xsukax Windows Users Manager

A professional, secure PowerShell-based GUI application for comprehensive management of local Windows user accounts. This tool provides system administrators with an intuitive interface to perform all essential user management tasks without relying on external dependencies or cloud services.

📋 Project Overview

xsukax Windows Users Manager is a robust, locally-executed PowerShell application that provides a graphical user interface for managing Windows local user accounts. The application leverages native Windows Forms and PowerShell cmdlets to deliver enterprise-grade user management capabilities without requiring additional software installations or internet connectivity.

Primary Purpose: Streamline and simplify the administration of local user accounts on Windows systems while maintaining complete control over user data and system security.

Core Functionalities:

• Create, modify, and delete local user accounts
• Enable or disable user accounts with one click
• Manage password policies and requirements
• Control group memberships and administrative privileges
• View comprehensive user properties and audit information
• Manage the built-in Administrator account
• Real-time status updates and comprehensive error logging

🔒 Security and Privacy Benefits

Data Sovereignty

All operations are performed locally on your system. No data is transmitted to external servers, ensuring complete privacy and compliance with data protection regulations. Your user credentials and account information never leave your machine.

Secure Credential Handling

• Passwords are processed using PowerShell's SecureString encryption in memory
• Password fields are masked during input to prevent shoulder surfing
• No plaintext passwords are stored or logged anywhere in the system
• Secure disposal of credential objects after processing

Password Strength Enforcement

The application implements configurable password complexity requirements:

• Minimum length validation (8+ characters)
• Uppercase letter requirement
• Lowercase letter requirement
• Numeric character requirement
• Special character requirement

These safeguards prevent weak passwords that could compromise system security.

Audit Trail and Logging

• Comprehensive error logging to track all operations
• Timestamped status messages for accountability
• Separate error log file for troubleshooting without exposing sensitive data
• No storage of successful authentication credentials

Privilege Management

• Explicit administrator privilege checks before execution
• Visual warnings when granting elevated permissions
• Confirmation dialogs for destructive operations
• Clear separation between standard users and administrators

Built-in Administrator Protection

Special functionality to manage the built-in Administrator account, allowing administrators to disable this high-privilege account when not in use, reducing the attack surface.

No External Dependencies

The application uses only native Windows components (PowerShell 5.1+ and .NET Framework), eliminating supply chain security risks from third-party libraries or external services.

✨ Features and Advantages

User-Friendly Interface

• Intuitive GUI: Modern Windows Forms interface with familiar controls
• Tabbed Properties Dialog: Organized user information across General, Account, and Group membership tabs
• Data Grid View: Sortable, searchable table displaying all user accounts at a glance
• Real-time Updates: Instant refresh capability with F5 keyboard shortcut
• Status Bar: Continuous feedback on operation progress and results

Comprehensive User Management

• Full User Lifecycle: Create, read, update, and delete operations
• Bulk Information Display: View username, enabled status, administrator status, groups, description, last logon, and password age simultaneously
• Password Management: Change passwords with strength validation and policy enforcement
• Account Control: Enable, disable, or delete accounts with confirmation safeguards

Group Membership Administration

• Visual Group Manager: Dual-list interface for intuitive group assignment
• Multi-select Support: Add or remove users from multiple groups simultaneously
• Administrator Toggle: Quick one-click promotion or demotion of administrator privileges
• Complete Group Visibility: View all local groups and membership status

Advanced Features

• "User Must Change Password at Next Logon": Force password resets for security compliance
• Password Never Expires: Configure service accounts with permanent passwords
• Account Expiration: Set automatic account deactivation dates
• Account Locking Status: View and understand locked-out accounts
• SID Display: Access Security Identifiers for advanced troubleshooting

Superior to Built-in Tools

Feature	xsukax Users Manager	lusrmgr.msc	net user	Computer Management
GUI Interface	✅ Modern	⚠️ Legacy	❌ CLI Only	✅ Legacy
Batch Group Management	✅	❌	❌	❌
Password Strength Validation	✅	❌	❌	❌
One-Click Admin Toggle	✅	❌	❌	❌
Real-time Status Updates	✅	❌	❌	❌
Comprehensive Property View	✅	⚠️ Limited	❌	⚠️ Limited
No Installation Required	✅	✅	✅	✅
Error Logging	✅	❌	❌	❌

Portability and Ease of Use

• No Installation: Run directly from any location
• Single File Execution: Self-contained PowerShell script
• Automatic Elevation: Launcher handles UAC prompts automatically
• Minimal Requirements: Works on any Windows system with PowerShell 5.1+

💾 Installation Instructions

Prerequisites

1. Operating System: Windows 7/8/10/11 or Windows Server 2008 R2 and later
2. PowerShell: Version 5.1 or higher (pre-installed on Windows 10/11)
3. Administrator Privileges: Required to manage user accounts
4. .NET Framework: 4.5 or higher (included in modern Windows)

Verify PowerShell Version

Open PowerShell and run:

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

Ensure the Major version is 5 or higher.

