Blog Archives
Windows 11 Setting Precedence: Group Policy, Registry, Intune, and Local Settings
Windows settings can be configured through Active Directory Group Policy, Local Group Policy, Microsoft Intune, the Windows registry, PowerShell scripts, Windows Settings, application configuration tools, and other management systems. When two sources configure the same setting differently, the result depends on the type of setting and how Windows processes it. There is no single override […]
Understanding DNS in Active Directory
How Domain Controllers, SRV Records, Kerberos, and NETLOGON Actually Work When most people think of DNS, they think of simple name resolution. A hostname resolves to an IP address, and that is it. In an Active Directory environment, DNS plays a much deeper role. It is not just name resolution. It is service discovery, […]
Configuring a Primary Domain Controller to Use DHCP in a Test Lab
In production environments, domain controllers are almost always configured with static IP addresses. However, in test and lab environments, it is sometimes desirable to allow a primary domain controller to obtain its IP address via DHCP, such as when running inside virtualized lab setups. We will walk through a real troubleshooting scenario where a Windows […]
adsiedit.msc vs dsa.msc: Two Active Directory Tools Every Admin Should Understand
adsiedit.msc vs dsa.msc: Two Active Directory Tools Every Admin Should Understand If you manage Active Directory (AD), you will eventually encounter two long-standing Microsoft management consoles: adsiedit.msc (ADSI Edit) dsa.msc (Active Directory Users and Computers, commonly called ADUC) Although they both interact with the same directory, they serve very different purposes. One is designed for […]