Write Powershell Errors to text file

Also I can get the script to export all the errors into a text file, but I just want it to list the usernames as it will make it easier to read.

I presume you are looking to log the errors like user not found or Group not found etc.. If yes try this..

$ErrorActionPreference="SilentlyContinue"
$InputFile="C:\Temp\Users.txt"
$Logfile = "c:\Temp\log.txt"
$group="TestGroup"

Add-Content $Logfile "Adding Users to $Group -------------$(Get-Date)" -PassThru
If (Get-ADGroup $Group)
{Import-CSV $InputFile | % {
If (get-Aduser $_.UserName)
	{Add-ADGroupMember -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVariable Err | Out-Null
	If ($err.count -gt 0) {Add-Content $Logfile "$Err" -PassThru} 
	Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Added User $($_.UserName) to $Group" -PassThru}
	}
Else{Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find user $($_.UserName)" -PassThru}
}}
Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find Group $Group" -PassThru}

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Hi Subsun thanks for the reply: the out put in the log file looks like this when I run the command:

Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:34:02
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:34:03
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:34:38
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:35:31

Any ideas?

Are you running the script from Active Directory PowerShell? if not add  Import-Module ActiveDirectory in first line..

Yes I am running it with imported modules

I copied your scrpt to a ps1 file called addusers.ps1:

This is what I get when I run it from the shell

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Windows\system32> cd C:\Temp
PS C:\Temp> .\addusers.ps1
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 11:08:48
PS C:\Temp>

This is what the log.txt file says:

Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:34:02
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:34:03
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:34:38
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:35:31
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:36:34
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:36:46
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 08:36:49
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 11:06:48
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 11:08:16
Adding Users to TestGroup -------------10/29/2012 11:08:48


Here is what I have in the ps1 file (I have added the Import-Module and still get the same error:

Import-Module ActiveDirectory
$ErrorActionPreference="SilentlyContinue"
$InputFile="C:\Temp\Users.txt"
$Logfile = "c:\Temp\log.txt"
$group="TestGroup"

Add-Content $Logfile "Adding Users to $Group -------------$(Get-Date)" -PassThru
If (Get-ADGroup $Group)
{Import-CSV $InputFile | % {
If (get-Aduser $_.UserName)
      {Add-ADGroupMember -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVariable Err | Out-Null
      If ($err.count -gt 0) {Add-Content $Logfile "$Err" -PassThru}
      Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Added User $($_.UserName) to $Group" -PassThru}
      }
Else{Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find user $($_.UserName)" -PassThru}
}}
Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find Group $Group" -PassThru}

Change $ErrorActionPreference="SilentlyContinue" to $ErrorActionPreference="Continue" and see what is the error?

Getting somewhere now I think:

Ran it first time and realised the group name was incorrect TestGroup1 is should have been:

PS C:\Temp> .\addusers.ps1
Get-ADGroup : Cannot find an object with identity: 'TestGroup' under: 'DC=emea,DC=wdpr,DC=disney,DC=com'.
At C:\Temp\addusers.ps1:6 char:97
+ Add-Content $Logfile "Adding Users to $Group -------------$(Get-Date)" -PassThru If (Get-ADGroup <<<<  $Group) {Impor
t-CSV $InputFile | % {If (get-Aduser $_.UserName)    {Add-ADGroupMember -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVari
able Err | Out-Null If ($err.count -gt 0) {Add-Content $Logfile "$Err" -PassThru} Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Added Use
r $($_.UserName) to $Group" -PassThru}} Else{Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find user $($_.UserName)" -PassThru}}} Els
e {Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find Group $Group" -PassThru}
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (TestGroup:ADGroup) [Get-ADGroup], ADIdentityNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Cannot find an object with identity: 'TestGroup' under: 'DC=emea,DC=wdpr,DC=disney,DC=co
   m'.,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.GetADGroup

So I ran it the second time and then I got this:

PS C:\Temp> .\addusers.ps1
Add-Content : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument 'If'.
At C:\Temp\addusers.ps1:6 char:12
+ Add-Content <<<<  $Logfile "Adding Users to $Group -------------$(Get-Date)" -PassThru If (Get-ADGroup $Group) {Impor
t-CSV $InputFile | % {If (get-Aduser $_.UserName)    {Add-ADGroupMember -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVari
able Err | Out-Null If ($err.count -gt 0) {Add-Content $Logfile "$Err" -PassThru} Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Added Use
r $($_.UserName) to $Group" -PassThru}} Else{Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find user $($_.UserName)" -PassThru}}} Els
e {Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find Group $Group" -PassThru}
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [Add-Content], ParameterBindingException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PositionalParameterNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddContentCommand

Could the issue be spacing or line breaks etc as I am just copying and pasting???

OK I recreated the script using the LSE ran it and I got lots of these errors:

Add-ADGroupMember : The specified account name is already a member of the group
At C:\temp\addusergroup.ps1:10 char:20
+     {Add-ADGroupMember <<<<  -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVariable Err | Out-Null
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (TestGroup1:ADGroup) [Add-ADGroupMember], ADException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : The specified account name is already a member of the group,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Ma
   nagement.Commands.AddADGroupMember

System.Management.Automation.CmdletInvocationException: The specified account name is already a member of the group ---
> Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADException: The specified account name is already a member of the group ---> Sy
stem.ServiceModel.FaultException: Active Directory returned an error processing the operation.
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowExceptionForExtendedError(String extendedErrorMessage, E
xception innerException)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowExceptionForErrorCode(String message, String errorCode,
String extendedErrorMessage, Exception innerException)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowExceptionForFaultDetail(FaultDetail faultDetail, FaultEx
ception faultException)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowException(AdwsFault adwsFault, FaultException faultExcep
tion)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.Modify(ADModifyRequest request)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADWebServiceStoreAccess.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.IADSyncOperatio
ns.Modify(ADSessionHandle handle, ADModifyRequest request)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADActiveObject.Update()

Try this.. and let me know the result.. If it's working change Continue to SilentlyContinue..

