How to Connect a Server or PC to a Domain Controller Using PowerShell

PowerShell offers a powerful and efficient way to manage your Active Directory domain. One key task is adding new servers and PCs to the domain. This blog post will guide you through the process of using PowerShell to seamlessly integrate machines into your domain structure.

Prerequisites:

• A computer with Windows PowerShell (run powershell -version to check)
• Local administrator privileges on the machine you’re joining
• Domain administrator credentials (or an account with privileges to join machines)

Joining the Domain:

We’ll use the Add-Computer cmdlet to perform the domain join. Here’s the basic syntax:

Add-Computer -DomainName <domain_name> -Credential <domain_credentials>

• Replace <domain_name> with the actual name of your domain (e.g., contoso.com).
• Replace <domain_credentials> with the username and password of a domain account authorized to join machines. An alternative is to use a PSCredential object created with Get-Credential.

Here’s an example with a prompt for credentials:

Add-Computer -DomainName contoso.com -Credential

Adding a Restart and Specifying an OU (Optional):

• Use the -Restart parameter to automatically restart the machine after a successful join (recommended for most cases).
• To place the joined computer in a specific Organizational Unit (OU) within your domain structure, use the -OUPath parameter followed by the OU path (e.g., -OUPath "OU=Sales,DC=contoso,DC=com").

Example with Restart and OU Placement:

Add-Computer -DomainName contoso.com -Credential (Get-Credential) -Restart -OUPath "OU=Sales,DC=contoso,DC=com"

Remote Domain Joins (For Administrators):

PowerShell can also join remote computers to the domain. This requires enabling Remote Powershell (PSRemoting) on the target machines. Here’s the syntax with the -ComputerName parameter specifying the remote machine:

Add-Computer -DomainName contoso.com -Credential (Get-Credential) -ComputerName "server01"

Success and Beyond!

Once you run the Add-Computer cmdlet with the appropriate parameters, PowerShell will handle the domain join process. Upon successful completion, the machine will be integrated into your Active Directory domain.

Remember:

• It’s important to use a domain account with sufficient permissions to join machines.
• Double-check the domain name, credentials, and OU path (if applicable) for any typos.
• For remote joins, ensure PSRemoting is enabled on the target machines.

By leveraging PowerShell’s Add-Computer cmdlet, you can streamline domain joins and efficiently manage your network infrastructure. For further exploration, refer to Microsoft’s documentation on Add-Computer https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/add-computer?view=powershell-5.1 for more advanced options and troubleshooting tips. Happy automating!