Skip to main content

Get and List the Properties of a Computer Account

Problem

You want to get and list the properties of a specific computer account.

Solution

To list the properties of a computer account, use the [adsi] type shortcut to bind to the computer in Active Directory, and then pass the computer to the FormatList cmdlet:

$computer = [adsi] "LDAP://localhost:389/cn=kenmyer_laptop,ou=West,ou=Sales,dc=Fabrikam,dc=COM"

$computer | FormatList *

Discussion

The solution retrieves the kenmyer_laptop computer from the Sales West OU. By default, the FormatList cmdlet shows only the distinguished name of the computer, so we type FormatList * to display all properties.

If you know the property for which you want the value, specify it by name:

PS >$computer.OperatingSystem Windows Server 2003

Unlike users, some types of Active Directory objects don’t allow you to retrieve their properties by name this way. Instead, you must call the Get() method to retrieve specific properties:

PS >$user.Get("operatingSystem") Windows Server 2003

Help Category