Can i try active directory in XP?

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Hey all,

I currently run WinXP Pro on my macbook and wonder if there is anyway to gain experience with basic use of Active Directory or will i have to have a version of Windows server for this?

Kind regards,

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Not in a stand alone XP box. Active directory becomes accessible when you have a DC (domain controller) on your network. Hence you need a Windows *Server* product, to promote to a DC.

 

Cheers for the quick reply, guess ill have to dualboot my old dell laptop with server for a bit of fun... should keep me busy over the weekend at least!

 

Yeah and you might want to consider using some free VM software, like VMware or Microsoft's Virtual PC, so you can play with multiple operating systems networked on a single host (your laptop).

have FUN!

Pete

 

Cheers,
I have just installed Server 2003 through VMware and updated it all and started to tinker in AD. cheers for all the advice. (+rep)

just one more question now.

Is it possible in Server 2003 (VMware) to add Windows XP machine (VMwares host) to the network (to promote to a DC)?

i hope that makes sense, its a little confusing!

 

As far as I am aware, you can't do this. As far as any operating system that runs on VMware is concerned, it doesn't realise that it's actually living inside another operating system - i.e your XP host, so, no you can't add the machine that is running the virtual OPs.

You can, however, create another client OP in VMware and add that to your virtual Server.

The more virtual machines you create though, the more memory on the VMware host you'll need to keep them all running smoothly.

 

No, XP machines can't act as Domain Controllers, only the MS Server OS (and that depends on whether it's full blown server or web edition because the web edition can't be made a DC either).

 

Bloody hell, in 2.5 hours you managed to get that licensed software pretty quick, and also manage to install VMWare + Server 2K3 and have a play!

 

Why not? I can do it because I have a technet subscription so theres nothing saying he doesn't either. I can have a fully installed environment up in about an hour, as far as downloads go recently Vista Home edition (3gb) came down in about 25 minutes.

 

Yup....... but you didn't have an initial query regarding AD in XP and could do this blindfolded! I think this would have taken me 5/6 hours to setup when i first got my hands on the kit assuming i had all software to hand!

 

lol, on my home PC i just get stuck in and install the stuff.

VMware - https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=view4&lp=1 (60 day trial)
Server 2003 - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/r2/trial/installinstruct.mspx?lc=1033
took about 30mins to download server, by which time VMware was up and running.
then took about an hour and 30mins to install server 2003 + ubuntu (wanted to check out the new version).
All done while playing just cause 2 on the xbox

Running out of space however, (only had 25gb and already have 4 operating systems xp Pro + xp Pro/server 2003/ubuntu in vmware) so plan is for today wipe the HDD, re-install windows 7 Pro on that particion, and use ubuntu/server/xp pro on my Mac particion with vm fusion... should take about 3 hours if im lucky.

20meg Virgin Fiberoptic broadband rocks

 

Best way to learn is by getting stuck in! Have fun!