How to create container objects in Active Directory

By default, Active Directory will not give a option for creating "Container" objects. It only allows you to create Organization units for grouping the AD objects. However, if your situation demands, you can create a container objects by following the below procedure.

• Open adsiedit.msc and navigate to schema partition
• Select Cn=Schema,CN=Configuration, DC=domain,DC=com in left plane
• In right plane, look for cn=contianer object and go to it's properties
• Change the value of defaultHidingValue to FALSE

This will give a option for creating a container object when you right click on any OU/container and select "new" option. Container also will be listed in that list along with OU, User, computer, etc etc.

More about defaultHidingValue attribute:

A Boolean value that specifies the default setting of the showInAdvancedViewOnly property of new instances of this class. Many directory objects are not interesting to end users. To keep these objects from cluttering the UI, every object has a Boolean attribute called showInAdvancedViewOnly.

If defaultHidingValue is set to TRUE, new object instances are hidden in the Administrative snap-ins and the Windows shell. A menu item for the object class will not appear in the New context menu of the Administrative snap-ins—even if the appropriate creation wizard properties are set on the object class's displaySpecifier object.

If defaultHidingValue is set to FALSE, new instances of the object are displayed in the Administrative snap-ins and the Windows shell. Set this property to FALSE to see instances of the class in the administrative snap-ins and the shell and enable a creation wizard and its menu item in the New menu of the administrative snap-ins.

If the defaultHidingValue value is not set, the default is TRUE.


Happy Learning..,
Sitaram Pamarthi.