Windows 7: How to search Active Directory?

--Anand-- Active Directory May 8, 2010December 20, 2017 1 Minute

In Windows XP, There was “Windows Address Book” program preinstalled. You can use Windows Address Book to search Active Directory for users, computers, printers, contacts, etc.,

Too Bad, Windows 7 doesn’t have “Address Book” program. Well there is, but it is not listed in programs menu. The following trick works for every domain user.

Click Start Orb Menu, and type %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\rundll32.exe dsquery,OpenQueryWindow (I would recommend create a shortcut and place it in programs menu)
Select your domain in dropdown box and search away.

Published by --Anand--

Being in Silicon Valley for years, I became a IT Infrastructure Geek by experience and surrounded by other Geeks everywhere. I try to help others by the solutions I found on odd occasions. View all posts by --Anand--

Published May 8, 2010December 20, 2017

4 thoughts on “Windows 7: How to search Active Directory?”

lucas boleli says:

November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am

tks a lot , very helpfull

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leonidius2010 says:

March 18, 2015 at 4:48 pm

I needed to insert 2 backslashes to make it work.
%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\rundll32.exe dsquery,OpenQueryWindow

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K. Chris C. says:

November 17, 2016 at 1:42 am

Thanks. But what a laugh. A key component of M$ networking and they buried it. Typical M$ nonsense.

Even funnier for me, as I am currently working my way through the book, “Mastering Windows 2008 R2,” and publishing to, and searching, the Active Directory is the bee’s knees of it all.

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