Changing the default OU that new computers are created in

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Microsoft Public Newsgroups

Can anyone tell me how to change the OU that newly created computers are
created in? By default it's Computers ... when we build a new PC and add it
to the domain, during the PC O/S installation process, I'd like new
computers to go into a different OU (a custom OU that we want to manage
computers in). Any help would be appreciated.

PS: Is it OK to post W2K3 AD questions here? I haevn't seen group
specifically for W2K3 AD.

PJ.
 
Microsoft said:
Can anyone tell me how to change the OU that newly created computers are
created in? By default it's Computers ... when we build a new PC and add it
to the domain, during the PC O/S installation process, I'd like new
computers to go into a different OU (a custom OU that we want to manage
computers in). Any help would be appreciated.

PS: Is it OK to post W2K3 AD questions here? I haevn't seen group
specifically for W2K3 AD.

for changing the standard container you can use the w2k3 tool "redircmp".
 
Can anyone tell me how to change the OU that newly created computers are
created in? By default it's Computers ... when we build a new PC and add it
to the domain, during the PC O/S installation process, I'd like new
computers to go into a different OU (a custom OU that we want to manage
computers in). Any help would be appreciated.

PS: Is it OK to post W2K3 AD questions here? I haevn't seen group
specifically for W2K3 AD.

PJ.
See tip 7702 » How do I alter the default container that 'net computer \\ComputerName /add' uses?
in the 'Tips & Tricks' at http://www.jsifaq.com

Jerold Schulman
Windows Server MVP
JSI, Inc.
http://www.jsiinc.com
http://www.jsifaq.com
 
Thanks for the replies guys ... looks like we will have to wait until we get
rid of our NT4 BDC's ... we are currently running in mixed mode. Are you
aware of any VBScript or other scripts that I could adapt to do this?

PJ.
 
Thanks for the replies guys ... looks like we will have to wait until we get
rid of our NT4 BDC's ... we are currently running in mixed mode. Are you
aware of any VBScript or other scripts that I could adapt to do this?

PJ.

Use NETDOM from the Support Tools and the /OU:OuPATH switch

NETDOM ADD machine /Domain:domain [/UserD:user] [/PasswordD:[password | *]]
[/Server:server] [/OU:ou path] [/DC]

NETDOM ADD Adds a workstation or server account to the domain.

machine is the name of the computer to be added

/Domain Specifies the domain in which to create the machine account

/UserD User account used to make the connection with the domain
specified by the /Domain argument

/PasswordD Password of the user account specified with /UserD. A * means
to prompt for the password

/Server Name of a specific domain controller that should be used to
perform the Add. This option cannot be used with the /OU
option.

/OU Organizational unit under which to create the machine account.
This must be a fully qualified RFC 1779 DN for the OU. When
using this argument, you must be running directly on a domain
controller for the specified domain.
If this argument is not included, the account will be created
under the default organization unit for machine objects for
that domain.

/DC Specifies that a domain controller's machine account is to be
created. This option cannot be used with the /OU option.


NETDOM HELP command | MORE displays Help one screen at a time.

The command completed successfully.

Jerold Schulman
Windows Server MVP
JSI, Inc.
http://www.jsiinc.com
http://www.jsifaq.com
 
Did you try pre-creating them in the OU you want them in? Works for us
quite well. We also Sysprep, and the default location is set to the OU we
want them in, through the sysprep.inf process. That catches those which we
"forget" to pre-create.

Here are the relevant lines in Sysprep.inf:

[Identification]
JoinDomain=Corp
MachineObjectOU="OU=Workstations,OU=GEB,DC=corp,DC=inet"


Randy
 
Appreciate the info Randy, and I have no doubt that would work. However our
PC group tends to build PC's and join them to the domain during the build
process ... without sounding judgemental, to pre-create them would require
that they think and plan ahead.

Once we get to native mode I will automate it. Cheers.

PJ.


Randy Reimers said:
Did you try pre-creating them in the OU you want them in? Works for us
quite well. We also Sysprep, and the default location is set to the OU we
want them in, through the sysprep.inf process. That catches those which
we "forget" to pre-create.

Here are the relevant lines in Sysprep.inf:

[Identification]
JoinDomain=Corp
MachineObjectOU="OU=Workstations,OU=GEB,DC=corp,DC=inet"


Randy


Microsoft Public Newsgroups said:
Thanks for the replies guys ... looks like we will have to wait until we
get rid of our NT4 BDC's ... we are currently running in mixed mode. Are
you aware of any VBScript or other scripts that I could adapt to do this?

PJ.
 
Do they build them from "scratch"? If not, and it is from a syspreped
image, this works and requires NO thought on their part. This needs to be a
part of the sysprep.inf in the image.
I've heard that you can also "fix" the media source to push the machine
name into the correct OU when you join the domain. I don't remember where
that gets set.
Someone can think and plan ahead - break fingers of those who don't
follow.

Randy

Microsoft Public Newsgroups said:
Appreciate the info Randy, and I have no doubt that would work. However
our PC group tends to build PC's and join them to the domain during the
build process ... without sounding judgemental, to pre-create them would
require that they think and plan ahead.

Once we get to native mode I will automate it. Cheers.

PJ.


Randy Reimers said:
Did you try pre-creating them in the OU you want them in? Works for us
quite well. We also Sysprep, and the default location is set to the OU
we want them in, through the sysprep.inf process. That catches those
which we "forget" to pre-create.

Here are the relevant lines in Sysprep.inf:

[Identification]
JoinDomain=Corp
MachineObjectOU="OU=Workstations,OU=GEB,DC=corp,DC=inet"


Randy


Microsoft Public Newsgroups said:
Thanks for the replies guys ... looks like we will have to wait until we
get rid of our NT4 BDC's ... we are currently running in mixed mode.
Are you aware of any VBScript or other scripts that I could adapt to do
this?

PJ.


Can anyone tell me how to change the OU that newly created computers
are created in? By default it's Computers ... when we build a new PC
and add it to the domain, during the PC O/S installation process, I'd
like new computers to go into a different OU (a custom OU that we want
to manage computers in). Any help would be appreciated.

PS: Is it OK to post W2K3 AD questions here? I haevn't seen group
specifically for W2K3 AD.

PJ.
 
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