Mar
13

Group Policy Not Applied To Remote VPN Users

Problem:  Users logging on to an Active Directory domain across a relatively slow VPN link will unreliably apply group policies.  This article deals with user policies specifically, not computer policies. Solution:  Although the ultimate solution to this problem would be to cure the root cause of the group policies not being applied, my reason for …

Continue reading »

Aug
18

Transferring FSMO Roles in Windows Server 2003 and 2008

Introduction This article will provide step-by-step instructions describing the process for transferring one or more FSMO (Flexible Single Master Operation) roles from one server to another in Active Directory.  This is a necessary step during a server migration, reorganization of an existing domain or a handful of other situations in which the needs or level …

Continue reading »

Apr
12

Adding Sites to Internet Security Zones Using Group Policy

Sometimes it is useful to leverage the power of Group Policy in Active Directory to add sites to certain security zones in Internet Explorer.  This can save the network admin the trouble of managing the security zone lists for each computer (or user) separately.  In the following example, each user on the network needs to …

Continue reading »

Dec
11

Adding a Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller to A Windows Server 2003 Domain

Adding a server running Windows 2008 to a domain that is running Windows 2000/2003 servers is no big deal until you try to promote the 2008 (or 2008R2) server to a domain controller.  Active Directory must be updated to accommodate changes to the schema in 2008 and 2008R2. The first thing that I would do …

Continue reading »

Mar
16

Rename A Computer That Is A Domain Member

Problem: A computer (or several computers) on your domain need to be renamed quickly and reliably without making a mess of Active Directory. Solution: Use the NETDOM utility that comes with the Windows Server Support Tools (SupportTools.msi on the Windows Server media). If it is not already installed, you will want to install the SupportTools.msi …

Continue reading »

Mar
16

How To Migrate A Sub-domain To A Parent Domain In Active Directory

Problem: You need to restructure Active Directory to accommodate changes to your organization,  changes in IT needs, to correct errors that occurred when planning your Active Directory schema. Solution: Use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT).  The tool can be found here and documentation can be downloaded here: ADMT Documentation -n