Set LocalGroup - PowerShell

Overview

Set-LocalGroup allows management of local groups on a computer system. It empowers users to create, modify, or delete local groups, add or remove members, and set group properties such as description and display name. The command is extensively used for user and group management in Windows environments, especially when automating administrative tasks with scripts.

Syntax

Set-LocalGroup [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Description <string>] [-DisplayName <string>]
[-Group <Group>] [-Member <string []>] [-Name <string>] [-PassThru] [-State <GroupState>]
[-Type <GroupType>]

Options/Flags

  • -Credential: Credential for connecting to the remote computer.

  • -Description: Description of the group.

  • -DisplayName: Display name of the group.

  • -Group: Name of the group to manage.

  • -Member: List of members to add or remove from the group.

  • -Name: Name of the group to create or modify.

  • -PassThru: Returns the modified group object.

  • -State: State of the group: Active, Disabled, or LockedOut.

  • -Type: Type of the group: Security, Distribution, or Universal.

Examples

Create a new local group:

Set-LocalGroup -Name "NewGroup"

Add a member to an existing group:

Set-LocalGroup -Group "ExistingGroup" -Member "NewMember"

Set the description of a group:

Set-LocalGroup -Name "TargetGroup" -Description "Updated Description"

Lockout a group:

Set-LocalGroup -Name "AdminGroup" -State LockedOut

Change the display name of a group:

Set-LocalGroup -Name "RemoteDesktopUsers" -DisplayName "Remote Users"

Remove a member from a group:

Set-LocalGroup -Group "SupportGroup" -Member "RemovedMember" -RemoveMember

Common Issues

  • Access denied: Ensure you have sufficient privileges to manage local groups.
  • Group not found: Verify that the group name specified exists.
  • Member already exists: The specified member is already a member of the group.
  • Invalid state: The specified state for the group is not valid.
  • Type mismatch: The specified type for the group is not supported.

Integration

Set-LocalGroup can be integrated into scripts and automation workflows for advanced group management tasks. For example, you can use it with Get-LocalGroup to retrieve information about groups, or with New-LocalGroup to create multiple groups in one operation.

  • Get-LocalGroup: Gets local groups on a computer.
  • Add-LocalGroupMember: Adds members to a local group.
  • Remove-LocalGroupMember: Removes members from a local group.