Quickly Search Active Directory from the Desktop

How can I quickly perform search operations in AD from my desktop?

No problem. Create a new shortcut on your desktop with the following command:

​%SystemRoot%SYSTEM32rundll32.exe dsquery,OpenQueryWindow

Give it a name and run it. This is what you’ll get:


You can also configure a specific search option, such as a subset of the entire domain (one specific OU to search in, for instance), or a specific search operation, such as a Shared Folder search, or a Printer search:

After configuring the search criteria you can save the customized search to your desktop, and thus easily create a “Search Printers” or “Shared Folders Search” icon.

You can also easily change the icon for each search option and choose a better icon for each search option.

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