Adding to AD Via Powershell. Errors

Question

Wonder if you can offer me assistance. I am creating a script for my colleagues to add a brand new user to AD via Powershell. However, I am beginning to encounter some errors at the end of the script.

# Adding the AD PS Module
Import-Module ActiveDirectory -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# set default password
$defpassword = (ConvertTo-SecureString "Welcome123" -AsPlainText -force)

# Get Domain DNS suffix
$dnsroot = '@' + (Get-ADDomain).dnsroot

echo "This tool is to be used for creating User Accounts for the RBFT Domain     under Ultima Business Solutions only. If this applies, please hit any key to continue."
$HOST.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown") | OUT-NULL
$HOST.UI.RawUI.Flushinputbuffer() 
Write-Host " "
Write-Host " "


# Acquiring unique field data
$GivenName = Read-Host -Prompt "What Is The New User's First Name?"
Write-Host " "

$Initial = Read-Host -Prompt "What Is The New User's First Initial?"
Write-Host " "

$Surname = Read-Host -Prompt "What Is The New User's Last Name?"
Write-Host " "


$DisplayName = $Surname + " " + $GivenName

$Mail = $GivenName + "." + $Surname + "@" + "BLOCKEDEMAIL"

$MailAlias = $GivenName + "." + $Surname + "@" + $DNSRoot2

$Manager = Read-Host -Prompt "Who Is The New User's Manager?"
Write-Host " "

$SAMAccountName = $Surname.Substring(0,7)+$Initial.Substring(0,1)
$SAMAccountLower = $SAMAccountName.ToLower()
$UserPrincipalName = $Mail


start-sleep -s 5

# Create The User

Get-ChildItem
New-ADUser -path "OU=Users,OU=RBFT,DC=rbbh-tr,DC=nhs,DC=uk" -SamAccountName     $SamAccountLower -Name $DisplayName -DisplayName $DisplayName -GivenName     $GivenName -Surname $Surname -EmailAddress $Mail -UserPrincipalName $Mail -Title     $title -Enabled $true -ChangePasswordAtLogon $true -PasswordNeverExpires  $false -AccountPassword $defpassword -PassThru

However, this produces the following error

Exception calling "Substring" with "2" argument(s): "Index and length must     refer to a location within the string.
Parameter name: length"
At C:\Users\timmsj\Desktop\AD_User.ps1:42 char:1
+ $SAMAccountName = $Surname.Substring(0,7)+$Initial.Substring(0,1)
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ArgumentOutOfRangeException

You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
At C:\Users\timmsj\Desktop\AD_User.ps1:43 char:1
+ $SAMAccountLower = $SAMAccountName.ToLower()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull

Is anybody able to offer assistance?

You will get this error when $Surname (or $Initial) is too short. So you need to add some length checks to your script. — Ocaso Protal
– Ocaso Protal, Commented May 29, 2018 at 6:12

Mark Wragg · Accepted Answer · 2018-05-30 10:29:01Z

1

You need to check if the length of $Surname is less than 7 and if $Initial conatins at least one character:

if ($Surname.length -lt 7) {
  $SAMAccountName = $Surname
} else {
  $SAMAccountName = $Surname.Substring(0,7)
}

if ($Initial.length -ge 1){
  $SAMAccountName = SAMAccountName+$Initial.Substring(0,1)
}

But beware: You also have to check if that generated samAccountName is not yet set in the domain!

edited May 30, 2018 at 10:29

Mark Wragg

23.6k7 gold badges48 silver badges77 bronze badges

answered May 29, 2018 at 7:25

Ocaso Protal

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