Active Directory Lab

Start Date: 6 July 2025

End Date: current

Note: [a] refers to the lettered screenshots on the screenshots.md file (you can click on letters for link navigation to screenshot)

Objective

Apply basic functions in Active Directory such as creating and modifying groups, users, and devices as well as applying policies and more

Setup

1. Created virtual machines (VMs) using VMWare Workstation Pro¹
2. Installed Microsoft Server 2022 on a VM²
3. Added Active Directory as a feature on the server using Server Manager
4. Installed Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise on another VM to test policies³

Key Concepts Learned

• Adding and utilizing Active Directory on Windows Server
• Creating Organizational Units (OUs) and adding objects to them such as Users, Computers and Servers [a]
• Creating Security groups
• Creating Distribution groups
• Creating Group Policy Objects (GPOs) including: password policies [b], drive mapping preferences [c], desktop wallpaper settings [d], restrict control panel access [e], disabling removeable storage [f], account lockout protocols [g]

Secondary Concepts Learned

• Utilizing a VM environment through VMWare
• Installing Windows Server 2022 on a VM
• Installing Windows 10 Enterprise on a VM
• Utilizing Server Manager on Windows Server to manage services and features
• Creating documentation files using markdown
• Utilizing Git and GitHub to document changes

Challenges, Bugs & Fixes

• When I first added GPOs to my domain, they were affecting my administrator login as well (restricted my ability to access control panel features on domain controller account)

GPO Troubleshooting:

1. Opened Active Directory Users & Computers to verify that the domain controller machine was listed within the domain controller OU
2. Opened Group Policy Management to verify that GPOs were not being applied to domain controller
   a. GPOs were being applied to all 'Authenticated Users' by default (included domain controller)
   b. Found a microsoft documentation page detailing security groups in Active Directory
   c. Added new security groups in my respective OUs that will include all users that are not administrators ('Sales', 'Accounting')
   d. Removed 'Authenticated Users' and added all created security groups to all GPOs
   e. Restarted server VM to see if changes worked
   f. Solved! (for now)
   g. edit - password policy still seems to be applied to domain controller, will research more in the future

Files

Screenshots Change Log
Research

Next Steps

Footnotes

1. Obtained access for VMWare through Broadcom's free personal/educational access ↩

2. Obtained a 180-day evaluation copy for Windows Server 2022 ↩

3. Obtained a 90-day free-trial for Windows 10 Enterprise. ↩