Create a user - AWS Directory Service
Active Directory Administration ToolsWindows PowerShell

Create a user

Use the following procedure to create a user with an EC2 instance that is joined to your AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory. Before you can create users, you need to complete the procedures in Installing the Active Directory Administration Tools.

You can use any of the following methods to create a user:

  • Active Directory Administration Tools

  • Windows PowerShell

Create a user with Active Directory Administration Tools

  1. Connect to the instance where the Active Directory Administration Tools were installed.

  2. Open the Active Directory Users and Computers tool from the Windows Start menu. There is a shortcut to this tool found in the Windows Administrative Tools folder.

    Tip

    You can run the following from a command prompt on the instance to open the Active Directory Users and Computers tool box directly.

    %SystemRoot%\system32\dsa.msc

  3. In the directory tree, select an OU under your directory's NetBIOS name OU where you want to store your user (for example, corp\Users). For more information about the OU structure used by directories in AWS, see What gets created with your AWS Managed Microsoft AD Active Directory.

    Active Directory Users and Computers tool showing example OU structure.

  4. On the Action menu, choose New, and then choose User to open the new user wizard.

  5. On the first page of the wizard, enter the values for the following fields, and then choose Next.

    • First name

    • Last name

    • User logon name

  6. On the second page of the wizard, enter a temporary password in Password and Confirm Password. Make sure the User must change password at next logon option is selected. None of the other options should be selected. Choose Next.

  7. On the third page of the wizard, verify that the new user information is correct and choose Finish. The new user will appear in the Users folder.

Create a user in Windows PowerShell

  1. Connect to the instance joined to your Active Directory domain as the Active Directory administrator.

  2. Open Windows PowerShell.

  3. Type the following command replacing the username jane.doe with the username of the user you want to create. You will be prompted by Windows PowerShell to provide a password for the new user. For more information on Active Directory password complexity requirements, see Microsoft documentation. For more information on the New-ADUser command, see Microsoft documentation.

New-ADUser -Name "jane.doe" -Enabled $true -AccountPassword (Read-Host -AsSecureString 'Password')