Visual Basic: Adding users and group - windows

Question

I'm updating an installer and need to create a Windows group and add (existing) users to that group.
The users are IIS pseudo-users, ie IIS APPPOOL\username
Is there a simple way to do this using VB6 or VB.NET? I can't find an obvious library/API or any example code
Thanks

Answer 1

You can try the following code extracted from this link to create users. Basically it uses the API NetUserAdd.
Option Explicit
' ---------------------------------------------
' The USER_INFO_3 data structure
' ---------------------------------------------
Private Type USER_INFO_3
usri3_name As Long
usri3_password As Long
usri3_password_age As Long
usri3_priv As Long
usri3_home_dir As Long
usri3_comment As Long
usri3_flags As Long
usri3_script_path As Long
usri3_auth_flags As Long
usri3_full_name As Long
usri3_usr_comment As Long
usri3_parms As Long
usri3_workstations As Long
usri3_last_logon As Long
usri3_last_logoff As Long
usri3_acct_expires As Long
usri3_max_storage As Long
usri3_units_per_week As Long
usri3_logon_hours As Long
usri3_bad_pw_count As Long
usri3_num_logons As Long
usri3_logon_server As Long
usri3_country_code As Long
usri3_code_page As Long
usri3_user_id As Long
usri3_primary_group_id As Long
usri3_profile As Long
usri3_home_dir_drive As Long
usri3_password_expired As Long
End Type
' ---------------------------------------------
' Possible errors with API call
' ---------------------------------------------
Private Const ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED As Long = 5
Private Const NERR_BASE As Long = 2100
Private Const NERR_GroupExists As Long = NERR_BASE + 123
Private Const NERR_NotPrimary As Long = NERR_BASE + 126
Private Const NERR_UserExists As Long = NERR_BASE + 124
Private Const NERR_PasswordTooShort As Long = NERR_BASE + 145
Private Const NERR_InvalidComputer As Long = NERR_BASE + 251
Private Const NERR_Success As Long = 0&
Private Const TIMEQ_FOREVER As Long = -1&
Private Const DOMAIN_GROUP_RID_USERS As Long = &H201&
Private Const USER_MAXSTORAGE_UNLIMITED As Long = -1&
Private Const constUserInfoLevel3 As Long = 3
' ---------------------------------------------
' Used by usri3_flags element of data structure
' ---------------------------------------------
Private Const UF_SCRIPT As Long = &H1&
Private Const UF_ACCOUNTDISABLE As Long = &H2&
Private Const UF_HOMEDIR_REQUIRED As Long = &H8&
Private Const UF_LOCKOUT As Long = &H10&
Private Const UF_PASSWD_NOTREQD As Long = &H20&
Private Const UF_PASSWD_CANT_CHANGE As Long = &H40&
Private Const UF_DONT_EXPIRE_PASSWD As Long = &H10000
Private Const STILL_ACTIVE As Long = &H103&
Private Const UF_NORMAL_ACCOUNT As Long = &H200&
Private Const UF_SERVER_TRUST_ACCOUNT As Long = &H2000&
Private Const PROCESS_QUERY_INFORMATION As Long = &H400&
Private Const UF_TEMP_DUPLICATE_ACCOUNT As Long = &H100&
Private Const UF_INTERDOMAIN_TRUST_ACCOUNT As Long = &H800&
Private Const UF_WORKSTATION_TRUST_ACCOUNT As Long = &H1000&
Private Declare Function NetUserAdd Lib "netapi32.dll" (ServerName As Byte, ByVal Level As Long, Buffer As USER_INFO_3, parm_err As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function NetApiBufferAllocate Lib "netapi32.dll" (ByVal ByteCount As Long, Ptr As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function NetApiBufferFree Lib "Netapi32" (ByVal pBuffer As Long) As Long
' *******************************************************
' Add a user either to NT -- you *MUST* have admin or
' account operator privileges to successfully run
' this function
' Use on NT Only
' *******************************************************
Public Function AddUser(ByVal xi_strServerName As String, _
ByVal xi_strUserName As String, _
ByVal xi_strPassword As String, _
Optional ByVal xi_strUserFullName As String = vbNullString, _
Optional ByVal xi_strUserComment As String = vbNullString) As Boolean
Dim p_strErr As String
Dim p_lngRtn As Long
Dim p_lngPtrUserName As Long
Dim p_lngPtrPassword As Long
Dim p_lngPtrUserFullName As Long
Dim p_lngPtrUserComment As Long