Installation Steps

Method 1: Download from GitHub (Recommended)

1. Navigate to the repository:

   https://github.com/xsukax/xsukax-Windows-Users-Manager
   

2. Download the latest release:

   • Click on the "Releases" section
   • Download the latest .zip file containing both launcher.bat and WindowsUsersManager.ps1

3. Extract the archive:

   • Right-click the downloaded .zip file
   • Select "Extract All..."
   • Choose a destination folder (e.g., C:\Tools\WindowsUsersManager)

4. Unblock the files (Important):

   • Right-click on WindowsUsersManager.ps1
   • Select "Properties"
   • If you see an "Unblock" checkbox at the bottom, check it and click "OK"
   • Repeat for launcher.bat if present

Method 2: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/xsukax/xsukax-Windows-Users-Manager.git
cd xsukax-Windows-Users-Manager

Then unblock the files as described in Method 1, step 4.

File Structure

After installation, your directory should contain:

WindowsUsersManager/
├── launcher.bat              # Launcher with automatic elevation
├── WindowsUsersManager.ps1   # Main application script
└── README.md                 # This documentation

Execution Policy Configuration (If Needed)

If you encounter execution policy errors, you can:

Option 1: Use the Launcher (Recommended) The launcher.bat file automatically bypasses execution policy for this script only.

Option 2: Temporarily Allow Scripts

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass

Option 3: Set User-Level Policy (Permanent)

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

🚀 Usage Guide

Launching the Application

Using the Launcher (Easiest Method)

1. Double-click launcher.bat
2. Accept the UAC (User Account Control) prompt
3. The application window will appear automatically

flowchart TD
    A[Double-click launcher.bat] --> B{Admin Privileges?}
    B -->|No| C[UAC Prompt Appears]
    C --> D[User Accepts]
    D --> E[Script Restarts with Admin Rights]
    B -->|Yes| F[Launch PowerShell Script]
    E --> F
    F --> G[Load Windows Forms]
    G --> H[Display Main Window]
    H --> I[Populate User Grid]
    I --> J[Ready for User Input]

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Manual Launch

1. Right-click PowerShell and select "Run as Administrator"
2. Navigate to the script directory:

   cd "C:\Path\To\WindowsUsersManager"

3. Execute the script:

   .\WindowsUsersManager.ps1

Application Interface Overview

graph TB
    subgraph Main Window
        TB[Toolbar - Action Buttons]
        DG[Data Grid - User List]
        SB[Status Bar - Messages & Refresh]
    end
    
    TB --> AD[Add User]
    TB --> PR[Properties]
    TB --> DL[Delete User]
    TB --> EN[Enable]
    TB --> DS[Disable]
    TB --> CP[Change Password]
    TB --> MG[Manage Groups]
    TB --> TA[Toggle Admin]
    TB --> BA[Built-in Admin]
    
    DG --> UC1[Username Column]
    DG --> UC2[Enabled Status]
    DG --> UC3[Admin Status]
    DG --> UC4[Group Memberships]
    DG --> UC5[Description]
    DG --> UC6[Last Logon]
    DG --> UC7[Password Set Date]

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Common Workflows

Creating a New User

sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant App
    participant Windows
    
    User->>App: Click "Add User" Button
    App->>User: Display Add User Dialog
    User->>App: Enter Username & Password
    User->>App: Configure Options (Admin, Never Expires, etc.)
    User->>App: Click "Create"
    App->>App: Validate Password Strength
    App->>Windows: New-LocalUser Command
    Windows->>App: User Created Confirmation
    App->>Windows: Add to Administrators (if selected)
    App->>App: Refresh User Grid
    App->>User: Display Success Message

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Steps:

1. Click "Add User" in the toolbar
2. Fill in the required fields:
   • Username: Must be unique (e.g., john.doe)
   • Full Name: Display name (e.g., John Doe)
   • Description: Optional (e.g., Marketing Manager)
   • Password: Must meet complexity requirements
   • Confirm Password: Must match
3. Configure options:
   • ☑️ User must change password at next logon
   • ☑️ Password never expires (mutually exclusive with above)
   • ☑️ Account is disabled (create but don't activate)
   • ☑️ Add to Administrators group (grants admin rights)
4. Click "Create"
5. The new user appears in the grid immediately

Modifying User Properties

flowchart LR
    A[Select User in Grid] --> B[Double-Click or Click Properties]
    B --> C{Choose Tab}
    C -->|General| D[Edit Full Name, Description, Enable Status]
    C -->|Account| E[Manage Password & Expiration Settings]
    C -->|Member Of| F[View Group Memberships]
    D --> G[Click Apply/OK]
    E --> G
    F --> G
    G --> H[Changes Saved]
    H --> I[Grid Refreshes]

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Steps:

1. Select a user by clicking a row in the grid
2. Click "Properties" or double-click the row
3. Navigate tabs:
   • General Tab: Edit full name, description, enable/disable account, view SID
   • Account Tab: Configure password policies, account expiration, view last logon
   • Member Of Tab: View all group memberships
4. Make desired changes
5. Click "Apply" to save or "OK" to save and close

