Active Directory Basics

Step 5 — Create Users

In this step, you will create domain user accounts and place them into the appropriate branch-based Users OU.

Creating and managing users is one of the most common Active Directory tasks performed by IT administrators.

Where users live in production

In real environments, users are typically placed into OUs based on location or department, not into a single flat Users OU. This allows Group Policy and delegation to be applied cleanly.

1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers

  • Log into the domain controller
  • Open Active Directory Users and Computers
  • Expand your domain (e.g., lab.local)
  • Navigate to _Branches → Houston → Users

2. Create the First User (Alice Johnson)

  1. Right-click the Users OU
  2. Select New → User
  3. First name: Alice
  4. Last name: Johnson
  5. User logon name: ajohnson
  6. Select Next

3. Set the User Password

  • Set an initial password
  • Uncheck User must change password at next logon (for this lab)
  • Ensure User cannot change password is unchecked
  • Ensure Password never expires is unchecked
  • Select Next, then Finish

In real environments, password behavior is enforced with Group Policy, not manual user settings.

4. Create Additional Users

Repeat the same process to create the following users in the Houston → Users OU:

  • Bob Martinez — bmartinez
  • Chris Walker — cwalker

5. Verify User Creation

  • Confirm all users appear in _Branches → Houston → Users
  • Double-click a user to view account properties
  • Verify the Distinguished Name reflects the correct OU path

PowerShell Equivalent (Optional)

The same users can be created using PowerShell. This is common for automation and bulk user provisioning.

$ou = "OU=Users,OU=Houston,OU=_Branches,DC=lab,DC=local"

New-ADUser -Name "Alice Johnson" -GivenName Alice -Surname Johnson -SamAccountName ajohnson -Path $ou -AccountPassword (Read-Host -AsSecureString) -Enabled $true

New-ADUser -Name "Bob Martinez" -GivenName Bob -Surname Martinez -SamAccountName bmartinez -Path $ou -AccountPassword (Read-Host -AsSecureString) -Enabled $true

New-ADUser -Name "Chris Walker" -GivenName Chris -Surname Walker -SamAccountName cwalker -Path $ou -AccountPassword (Read-Host -AsSecureString) -Enabled $true

Important Notes

  • Users should always be placed in the correct branch OU
  • Access is granted through group membership, not OU placement
  • Password and lockout policies are enforced with Group Policy

Checkpoint

  • Three users exist in the Houston → Users OU
  • Usernames follow a consistent naming standard
  • No users were created in default containers

If everything looks correct, you’re ready to start creating groups and assigning access.