Powershell: Unable to find a default server with Active Directory Web Services running

Problem

Today I experienced the error “Unable to find a default server with Active Directory Web Services running.” in Powershell with Windows 2012 Server. This message was occurred when I try to create bulk AD users using the New-ADUser command.

New-ADUser : Unable to find a default server with Active Directory Web Services running.
At line:6 char:1
+ New-ADUser `
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [New-ADUser], ADServerDownException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryServer:1355,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.NewADUser

Add-ADGroupMember : Unable to find a default server with Active Directory Web Services running.
At line:12 char:2
+  Add-ADGroupMember "Domain Admins" $userName;
+  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (Domain Admins:ADGroup) [Add-ADGroupMember], ADServerDownException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryServer:1355,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.AddADGroupMembe
   r

Solution

From this blog post https://jorgequestforknowledge.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/the-active-directory-web-service-adws/ , I have learned that the AD Powershell Module is depends on the windows service “Active Directory Web Service (ADWS)“. So, I have checked the service “Active Directory Web Services” in “services.msc” console and re-started it, now the problem resolved successfully.