Active Directory


Get-ADDomainController, Get-ADUser, Get-ADComputer, Get-ADObject: A referral was returned from the server 1

When you are using Active Directory Powershell cmdlets such as Get-ADDomainController, Get-ADUser, Get-ADComputer, Get-ADObject, you may receive the following error message: Such an exception is linked to the difficulty those commands have to work in a multi-domain environment, whether that multi-domain be a single forest with multiple child domains, various […]


WMI filters to target sites and non Domain Controllers

Designing Group Policy Objects is sometimes tricky. Let’s review some useful WMI filters in Group Policy Objects for sites and domain controllers inclusion or exclusion. When linking Group Policy Objects, you are always bound to the LSDOU rule, which means that GPOs are processed in the following order: L for […]

WMI filter To select non domain controllers

Ambiguous Fuzzy search in AD

Working in big AD forests and domains can be sometimes challenging, as powershell cmdlets require you perfect identity matches. In an AD of a global corporation, where you have tons of John, Sam, Doe, Smith, Martin, Schmidt , finding that information may be time consuming: is the name given a first […]

AD Users and Computers User Creation

AD Forest Disaster Recovery plan

Losing one domain controller isn’t a thing you appreciate, but rebuilding one DC in an running forest is easy. Losing an entire forest because of corruption or compromised assets isn’t exactly that. In this series, Let’s see how to prepare an AD Forest Disaster Recovery plan. Hint: you’d better practice […]

Repair your computer

Recycle Bin

Restoring AD objects including DNS zones 1

Since the initial times of Windows 2003, things have changed. Restoring AD objects, including DNS Zones become simpler with each release of Windows Server. Therefore let’s see how you can restore users, computers, organizational units and DNS zones nowadays. Restoring AD objects for standard classes Since Windows 2008 R2, Get-ADObject […]