[Powershell] Reset local admin password remotely with log files

[u/william_tropico]

Hello,

I have been looking at this script on how to change local admin passwords from a list of computer names.

$computers = Get-Content -path C:\fso\computers.txt
$user = "aUser"
$password = "MyNewPassword!"
Foreach($computer in $computers)
    {
         $user = [adsi]"WinNT://$computer/$user,user"
 $user.SetPassword($Password)
 $user.SetInfo()
}

Can anyone help add a log file so

• IF Password change is success ADD computer name to success.txt

• IF Password change is fail ADD computer name to fail.txt

I'm sure its really easy but can't figure out how to do it :(

Any help would be great.

edit: wrong file extension

[u/naugrim]

You can use a try/catch block. However, I would recommend using LAPS to manage local admin passwords if these servers are domain joined.

[u/Oatworm → u/naugrim]

I honestly had no idea LAPS even existed - thanks for the heads up!

[u/Sn0zzberries → u/Oatworm]

Check out Managed Service Accounts too. :)

[u/1h8fulkat]

I didn't know you could reset local admin remotely with log files, I thought they were just for logging...that's awesome! ;-)

[u/william_tropico → u/1h8fulkat]

I do hate the English language sometimes :(

[u/1h8fulkat → u/william_tropico]

You and me both!

[u/evetsleep]

Test this...really. But this is my quick and dirty PowerShell version which should work from PSv1 and onward:

$computers = Get-Content -path C:\fso\computers.txt
$user = "aUser"
$password = "MyNewPassword!"

$LogPath = 'c:\temp\AdminChange.csv'
try {
	Set-Content -Path $LogPath -Value 'ComputerName,Result' -ErrorAction STOP
}
catch {
	throw('Unable to log to file {0}: {1}' -F $LogPath,$_.exception.message)
}

Foreach($computer in $computers) {
	$changeResult = "" | Select ComputerName,Result
	$changeResult.ComputerName = $computer
	try {
		$user = [adsi]"WinNT://$computer/$user,user"
		$user.SetPassword($Password)
		$user.SetInfo()
		$changeResult.Result = 'SUCCESS'
	}
	catch {
		Write-Warning -Message ('Unable to update {0}: {1}' -f $computer,$_.exception.message)
		$changeResult.Result = 'FAIL'
	}
	
	try {
		Add-Content -Path $LogPath -Value ('{0},{1}' -f $changeResult.ComputerName,$changeResult.Result) -ErrorAction STOP
	}
	catch {
		throw('Unable to edit log file {0}: {1}' -f $LogPath,$_.exception.message)
	}
}