Forum Discussion
ryedogg72
Nov 06, 2024Copper Contributor
UserProfile Management with PowerShell
We have an issue where quarterly Nessus scans enumerate vulnerability findings for every user profile on an endpoint. This started me on a path to remove obsolete user profiles to reduce the noise fr...
kyazaferr
Nov 13, 2024MCT
Your script is on the right track for deleting old user profiles, but there are a few improvements that can make it more efficient, avoid some pitfalls (such as leaving empty folders), and potentially clean up obsolete or unnecessary parts of the code. Here's an enhanced version of the script, with some optimizations and added checks:
Suggestions & Improvements:
- Use -Directory when getting user profiles: You can directly filter for directories with -Directory in the Get-ChildItem cmdlet, reducing the need for additional checks.
- Ensure NTUser.dat exists: You don't need to call Get-Item multiple times in a loop if you can check for existence first. I’ve added that check with Test-Path.
- Handle empty profile folders: When a profile folder is removed, we should check if it’s empty before attempting to remove it. If it's empty, you can remove it with Remove-Item as well.
- Use -Force for visibility of hidden files: This ensures hidden files like NTUser.dat are also handled properly.
- Remove the report object: If you're not using $Report, it can be omitted.
- Ensure execution policy is set before script runs: It’s more logical to set the execution policy at the start, so it’s enforced before running any other script actions.