Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) is a directory service that stores information about all objects in the domain, including devices and users, verifies their credentials, and defines their access rights. ADDS provides secure, structured, searchable, hierarchical data storage for objects and the admin can easily manage all objects. Active Directory domain controller is a server that runs Active Directory Domain Services, domain controller verifies credentials and access rights when a user logs into a device and accesses another device across the network. This tutorial shows you how to Install and configure ADDS on Windows Server 2025.
Table of Contents
Install Active Directory Domain Services
Configure Domain Controller
Join in Active Directory Domain from Windows clients
Prerequisite Required
Configure Static IP Address
Configure Computer Name
Demo Environment
Computer Name: server1
Operating System: Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
IP Address: 192.168.0.3
Install Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) on Windows Server 2025
1. Open the Server Manager dashboard and click Add roles and features.
2. Before you begin, click Next.
3. In installation type, select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
4. Select a Host to which you’d like to add services and click Next.
5. Choose the Active Directory Domain Services box from the server roles page.
6. As soon as you choose Active Directory Domain Services a new window appears. Click Add Features.
6. Choose the DNS Server box from the server roles page.
7. As soon as you choose DNS Server a new window appears. Click Add Features.
8. Please ensure the Active Directory Domain Services and DNS Server options are selected and click Next.
9. On the select features console, just click Next because we do not require any extra features at the moment.
10. On the Active Directory Domain Services console, you can read brief information about the Active Directory Domain Services. Click Next to continue.
11. On the DNS Server console, you can read brief information about the DNS server. Click Next to continue.
12. Confirm installation selections and click on Install to start the installation process.
13. Wait for finish the installation
Configure Domain Controller on Windows Server 2025
1. Click Promote this server to a domain controller.
2. Now we are going to install a new forest and new domain, in this tutorial Root domain name is test.com. In deployment configuration, Select Add a new forest, Enter the Root domain name and click Next.
2. Select the forest functional level, and domain functional level, and Specify domain controller capabilities as per your requirement. Type Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password and click Next.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. Click Next to continue.
5. Specify the location of the AD DS database, Database folder, Log files folder, SYSVOL folder (Keep it as default location), and click Next.
6. Verify all the settings and click Next.
7. Prerequisites need to be validated before ADDS is installed on this server. Click Install.
8. Wait for finish the installation
9. Enter Username and Password (After restarting the System, the login name is changed to “Domain name\User name”).
10. Open your network connection Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) Properties and change the preferred DNS server IP Addresses.
Join in Active Directory Domain from Windows clients
This example is based on Windows 11. Verify client and the server are on the same network and the client has at least one DNS server configured, that is able to resolve the AD DNS zone.
1. Open Settings> System > About and click Domain or Workgroup
2. Click Change to change domain.
3. Select Domain, input domain name, and click OK. In this tutorial domain name is test.com
4. Authentication is required, authenticate with a domain User in Active Directory.
5. Successfully joined the domain, Click OK.
6. Click OK.
7. Changes will take effect after restart computer, Click Close.
8. Click Restart Now to restart the computer.
9. Enter domain user details to sign in
