Add User to Remote Group

Question

I am writing a application where I need to add a user to the local admin group on a remote computer. I can get it to work fine on a local computer but It will not work on a remote computer. Here is the code.

DirectoryEntry AD = new DirectoryEntry("WinNT://" + computerAccount, adminAccont, adminPassword);
DirectoryEntry NewUser = new DirectoryEntry();
NewUser = AD.Children.Add(username, "user");
NewUser.Invoke("SetPassword", new object[] { password });
NewUser.Invoke("Put", new object[] { "Description", description });
NewUser.CommitChanges();
AD.RefreshCache();

DirectoryEntry grp = AD.Children.Find("Administrator", "group");
if (grp != null)
{
grp.Invoke("Add", new object[] { NewUser.Path.ToString() });
}

But if I use this to add to a local account it works fine.

DirectoryEntry AD = new DirectoryEntry("WinNT://" +
Environment.MachineName + ",computer");
DirectoryEntry NewUser = AD.Children.Add("TestUser1", "user");
NewUser.Invoke("SetPassword", new object[] { "#12345Abc" });
NewUser.Invoke("Put", new object[] { "Description", "Test User from .NET" });
NewUser.CommitChanges();
DirectoryEntry grp;
grp = AD.Children.Find("Guests", "group");
if (grp != null) { grp.Invoke("Add", new object[] { NewUser.Path.ToString() }); }

Any Ideas?

Thanks

Helvio Junior · Answer

Error (0x80004005): Unspecified error I had the some problem connecting to the remote windows with the error Error (0x80004005): Unspecified error. I resolved as follows: //Define path //This path uses the full path of user authentication String path = string.Format(WinNT://{0}/{1}user server_address username); DirectoryEntry deBase = null; try { //Try to connect with secure connection deBase = new DirectoryEntry(path username _passwd AuthenticationTypes.Secure); //Connection test //After test define the deBase with the parent of user (root container) object nativeObject = deBase.NativeObject; deBase = deBase.Parent; } catch (Exception ex) { //If an error occurred try without Secure Connection try { deBase = new DirectoryEntry(path username _passwd); //Connection test //After test define the deBase with the parent of user (root container) object nativeObject = deBase.NativeObject; deBase = deBase.Parent; nativeObject = deBase.NativeObject; } catch (Exception ex2) { //If an error occurred throw the error throw ex2; } } Hope that helps. Helvio Junior www.helviojunior.com.br

Bechir Bejaoui · Answer

Ah I see Ok let's try this code found in this link might it help I'm sure that there is a missed detail in your case. This code is done to enumerate users within groups http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21514/enumerate-windows-user-group-members-on-remote-system-using-c

Johnny · Answer

I should not have to connect via any specific port to add a user to a group. I can create the user remotely by connecting to the machine using a admin account and password passed in by the directoryservices object. Or I specify the EnviromentComputername instead of the remote computer it will work. But if I try to cycle through the groups on a remote computer it does not find any groups.

Bechir Bejaoui · Answer

Are you connecting to the right port? within the remote application

Johnny · Answer

The specified local group does not exist. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070560) This is the expcetion. The group does exist. I have tried adding to Administrators Users Power Users etc but on remote machines it doesn't work. It works fine on local.

Bechir Bejaoui · Answer

Could you tel me what is the kind of the execption that is thrown or you can't determine it

Johnny · Answer

It adds the user fine. It throws the exception when trying to add the user to the group. I thought it might be a timing issue but I a test where I added the user waited then tried to add the user to the group but it still threw and exception.

Bechir Bejaoui · Answer

I have a question have you encountred an exception during the appliction process or simply it doesn't add a user?