Enterprise Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).
Moving a user account
Using the Windows interface
Using a command line
To move a user account using the Windows interface
To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Active Directory Users and Computers.
In the console tree, click Users.
Where?
- Active Directory Users and Computers/domain node/Users
Or, click the folder that contains the user account.
In the details pane, right-click the user that you want to move, and then click Move.
In the Move dialog box, click the folder to which you want to move the user account.
Additional considerations
To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Account Operators group, Domain Admins group, or Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
Another way to open Active Directory Users and Computers is to click Start, click Run, and then type dsa.msc.
You cannot use Active Directory Users and Computers to move user accounts between domains. To move a user account between domains, use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT), one of the Active Directory support tools. For more information, see ADMT v3 Migration Guide (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=82740).
Additional references
To move a user account using a command line
To open a command prompt, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
dsmove <UserDN> [-newparent<ParentDN>]
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
<UserDN> |
Specifies the distinguished name of the user object to be added. |
-newparent |
Sets the <ParentDN> value. |
<ParentDN> |
Specifies the new location to which you want to move the user object. The new location is specified as the distinguished name of the new parent node. |
To view the complete syntax for this command, and for information about entering user account information, at a command prompt, type the following, and then press ENTER:
dsmove /?
Additional considerations
- To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Account Operators group, Domain Admins group, or Enterprise Admins group in AD DS, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.