Import-Module ActiveDirectory
$ErrorActionPreference="Continue"
$InputFile="C:\Temp\Users.txt"
$Logfile = "c:\Temp\log.txt"
$group="TestGroup"
If (Test-Path $InputFile){
Add-Content $Logfile "Adding Users to $Group -------------$(Get-Date)" -PassThru
If ($(Get-ADGroup $Group))
{Import-CSV $InputFile | % {
If (get-Aduser $_.UserName)
	{Add-ADGroupMember -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVariable Err | Out-Null
	If ($err.count -gt 0) {Add-Content $Logfile "$Err" -PassThru} 
	Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Added User $($_.UserName) to $Group" -PassThru}
	}
Else{Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find user $($_.UserName)" -PassThru}
}}
Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find Group $Group" -PassThru}}
Else {Write-Host "Not able to find the input file"}

Select allOpen in new window

Thanks tried that and just see lots of these messages on the shell and in the log.txt file:

Add-ADGroupMember : The specified account name is already a member of the group
At C:\Temp\adusersnew.ps1:11 char:20
+     {Add-ADGroupMember <<<<  -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVariable Err | Out-Null
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (TestGroup1:ADGroup) [Add-ADGroupMember], ADException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : The specified account name is already a member of the group,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Ma
   nagement.Commands.AddADGroupMember

System.Management.Automation.CmdletInvocationException: The specified account name is already a member of the group ---
> Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADException: The specified account name is already a member of the group ---> Sy
stem.ServiceModel.FaultException: Active Directory returned an error processing the operation.
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowExceptionForExtendedError(String extendedErrorMessage, E
xception innerException)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowExceptionForErrorCode(String message, String errorCode,
String extendedErrorMessage, Exception innerException)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowExceptionForFaultDetail(FaultDetail faultDetail, FaultEx
ception faultException)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.ThrowException(AdwsFault adwsFault, FaultException faultExcep
tion)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AdwsConnection.Modify(ADModifyRequest request)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADWebServiceStoreAccess.Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.IADSyncOperatio
ns.Modify(ADSessionHandle handle, ADModifyRequest request)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADActiveObject.Update()
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.ADSetCmdletBase`3.SetFromIdentity(O identity)
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.ADSetCmdletBase`3.ProcessRecordOverride()
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.SetADGroupMember`1.ProcessRecordOverride()
   at Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.ADCmdletBase.ProcessRecord()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Management.Automation.Internal.PipelineProcessor.SynchronousExecuteEnumerate(Object input, Hashtable error
Results, Boolean enumerate)
   at System.Management.Automation.PipelineNode.Execute(Array input, Pipe outputPipe, ArrayList& resultList, ExecutionC
ontext context)
   at System.Management.Automation.StatementListNode.ExecuteStatement(ParseTreeNode statement, Array input, Pipe output
Pipe, ArrayList& resultList, ExecutionContext context)

Ok, I have corrected the error display for The specified account name is already a member of the group. Try now and let me know the result..

Import-Module ActiveDirectory
$ErrorActionPreference="SilentlyContinue"
$InputFile="C:\Temp\Users.txt"
$Logfile = "c:\Temp\log.txt"
$group="TestGroup"
If (Test-Path $InputFile)
{Add-Content $Logfile "Adding Users to $Group -------------$(Get-Date)" -PassThru
   If($(Get-ADGroup $Group))
  {Import-CSV $InputFile | % 
   {
   If(get-Aduser $_.UserName)
	{Add-ADGroupMember -Identity $group -Member $_.UserName -ErrorVariable Result | Out-Null
	If ($e.count -gt 0) {Add-Content $Logfile "Error for $($_.UserName) - $($Err[0].Message)" -PassThru} 
	Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Added User $($_.UserName) to $Group" -PassThru}
	}
Else{Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find user $($_.UserName)" -PassThru}
   }
  }
Else {Add-Content $Logfile "Unable to find Group $Group" -PassThru}
}
Else {Write-Host "Not able to find the input file"}

Select allOpen in new window

I get this now:

PS C:\Temp> .\adusersnew2.ps1
Adding Users to TestGroup1 -------------10/29/2012 12:22:48

cmdlet ForEach-Object at command pipeline position 2
Supply values for the following parameters:
Process[0]:

By the way thanks for all the help you have given me it is much appreciated.

OK well that looks much better, except if I run the command twice I dont get any errors to say the account is already a member this is what the log file says for every entry in the users.txt file (the correct username does populate in the username field):

Added User "username" to TestGroup1

I know.. :-) .. I had copied the wrong script so I had updated the script immediately after posting, can you copy the script once again and run it?

Absolutely prefect thank you very much for all your time and help. I wish I could give you more points!!!

No problem, Glad I could help!