Dim p_lngParameterErr As Long
Dim p_lngFlags As Long
Dim p_abytServerName() As Byte
Dim p_abytUserName() As Byte
Dim p_abytPassword() As Byte
Dim p_abytUserFullName() As Byte
Dim p_abytUserComment() As Byte
Dim p_typUserInfo3 As USER_INFO_3
If xi_strUserFullName = vbNullString Then
xi_strUserName = xi_strUserName
End If
' ------------------------------------------
' Create byte arrays to avoid Unicode hassles
' ------------------------------------------
p_abytServerName = xi_strServerName & vbNullChar
p_abytUserName = xi_strUserName & vbNullChar
p_abytUserFullName = xi_strUserFullName & vbNullChar
p_abytPassword = xi_strPassword & vbNullChar
p_abytUserComment = xi_strUserComment & vbNullChar
' ------------------------------------------
' Allocate buffer space
' ------------------------------------------
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferAllocate(UBound(p_abytUserName), p_lngPtrUserName)
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferAllocate(UBound(p_abytUserFullName), p_lngPtrUserFullName)
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferAllocate(UBound(p_abytPassword), p_lngPtrPassword)
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferAllocate(UBound(p_abytUserComment), p_lngPtrUserComment)
' ------------------------------------------
' Get pointers to the byte arrays
' ------------------------------------------
p_lngPtrUserName = VarPtr(p_abytUserName(0))
p_lngPtrUserFullName = VarPtr(p_abytUserFullName(0))
p_lngPtrPassword = VarPtr(p_abytPassword(0))
p_lngPtrUserComment = VarPtr(p_abytUserComment(0))
' ------------------------------------------
' Fill the VB structure
' ------------------------------------------
p_lngFlags = UF_NORMAL_ACCOUNT Or UF_SCRIPT Or UF_DONT_EXPIRE_PASSWD
With p_typUserInfo3
.usri3_acct_expires = TIMEQ_FOREVER ' Never expires
.usri3_comment = p_lngPtrUserComment ' Comment
.usri3_flags = p_lngFlags ' There are a number of variations
.usri3_full_name = p_lngPtrUserFullName ' User's full name
.usri3_max_storage = USER_MAXSTORAGE_UNLIMITED ' Can use any amount of disk space
.usri3_name = p_lngPtrUserName ' Name of user account
.usri3_password = p_lngPtrPassword ' Password for user account
.usri3_primary_group_id = DOMAIN_GROUP_RID_USERS ' You MUST use this constant for NetUserAdd
.usri3_script_path = 0& ' Path of user's logon script
.usri3_auth_flags = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_bad_pw_count = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_code_page = 0& ' Code page for user's language
.usri3_country_code = 0& ' Country code for user's language
.usri3_home_dir = 0& ' Can specify path of home directory of this user
.usri3_home_dir_drive = 0& ' Drive letter assign to user's profile
.usri3_last_logoff = 0& ' Not needed when adding a user
.usri3_last_logon = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_logon_hours = 0& ' Null means no restrictions
.usri3_logon_server = 0& ' Null means logon to domain server
.usri3_num_logons = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_parms = 0& ' Used by specific applications
.usri3_password_age = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_password_expired = 0& ' None-zero means user must change password at next logon
.usri3_priv = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_profile = 0& ' Path to a user's profile
.usri3_units_per_week = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_user_id = 0& ' Ignored by NetUserAdd
.usri3_usr_comment = 0& ' User comment
.usri3_workstations = 0& ' Workstations a user can log onto (null = all stations)
End With
' ------------------------------------------
' Attempt to add the user
' ------------------------------------------
p_lngRtn = NetUserAdd(p_abytServerName(0), _
constUserInfoLevel3, _
p_typUserInfo3, _
p_lngParameterErr)
' ------------------------------------------
' Check for error
' ------------------------------------------
If p_lngRtn <> 0 Then
AddUser = False
Select Case p_lngRtn
Case ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED
p_strErr = "User doesn't have sufficient access rights."
