creating local users using a xml file as source with powershell scripting - powershell

Question

I'm trying to create bulk localusers with xml source file with all details in it using powershell scripting. Below is my sample xml file with code I'm using for creating the users. Can anyone help me out getting this to work?
# To run this script use: & "C:\Users\rLisdonk\Desktop\ToServer\Test.ps1"
$computerName = "USSECAVDSPDWK27"
$serviceAccountWebName = "saAsaWeb"
$serviceAccountWebPassword = "MyPassword123"
"Get computer info"
$computer = [ADSI]("WinNT://" + $computerName + ",computer")
"Determine if user [saAsaWeb] exists"
$serviceAccount = [ADSI]("WinNT://" + $computerName + "/$serviceAccountWebName" + ",user")
if(!$serviceAccount.Name)
{
"Create user [saAsaWeb]"
$user = $computer.Create("user", $serviceAccountWebName)
"Set password"
$user.SetPassword($serviceAccountWebPassword)
$user.SetInfo()
"Disable [User must change password at next logon]"
$user.PasswordExpired = 0
$user.SetInfo()
"Enable [Password never expires]"
$wmiuser = Get-WmiObject -class "Win32_UserAccount" -filter "name=’$serviceAccountWebName’"
$wmiuser.PasswordExpires = $false
$wmiuser.Put()
}

Answer 1

Powershell will only substitute the variable with the value inside double quotes, single quotes will return the literal value. You will want to escape the single quotes with a ` backtick character, so it would be:
$wmiuser = Get-WmiObject Win32_UserAccount -filter "LocalAccount=True AND name=`'$serviceAccountWebName`'"
When you run it, it needs to be ran with elevated permissions. If you are looking to do this on a remote machine, you need to do so via Remoting, or use WMI entirely. Without a specified error I assume it is this WMI query is most likely what is holding you up.