AD Tidy vs. AD Query

Perform an extensive examination of your Active Directory domain to identify user and computer accounts that are inactive by utilizing filters like last logon timestamps and DNS record dates, among other criteria. Once you have pinpointed these dormant accounts, you can proceed with several management actions, such as relocating them to a different organizational unit (OU), disabling their access, assigning them a random password, and removing them from all associated groups. It is crucial to identify and eliminate inactive accounts to keep your Active Directory organized, while your reporting can encompass both user and computer accounts alike. You have the option to conduct a search across the entire domain or focus on a particular OU, and the tool is versatile enough to work with multiple domains, enabling you to specify the desired domain and use alternative credentials when required. Furthermore, you can gather last logon information from all domain controllers (DCs) or choose specific ones by leveraging the lastLogon or lastLogonTimeStamp attributes. You can refine your search results to display only those accounts that have been inactive for a defined number of days, and you can also assess the activity status of computer accounts through Ping tests and evaluations of DNS record timestamps, ensuring a thorough cleanup process. This meticulous approach not only fosters better resource management but also bolsters the security posture of your Active Directory environment, ultimately leading to a more efficient and secure infrastructure. By regularly performing these maintenance tasks, you can significantly improve the overall health of your Active Directory.

This completely free tool tailored for Active Directory enables users to search for both users and computers while accessing transformed schema attributes that are often complex to decipher. Designed with user-friendliness in mind, this application stands out as a remarkable asset for analyzing and comparing schema data without requiring any installation—simply execute the file. Fully available at no cost for Active Directory environments, it allows for targeted searches of specific domain users and computer entities. The interface presents object schema and LDAP information clearly, converting binary schema data into an easily digestible format. Moreover, it facilitates the retrieval of important details such as email aliases and last login dates, with the added functionality of exporting search results to an XML file that can be opened with Excel. Lightweight and quick to run, this tool serves as an essential time-saver for administrators overseeing user accounts. AD Query not only streamlines the auditing process for any user or computer object in Active Directory but also provides deeper insights than the standard Users and Computers MMC, as it uncovers all populated schema, LDAP, and Exchange mail-enabled attributes linked to each object. Ultimately, it significantly boosts administrative efficiency by simplifying data retrieval and comparison tasks. This tool truly transforms the way administrators interact with Active Directory data, making it an indispensable addition to their toolkit.