Why Are Some of My Users Not Displaying in the SBS Console?

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Kim Oehmichen]

Today’s blog will address the question why some users may not show up in the SBS Console.

If you do not use the SBS provided ways to add new users they will not show in the SBS Console > Users and Groups > Users tab, because the user’s Active Directory (AD) attribute msSBSCreationState valueis not“stamped” to Created.

Here is a quick review of the two SBS provided ways adding user accounts from the SBS Console:

  • Add a new user account wizard
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  • Add multiple user accounts wizard
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Only these two wizards are recommended to add new users to assure full functionality for each user in the SBS domain. For example, to add a new user, start the Add a new user account wizard and provide user account information including user role

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Provide a password fulfilling the password requirements and click Add user account

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Wait until the wizard completed adding the new user account to the network

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If required, add or assign an existing computer to the user and then click Finish to complete the wizard

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If you have users that do not show in the SBS Console, you can get them to show by using the Change user role for user accounts wizard. It is important to notice that this wizard does much more than correctly “stamping” the user’s msSBSCreationState attribute. Using this wizard is only a work around to get the users to show in the SBS Console that were not created using the SBS provided tools. As shown above, the only recommended way adding new users are using the Add a new user account or Add multiple user accounts wizard .

How do I use the "Change user role for user accounts" wizard?

For any user that does not show in the SBS Console we strongly recommend to only use the Change user role for user accounts wizard! As mentioned above, this wizard does much more than only stamping this AD attribute. The following steps provide only a work around to get users to show in the SBS Console that were created using other methods than the ones provided by the SBS Console.

Start the Change user role for user accounts wizard and choose the appropriate user role from the first wizard screen.

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Keep in mind that if you want to keep all existing security and distribution group memberships, you MUST select the Add user permissions or settings radio button!If you select the Replace user permissions or settings radio button, the existing settings will be irreversibly lost (unless, of course, you have a full backup to restore).

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Select the user accounts whose role you want to change. You can add more than one user at the same time if they get the same user role.  With the user(s) selected click the Add button and then the Change User Role button to complete the process.

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Note: Check the Display all user accounts in the Active Directory checkbox if the user is not listed.

Now, this user is listed in the SBS Console: SBS Console > Users and Groups > Users tab. You may have to Refresh this view.

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