If you are trying right-clicking on Date/Time on task bar, choosing Adjust date/time: And you are stuck at Windows new settings page, where changing the time zone doesn't take effect. Here you say: "What the HELL?" So, I say go for old Time settings from control panel to change the time zone. Here is how … Continue reading Windows Server 2016/2019: Where the hell the time zone settings? →

When you are promoting a new Domain Controller in to an existing Active Directory Forest/Domain, you let the default setting of "Any domain controller" to sync from and you are stuck at promotion process with this error message: Error determining whether the target environment require adprep: Validation error Validation error: Unable to make an LDAP … Continue reading Promoting a DC: Error determining whether the target environment require adprep →

Are you getting this error message when demoting a domain controller? "The operation failed because: The Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (DCpromo.exe) would not configure the computer account <2012 DC> on the remote Active Directory Domain Controller <2019 DC>. Verify that the user running dcpromo.exe is granted the "Enable computer and user accounts to … Continue reading When you demoting a domain controller, you receive the “Failed to modify the necessary properties for the machine account. Access is denied” error message →

While testing Active Directory on a closed private network, I needed LDAPs connections to the domain controllers. But I didn't have any PKI/Certificate servers on the network and I didn't want to build one. So I decided to use a self-signed SSL certificate for LDAPs connections. If you reading this, you need one too. Here … Continue reading Active Directory: Self-Signed certificate for LDAPs →