Case NERR_GroupExists
p_strErr = "The group already exists."
Case NERR_NotPrimary
p_strErr = "Can only do this operation on the PDC of the domain."
Case NERR_UserExists
p_strErr = "The user account already exists."
Case NERR_PasswordTooShort
p_strErr = "The password is shorter than required."
Case NERR_InvalidComputer
p_strErr = "The computer name is invalid."
Case Else
p_strErr = "Unknown error #" & CStr(p_lngRtn)
End Select
On Error GoTo 0
Err.Raise Number:=p_lngRtn, _
Description:=p_strErr & vbCrLf & _
"Error in parameter " & p_lngParameterErr & _
" when attempting to add the user, " & xi_strUserName, _
Source:="Form1.AddUser"
Else
AddUser = True
End If
' ------------------------------------------
' Be a good programmer and free the memory
' you've allocated
' ------------------------------------------
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferFree(p_lngPtrUserName)
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferFree(p_lngPtrPassword)
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferFree(p_lngPtrUserFullName)
p_lngRtn = NetApiBufferFree(p_lngPtrUserComment)
End Function
EDIT:
I have found the following example in msdn:
Option Explicit
On Error Resume Next
Dim scriptResult ' Script success or failure
Dim groupPath ' ADsPath to the group container
Dim group ' Group object
Dim memberPath ' ADsPath to the member
Dim member ' Member object
Dim groupMemberList ' Used to display group members
Dim errorText ' Error handing text
scriptResult = False
groupPath =
"LDAP://fabrikam.com/CN=TestGroup,OU=TestOU,DC=fabrikam,DC=com"
memberPath = "LDAP://CN=JeffSmith,OU=TestOU,DC=fabrikam,DC=com"
WScript.Echo("Retrieving group object")
Set group = GetObject(groupPath)
If Err.number <> vbEmpty then
Call ErrorHandler("Could not create group object.")
End If
Call ShowMembers(groupPath) 'Optional function call
WScript.Echo("Retrieving new member object")
Set member = GetObject(memberPath)
If Err.number <> vbEmpty then
Call ErrorHandler("Could not get new member object.")
End If
WScript.Echo("Adding member to group.")
group.Add(member.ADsPath)
If Err.number <> vbEmpty then
Call ErrorHandler("Could not add member to group.")
End If
Call ShowMembers(groupPath) ' Optional function call
scriptResult = True
Call FinalResult(scriptResult)
'****************************************************************
' This function displays the members of a group. The function
' takes the ADsPath of the group.
'****************************************************************
Sub ShowMembers(groupPath)
Dim groupMember
Dim groupMemberList
Dim groupObject
Set groupObject = GetObject(groupPath)
Set groupMemberList = groupObject.Members
Select Case groupMemberList.Count
Case 1
WScript.Echo vbcrlf & "The group has one member."
Case 0
WScript.Echo vbcrlf & "The group has no members."
Case Else
WScript.Echo vbcrlf & "The group has " &
groupMemberList.Count &
" members."
End Select
If groupMemberList.Count > 0 then
WScript.Echo vbcrlf & "Here is a member list."
For Each groupMember in groupMemberList
WScript.Echo groupMember.Name
Next
WScript.Echo vbcrlf
End If
Set groupObject = Nothing
Set groupMemberList = Nothing
End Sub
'****************************************************************
' This function shows if the script succeeded or failed. The
' function processed the scriptResult variable.
'****************************************************************
Sub FinalResult(scriptResult)
WScript.Echo vbcrlf
If scriptResult = False then
WScript.Echo "Script failed."
Else
WScript.Echo("Script successfully completed.")
End If
WScript.Quit
End Sub
'****************************************************************
' This function handles errors that occur in the script.
'****************************************************************
Sub ErrorHandler( errorText )
WScript.Echo(vbcrlf & errorText)
WScript.Echo("Error number: " & Err.number)
WScript.Echo("Error Description: " & Err.Description)
Err.Clear
Call FinalResult(scriptResult)
End Sub
Alternatively, you can use Windows Script Host to execute the net tool:
Set objShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
strCommand = "net localgroup Administrators /add DOMAIN\USERNAME"
Set objExec = objShell.Exec(strCommand)