Michael Reinders

In this guide I’ll show you how to add a child domain to an existing forest. If you have, for example, contoso.com as your single Active Directory forest domain, you may want to add some logical separation. You can add a child domain, corp.contoso.com, to your forest during the DC promotion wizard. This article applies…

This article explores Windows Protected Print Mode (PPM) in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It’s a security feature that safeguards sensitive print jobs in Windows. I will delve into the purpose of Windows PPM, functionality, and benefits, focusing on its implementation, advanced security measures, and practical troubleshooting techniques to ensure secure and reliable printing. Windows…

This article delves into the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) and its implementation in Microsoft Windows. We’ll explore what it is, the fundamental concepts, functionality, advancements in Windows 11, and essential troubleshooting techniques. It aims to offer you a comprehensive understanding of IPP. Introduction to Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) Microsoft announced support for the Internet Printing…

This article explores how Microsoft Entra’s new token theft protection policy can provide robust protection against token theft. By leveraging a new Conditional Access policy, organizations can safeguard their digital identities and sensitive data from cyberthreats. Securing your IT landscape is increasingly becoming critical. With cyberthreats on the rise, and showing no signs of slowing…

You are woken by a call at 7am to find out your Active Directory (AD) infrastructure has been hit by ransomware. The helpdesk is overwhelmed by calls from users who can’t log in and management is already demanding to know how long it will take to restore. You break into a cold sweat realizing IT…

In this article, I’m going to show you how to check  FSMO roles and which domain controllers (DC) hold the FSMO roles in Active Directory (AD). FSMO roles are assigned to specific domain controllers and are designed to prevent conflicts once data is replicated. You can also quickly transfer FSMO and seize FSMO roles using…

FSMO roles are a crucial piece in Active Directory functionality. Learn about their purpose, types, and how they work together in this guide. Windows Server Active Directory multi-master model A multi-master enabled database, such as Active Directory, provides the flexibility of allowing changes to occur at any domain controller (DC) in the enterprise, but it…

Personal Data Encryption (PDE) protects sensitive information from unauthorized access. Microsoft introduced the feature with Windows 11, version 22H2, but it hasn’t received a lot of fanfare. This article explains PDE, how it works, and why it might be needed in addition to BitLocker. What is Personal Data Encryption (PDE)? Personal Data Encryption (PDE) is…

A simple (non-complex) Active Directory password (AD) is vulnerable to hacking and exploitation. Requiring complex passwords in your Active Directory password policy increases the effectiveness of passwords exponentially – each additional special character you require in your users’ passwords makes them ultimately impervious to brute-force attacks. Going back to the 2000s, Excel’s simple workbook-protected passwords…

In this article, I’ll show you how to list Active Directory users with PowerShell. While you can also list Active Directory (AD) users in Active Directory Users and Computers, PowerShell provides a much faster way. Check out how to list Active Directory Users with ADUC on Petri if you would prefer to perform this action…

While there are numerous paid solutions available, many IT professionals overlook the relative abundance of free Active Directory tools that can streamline management tasks. Besides making your CFO happy, these tools offer robust features that can simplify complex administrative tasks and enhance security. In this blog post, we’ll explore why IT pros should consider integrating…

The Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC) is a powerful, modern tool for managing Active Directory. Learn how to use it efficiently with our step-by-step guide and tips. What is Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC)? The Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC) is a tool designed for IT administrators and IT Pros to manage Active Directory. Users,…