Configure your Windows computer to connect to IU's ADS domain

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Before you begin

These instructions for Windows 10 and Windows 8.x allow you to connect to the Active Directory Services (ADS) domain at Indiana University by creating a new user profile on your device. When you log into ADS using this new profile, none of the settings from your previous user profile will apply (for example, Task Manager icons, desktop files, Outlook configuration). To restore these settings, you must copy your old user profile over to the new one.

For help, see Microsoft Support.

When configuring a computer to join the ADS domain, it needs to be on the IU network. A wired connection to the network typically provides the most reliable setup for computers physically present on campus. If the computer is off campus, you should connect to the IU VPN before joining it to the ADS domain.

If you're unsure whether you should join your computer to the ADS domain, consider the following.

  • UITS recommends that all university-owned computers directly on the IU network (that is, physically present on campus) should be joined to the Active Directory if possible, whether or not it is a department requirement.
    • If you want or need to take advantage of once-per-session domain authentication (that is, if you use Outlook to access your IU Exchange account, or if you regularly map drives or print to networked printers), the computer should be on the ADS domain. If it is not, you will have to enter a password for each service or resource you access.
    • If your local UITS support person or another administrator controls computer and network security through Group Policy Objects, the computer must be on the ADS domain.
    • If many different IU users use the computer, it should be on the ADS domain. Otherwise, you will have to create a local account for each individual user, or one "general" local account accessible by everyone. This option is not secure, as it allows all users to access all other users' files.
  • However, in some instances, you may not want your computer on the ADS domain:
    • In most cases, you should not join your privately owned computer to the ADS domain.
    • Any computer joined to the ADS domain will need to periodically refresh the login credentials on the IU network. That means that if an AD-joined computer is located off campus, you'll need to connect it to the IU VPN at least every month or so, or you may be unable to log into the computer.

Set the local administrator password

To join your computer to IU's ADS domain, you must set a local administrator password.

Join your Windows 11 computer to the ADS domain

  1. Press Win-x and select System.
  2. Below the computer model at the top, click Rename.
  3. In the field below "Current PC name:", type a new computer name that complies with the ADS domain naming convention, which requires names with the following components:
    1. A two-character campus code followed by a dash:
      • BL for IU Bloomington
      • IN for IUPUI
      • EA for IU East
      • KO for IU Kokomo
      • NW for IU Northwest
      • SB for IU South Bend
      • SE for IU Southeast
      • CO for IUPUC
      • FW for IU Fort Wayne
    2. A four-character department code (at IUPUC, a two-character department code) followed by a dash
    3. A unique computer name up to seven characters in length, with no spaces
    For example, a University Information Technology Services (UITS) departmental computer at the Bloomington campus named "NAME" would be renamed "BL-UITS-NAME".
  4. Restart your computer.
  5. Press Win-x and select Settings.
  6. Go to Accounts, and then Access work or school.
  7. Next to "Add a work or school account", click Connect.
  8. Choose Join this device to a local Active Directory domain.
  9. Under"Domain name", type ads.iu.edu and click Next.
  10. You'll be prompted with the "Join a domain" window for authentication. Use ads.iu.edu\your University account username and passphrase in the "User name" and "Password" fields, and click OK.
  11. Restart your computer.

Join your Windows 10 computer to the ADS domain

  1. Press Win-x and select System.
  2. You may need to select Advanced System Settings, or System info and then Advanced System Settings. In the "System Properties" window, select the Computer Name tab and click Change.
  3. Under "Member of", the selected radio button will show whether your computer is a member of a domain or a workgroup. If your computer is a member of a domain, follow the instructions in this step. If your computer is a member of a workgroup, skip to step 8.
    1. In the "Computer Name Changes" window, under "Member of", select Workgroup.
    2. In the "Workgroup:" field, type a temporary name and click OK.
    3. A "Network Identification" dialog box will appear. Click OK.
    4. You will then see another dialog box reminding you to reboot your computer. Click OK. The computer will restart.
  4. Navigate back to the "Computer Name/Domain Changes" dialog box. In the "Computer name:" field, type a new computer name that complies with the ADS domain naming convention. The naming convention requires names with the following components:
    1. A two-character campus code followed by a dash:
      • BL for IU Bloomington
      • IN for IUPUI
      • EA for IU East
      • KO for IU Kokomo
      • NW for IU Northwest
      • SB for IU South Bend
      • SE for IU Southeast
      • CO for IUPUC
      • FW for IU Fort Wayne
    2. A four-character department code (at IUPUC, a two-character department code) followed by a dash
    3. A unique computer name up to seven characters in length, with no spaces
    For example, a University Information Technology Services (UITS) departmental computer at the Bloomington campus named "NAME" would be renamed "BL-UITS-NAME".
  5. Reboot your computer.
  6. Navigate to the "Systems Properties" window as you did in steps 1 and 2 above. Select the Computer Name tab and click Change.
  7. In the "Identification Changes" window, under "Member of", select Domain. In the "Domain:" field, type ads.iu.edu.
  8. Click More....
    1. In the "Primary DNS suffix of this computer:" field, enter ads.iu.edu.
    2. Check Change primary DNS suffix when domain membership changes.
    3. Click OK.
  9. You will then be prompted with the "Domain Username And Password" window for authentication. Use your University account username and passphrase to complete the "Name:" and "Passphrase:" fields.
  10. A "Network Identification" dialog box will appear. Click OK. You will see another dialog box reminding you to reboot your computer. Click OK.
  11. Click OK to close the "Identification Changes" window. You may see a warning icon in the bottom portion of the "Systems Properties" window reminding you to reboot the computer. Click OK.
  12. You will see a "System Settings Change" dialog box. Click Yes to automatically reboot your computer.

When you log into your computer after it reboots, in the "Domain:" field of the login prompt, select ADS to log into the Active Directory domain. You may be automatically prompted to log into ADS.

By default, ADS accounts will have user-level rights. For more, see Give yourself or others login privileges on your Windows computer at IU.

This is document ajmx in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2024-04-15 16:43:28.