Managing Group Memberships

Steps:

1. Select a user in the grid
2. Click "Manage Groups"
3. The dialog shows two lists:
   • Available Groups: Groups the user is NOT a member of
   • Member Of: Groups the user IS a member of
4. To add to groups:
   • Select group(s) in "Available Groups" (hold Ctrl for multiple)
   • Click "Add >>"
5. To remove from groups:
   • Select group(s) in "Member Of"
   • Click "<< Remove"
6. Click "Close" when finished

Changing User Passwords

Steps:

1. Select a user in the grid
2. Click "Change Password"
3. Enter and confirm the new password
4. Optionally check:
   • ☑️ User must change password at next logon
   • ☑️ Password never expires
5. Click "Change"
6. Password is updated with the selected policies applied

Toggling Administrator Privileges

Quick Method:

1. Select a user in the grid
2. Click "Toggle Admin" (red button)
3. Confirm the action
4. The user is added to or removed from the Administrators group

Managing Built-in Administrator Account

The built-in Administrator account is a special account that should be disabled when not needed:

1. Click "Built-in Admin" (yellow button)
2. Choose to enable or disable based on current status
3. Confirm the action
4. The built-in Administrator account is shown/hidden from the login screen

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
F5	Refresh user list
Enter	Accept dialog (when in a dialog box)
Esc	Cancel dialog (when in a dialog box)
Double-Click Row	Open user properties

Error Handling and Logging

The application logs all errors to:

%TEMP%\xsukax_WindowsUsersManager_Error.log

To view the error log:

1. Press Win + R
2. Type %TEMP% and press Enter
3. Find xsukax_WindowsUsersManager_Error.log
4. Open with Notepad

Each error entry includes:

• Timestamp
• Error message
• Function that generated the error

Application Architecture

graph TD
    A[launcher.bat] -->|Checks Admin| B{Has Admin Rights?}
    B -->|No| C[Request UAC Elevation]
    C --> D[Restart with Admin]
    B -->|Yes| E[Launch WindowsUsersManager.ps1]
    D --> E
    
    E --> F[Initialize Error Handling]
    F --> G[Load Windows Forms Assemblies]
    G --> H[Create Main Form]
    H --> I[Create Data Grid]
    H --> J[Create Toolbar Buttons]
    H --> K[Create Status Bar]
    
    I --> L[Populate User Data]
    L --> M[Call Get-LocalUser]
    M --> N[Call Get-UserGroupMembership]
    N --> O[Display in Grid]
    
    J --> P[User Clicks Button]
    P --> Q{Which Action?}
    Q -->|Add| R[Show-AddUserDialog]
    Q -->|Properties| S[Show-UserPropertiesDialog]
    Q -->|Delete| T[Remove-SelectedUser]
    Q -->|Password| U[Show-ChangePasswordDialog]
    Q -->|Groups| V[Show-ManageGroupsDialog]
    
    R --> W[Validate Input]
    W --> X[Test-PasswordStrength]
    X --> Y[New-LocalUser]
    Y --> Z[Update-UserGrid]
    
    S --> AA[Display Tabbed Dialog]
    AA --> AB[User Edits Properties]
    AB --> AC[Set-LocalUser]
    AC --> Z

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📄 Licensing Information

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request to the repository at:

https://github.com/xsukax/xsukax-Windows-Users-Manager

Development Guidelines

• Follow PowerShell best practices
• Maintain comprehensive error handling
• Add comments for complex logic
• Test on multiple Windows versions
• Update documentation for new features

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: "Execution Policy" error when running the script

Solution: Use launcher.bat which automatically bypasses execution policy, or run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass

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Issue: "Failed to load Windows Forms assemblies"

Solution: Ensure .NET Framework 4.5+ is installed. Update Windows if necessary.

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Issue: Changes don't appear immediately

Solution: Press F5 to refresh the user grid, or click the "Refresh" button in the status bar.

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Issue: Cannot delete or disable currently logged-in user

Solution: This is a Windows security feature. Log in as a different administrator to manage the active user.

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Issue: "Access Denied" errors

Solution: Ensure the application is running with Administrator privileges. Right-click launcher.bat and select "Run as Administrator" if automatic elevation fails.

🔄 Version History

v2.1 (Current)

• Comprehensive error logging
• Enhanced password strength validation
• Improved UI responsiveness
• Built-in Administrator account management
• Status bar with real-time updates

v2.0

• Complete rewrite with modern UI
• Tabbed properties dialog
• Group management interface
• Enhanced security features

v1.0

• Initial release
• Basic user management functionality

📞 Support

For issues, questions, or feature requests, please:

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue with detailed information
3. Include error log contents if applicable

🌟 Acknowledgments

Created by xsukax
Website: Tech Me Away !!!

Special thanks to the PowerShell and Windows administrator communities for their valuable feedback and testing.

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⚠️ Important Security Note: Always maintain multiple administrator accounts and never delete all administrator accounts from a system. Ensure you have a recovery method before making significant changes to user accounts.