Batch script to create home home directories from list of names

Question

I'm trying to create a home directories with permissions from a text file. I can only get the batch file to run the first line. Can anyone tell me why?

I initiate the scripts by running go.bat as administrator.

go.bat

@echo
for /f %%a in (users1.txt) do call test.bat %%a

test.bat

@echo off
m:
cd \
mkdir %1
icacls %1 /grant %1:(OI)(CI)M 

cd %1

mkdir public
icacls public /inheritance:d
icacls public / All:(OI)(CI)(RD)
icacls public /grant All:(OI)(CI)R

mkdir private
icacls private /inheritance:d
icacls private /remove All

cd \

users1.txt

user1
user2
user3

Is PowerShell an option here? Batch scripts are dead dead dead. — MDMarra, Jul 02 '13 at 22:10
Not familiar with powershell as much, but let me know what you're thinking and I'll try it out for sure. — Steven, Jul 02 '13 at 22:22

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 02 '13 at 22:58

3

You could use your familiar icacls commands with PowerShell looping as an "introduction" to PowerShell.

Something like this should do it

Get-Content C:\users.txt | ForEach-Object {
    $User = $_
    $WorkingPath = "M:\" + "$User"
    mkdir $WorkingPath

    icacls $WorkingPath /grant $User:(OI)(CI)M 

    $Public = "$WorkingPath" + "public"
    mkdir $Public
    icacls $Public /inheritance:d
    icacls $Public / All:(OI)(CI)(RD)
    icacls $Public /grant All:(OI)(CI)R

    $Private = "$WorkingPath" + "private"
    mkdir $Private
    icacls $Private /inheritance:d
    icacls $Private /remove All
}

There's Get-ACL and Set-ACL for working with permissions in PowerShell, as well as replacements for mkdir and similar commands, but this way you can ease into using it.

answered Jul 02 '13 at 22:58

MDMarra

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I wish I could give more than +1. Good answer, good advice of "start using PowerShell", good advice of "ease into it slowly". Steven - get into PowerShell as quick as you can. It is about a million times more powerful as batch files and only about 50% harder to learn. – Greenstone Walker Jul 03 '13 at 02:45
Looks interesting, thanks for your help. I will try this out! – Steven Jul 03 '13 at 16:47
Note that I didn't actually run the commands, I took the icacls statements from your script. But it's a good outline – MDMarra Jul 03 '13 at 16:50
Yeah, I tried to run it as is and the results weren't as expected. That's okay though, this will be a good first step to learning. – Steven Jul 03 '13 at 17:12

Batch script to create home home directories from list of names

1 Answers1