
Explore why using virtual machines enhances Windows server and client troubleshooting, set up labs with VirtualBox or VMware, and balance host and guest RAM for safe, hands-on practice.
Verify hardware readiness for the lab by checking memory, storage, processor count, 64-bit host status, and virtualization settings in Task Manager, Device Manager, and BIOS.
Set up the lab network with the virtual network editor by creating a private class C network 192.168.100.x named VM net10, enable DHCP, and share it from host to VMs.
Download the Windows Server ISO from Microsoft, create a new virtual machine, install Windows Server 2016, attach the ISO, and upgrade to a domain controller using a custom NAT network.
Clarify the difference between hostname and domain name in the lab, noting that videos may show different domain names (Tarek Local vs Leyla Lacalle) due to lab rebuilds.
Create organizational units under the domain to group users by location, such as Singapore, USA, and Japan, apply location-specific group policies, and protect units from accidental deletion.
Learn to reset user passwords using workflows and company ID verification, never by phone. Perform Active Directory password resets with a temporary password and require change at next login.
Troubleshoot wifi issues by checking the network icon and selecting the wireless network; fix disabled adapters and active directory policy problems by enabling adapters, installing drivers, and applying policy updates.
This course in 2025 will teach you how to become a Desktop Engineer. Here I shall provide almost common issues in real life, what almost users and client-facing issue and how we resolve these issue with a perfect solution.
Hope you will enjoy the course
What is Active Directory (AD)
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems as a set of processes and services. Initially, Active Directory was used only for centralized domain management. However, Active Directory eventually became an umbrella title for a broad range of directory-based identity-related services.
A server running the Active Directory Domain Service (AD DS) role is called a domain controller. It authenticates and authorizes all users and computers in a Windows domain type network, assigning and enforcing security policies for all computers, and installing or updating software. For example, when a user logs into a computer that is part of a Windows domain, Active Directory checks the submitted username and password and determines whether the user is a system administrator or normal user. Also, it allows management and storage of information, provides authentication and authorization mechanisms, and establishes a framework to deploy other related services: Certificate Services, Active Directory Federation Services, Lightweight Directory Services, and Rights Management Services.
Active Directory uses Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) versions 2 and 3, Microsoft's version of Kerberos, and DNS.