Adding Users and Computers to the Active Directory Domain

After the new Active Directory domain is established, create a user account in that domain to use as an administrative account. When that user is added to the appropriate security groups, use that account to add computers to the domain.

• To create a new user, follow these steps:
  
  
  • Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers to start the Active Directory Users and Computers console.
    
  • Click the domain name that you created, and then expand the contents.
    
  • Right-click Users, point to New, and then click User.
    
  • Type the first name, last name, and user logon name of the new user, and then click Next.
    
  • Type a new password, confirm the password, and then click to select one of the following check boxes:
    
    
    • Users must change password at next logon (recommended for most users)
      
    • User cannot change password
      
    • Password never expires
      
    • Account is disabled
      

    Click Next.
    

  • Review the information that you provided, and if everything is correct, click Finish.
    
• After you create the new user, give this user account membership in a group that permits that user to perform administrative tasks. Because this is a laboratory environment that you are in control of, you can give this user account full administrative access by making it a member of the Schema, Enterprise, and Domain administrators groups. To add the account to the Schema, Enterprise, and Domain administrators groups, follow these steps:
  
• On the Active Directory Users and Computers console, right-click the new account that you created, and then click Properties.
  
  
  • Click the Member Of tab, and then click Add.
    
  • In the Select Groups dialog box, specify a group, and then click OK to add the groups that you want to the list.
    
  • Repeat the selection process for each group in which the user needs account membership.
    
  • Click OK to finish.
    
• The final step in this process is to add a member server to the domain. This process also applies to workstations. To add a computer to the domain, follow these steps:
  
• Log on to the computer that you want to add to the domain.
  
  
• Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
  
• Click the Computer Name tab, and then click Change.
  
• In the Computer Name Changes dialog box, click Domain under Member Of, and then type the domain name. Click OK.
  
• When you are prompted, type the user name and password of the account that you previously created, and then click OK.
  
  A message that welcomes you to the domain is generated.
  
• Click OK to return to the Computer Name tab, and then click OK to finish.
  
• Restart the computer if you are prompted to do so.

Troubleshooting

You Cannot Open the Active Directory Snap-ins
After you have completed the installation of Active Directory, you may not be able to start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, and you may receive an error message that indicates that no authority can be contacted for authentication. This can occur if DNS is not correctly configured. To resolve this issue, verify that the zones on your DNS server are configured correctly and that your DNS server has authority for the zone that contains the Active Directory domain name. If the zones appear to be correct and the server has authority for the domain, try to start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in again. If you receive the same error message, use the DCPROMO utility to remove Active Directory, restart the computer, and then reinstall Active Directory. I also provided you with a video of how to add users to Active Directory:

An Introduction to Microsft Active Directory

Let us first consider workgroup networks,and then go to Domains and Active Directory.
Workgroups are networks in which each computer can have both server and clinet role.What I mean is that they can both share resources and make use resources shared by other computers.This kind of network is good when we need one in small scale,and when Security is not important.Here,users can easily use network resources,change their settings such as:Usernames,Passwords,... .This is because they have a database called:Local security Database(LSD) on their systems,which stores the local computer'ssecurity information.Every time a user wants to log on,the information provided by that user is comared to those in the LSD.If thet matched,a token in issued to that user and he/she will be allowed to enter the system.(I will exlain the authentication and authorization process in a seperate post).
This kind of network has many shortcomings among which the below things are more important:

1. Workgroups increase administrator's workload.Because the admin should set properties on computers one-by-one.Each user account should be created on all of the system to which that specific user need to logon,... .
2. Security is in it's lowest level.Users can adjust their system's properties,... as they wish.Imagine a novice logs on to your workgroup.Or a user with devilish wills.The only thing remains for you is the trouble made by these two.

This issues lead to making an other network called :Domain network.With domins you can easily manage thousands of thousands of object in your network;Including :user accounts,group accounts,Computer accounts,Printers,... .How?I tell you.

When you decide to implement a domain,the only thing you need a windows server CD.and a computer to install active directory on it (from that time on,the computer is called domain controller or DC).easy.isn't it?

Now,let us see how it works.

Unlike Workgroups,we don't have LSDs in domain networks.Instead we have something called:Domain Securtiy Database(DSD),in which stored is information about all of the objects on our network;including:User accounts,Group accounts,printers,...).In order to log on to network,users must first join to the domain.From that time on,if a user wants to log on,the information provided by that user will be compared to those stores in DSD.If the matched,the token will be issued and user can log on.

We can increase security by defining policies on the whole domain,so we don't have security issues in the future.Easy life.Isn't it?

And as far as domains are concerned,administrators' workload is decreased too much.because you set everything on one system,just one time.

be content.