Remove-Computer

Remove-Computer [-UnjoinDomainCredential] <PSCredential> [-ComputerName <String[]>] [-Confirm] [-Force][-LocalCredential <PSCredential>] [-PassThru] [-Restart] [-WhatIf] [-WorkgroupName <String>] [<CommonParameters>]

Remove-Computer [[-UnjoinDomainCredential] <PSCredential>] [-Confirm] [-Force] [-PassThru] [-Restart] [-WhatIf][-WorkgroupName <String>] [<CommonParameters>]

The Remove-Computer cmdlet removes the local computer and remote computers from their current domains.

When you remove a computer from a domain, Remove-Computer also disables the domain account of the computer. You must provide explicit credentials to unjoin the computer from its domain, even when they are the credentials of the current user. You must restart the computer to make the change effective. Also, when you remove a computer from a domain, you must move it to a workgroup. Use the WorkgroupName parameter to specify the workgroup.

To move a computer from a workgroup to a domain, from one workgroup to another, or from one domain to another, use the Add-Computer cmdlet.

To get the results of the command, use the Verbose and PassThru parameters. To suppress the user prompt, use the Force parameter. Remove-Computer removes the local computer and remote computers from domains. It includes credential parameters that specify alternate credentials for connecting to remote computers, and unjoining from a domain, a Restart parameter for restarting the affected computers, and a WorkgroupName parameter for specifying the name of the workgroup to which computers are added.

Parameters

-ComputerName <String[]>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies the computers to be removed from their domains. The default is the local computer.

Type the NetBIOS name, an IP address, or a fully qualified domain name of the remote computers. To specify the local computer, type the computer name, a dot (.), or localhost.

This parameter does not rely on Windows PowerShell remoting. You can use the ComputerName parameter of Remove-Computer even if your computer is not configured to run remote commands.

This parameter was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

-Force [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Suppresses the user prompt. By default, Remove-Computer prompts you for confirmation before removing each computer.

-LocalCredential <PSCredential>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies a user account that has permission to connect to the computers that the ComputerName parameter specifies. The default is the current user.

Type a user name, such as User01 or Domain01\User01, or enter a PSCredential object, such as one generated by the Get-Credential cmdlet. If you type a user name, this cmdlet prompts you for a password. To specify a user account that has permission to remove the computer from its current domain, use the UnjoinDomainCredential parameter.

This parameter was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

-PassThru [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Returns the results of the command. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

-Restart [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Indicates that this cmdlet restarts the computers that were removed after the removal is completed. A restart is often required to make the change effective.

This parameter was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

-UnjoinDomainCredential <PSCredential>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies a user account that has permission to remove the computers from their current domains. Explicit credentials, as provided by this parameter, are required to remove remote computers from a domain, even when the value is the credentials of the current user.

Type a user name, such as User01 or Domain01\User01, or enter a PSCredential object, such as one generated by Get-Credential . If you type a user name, this cmdlet prompts you for a password.

You can refer to this parameter by its name, UnjoinDomainCredential , or its alias, Credential .

To specify a user account that has permission to connect to the remote computers, use the LocalCredential parameter.

This parameter was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

-WorkgroupName <String>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies the name of a workgroup to which the computers are added when they are removed from their domains. The default value is WORKGROUP. When you remove a computer from a domain, you must add it to a workgroup.

This parameter was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable.

Inputs

System.String

You can pipe computer names to thiscmdlet.

Outputs

Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ComputerChangeInfo

When you use the PassThru parameter, Remove-Computer returns a ComputerChangeInfo object. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Examples

Remove the local computer from its domain:
```
PS C:\> Remove-Computer -UnjoinDomaincredential Domain01\Admin01 -PassThru -Verbose -Restart
```
This command removes the local computer from the domain to which it is joined.

The command uses the UnjoinDomainCredential parameter to supply the credentials of a domain administrator. It uses the PassThru parameter and the Verbose common parameter to display information about the success or failure of the command and the Restart parameter restart the computer, which is required to complete the remove operation.

Because the command does not specify a workgroup name, the local computer is moved to the WORKGROUP workgroup after it is removed from its domain.
Move several computers to a legacy workgroup:
```
PS C:\> Remove-Computer -ComputerName (Get-Content OldServers.txt) -LocalCredential Domain01\Admin01 -UnJoinDomainCredential Domain01\Admin01 -WorkgroupName "Legacy" -Force -Restart
```
This command removes all of the computers that are listed in the OldServers.txt file from their domains and includes them in the Legacy workgroup.

The command uses the LocalCredential parameter to supply the credentials of a user who has permission to connect to remote computers and the UnjoinDomainCredential parameter to supply the credentials of a user who has permission to remove the computers from their domains. It uses the Force parameter to suppress the confirmation prompts for each computer and the Restart parameter to restart each of the computers after it is removed from its domain.
Remove computers from a workgroup without confirmation:
```
PS C:\> Remove-Computer -ComputerName "Server01", "localhost" -UnjoinDomainCredential Domain01\Admin01 -WorkgroupName "Local" -Restart -Force
```
This command removes the Server01 remote computer and the local computer from their domains and adds them to the Local workgroup. It uses the Force parameter to suppress the confirmation prompt for each computer and the Restart parameter to restart the computers to make the change effective.

Additional Notes

 * This cmdlet does not remove computers from workgroups.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. It is attributed to Microsoft Corporation and can be found here.

PowerShell Commands