Move-SPUser: The parameterless Read method can only be used when this instance was initialized with an SPUser object

Question

When I try to use the following Powershell command with a user who exists in the User Profile Database I get the following error:

Move-SPUser : The parameterless Read method can only be used when this instance was initialized with an SPUser object. At line:1 char:12 + Move-SPUser <<<< -Identity "OLD_DOMAIN\OLD_USERNAME" -NewAlias "NEW_DOMAIN\NEW_USERNAME" + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (Microsoft.Share...PCmdletMoveUser: SPCmdletMoveUser) [Move-SPUser], InvalidOperationException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell.SPCmdletMoveUser

When I attempt to use the following:

$user = Get-SPUser -web http://my.website.url Identity "OLD_DOMAIN\OLD_USERNAME"

I get the following error:

Move-SPUser : At line:1 char:12 + Move-SPUser <<<< -Identity $user -NewAlias > NEW_DOMAIN\NEW_USERNAME + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: > [Move-SPUser], SPException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : > Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell.SPCmdletMoveUser

We have completed a domain migration and are now migrating the end users. I have checked the user profile exists but still seeing this error.

Answer 1

try this way, i am sure it will work.

$user = Get-SPUser -web http://my.website.url -Identity "OLD_DOMAIN\OLD_USERNAME"

Move-SPUser -IgnoreSID -Identity $user -NewAlias 'NEW_DOMAIN\NEW_USERNAME'

Answer 2

I and my co-worker found that it works better when you pipe Get-SPUser into Move-SPUser:

Get-SPUser -web http://siteURL -Identity "DomainA\UserA" | Move-SPUser -IgnoreSID -NewAlias "DomainB\UserB"