GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

Maintaining OU consistency in hybrid environments

October 3, 2025
Hybrid identity is supposed to feel like one system: the same users, the same groups, the same access decisions—just stretched acrosson-premises Active Directory and cloud identity. The reality is that the boundary between directories introduces drift: objects end up in the “wrong” OU, policy and delegation assumptions break, sync scope becomes messy, and teams start papering over it with…
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GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

Automating inactive user account cleanup: beyond “run a script every 90 days”

September 19, 2025
A production-grade playbook for hybrid Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) inactive user account cleanup: signals, staged actions, reversibility, and governance—backed by copy‑paste runbooks. On this page Quick definition Why the usual approach breaks First principles Production-ready technical core Implications & trade-offs Expert mental models Misunderstandings &amp…
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GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

AD high-availability: RODCs and cross-site redundancy

September 5, 2025
Active Directory high availability Design for the worst day: local logons at branch speed, safe failover by intent—not accident. RODC Sites & Services Next Closest Site Password Replication Policy Definition (snippet-ready): AD high availability with RODCs and cross-site redundancy is the practice of placing read-only domain controllers in low-trust or connectivity-constrained sites and…
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GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

Transitioning AD schema versions safely: runbook & pitfalls

September 5, 2025
Active Directory The schema is your forest’s data contract. When you raise its version—via adprep or app extensions—you change what can exist and how it behaves. This self-contained guide explains the why, the risks, and a precise runbook you can use in production. Reading time: ~16–20 minutes On this page Why schema transitions matter now What the schema actually is First…
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GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

Block windows app installation with elevated privileges using GPO

December 22, 2023
In an enterprise IT environment, controlling the permissions and actions of the Windows Installer is crucial for maintaining security and consistency. Allowing the Windows Installer to use elevated permissions during program installations can lead to unexpected changes and potential security vulnerabilities. In this article, we will guide system administrators through the process of creating a…
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GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

GPO to prevent regular users from changing MSI installation options

December 22, 2023
In a managed IT environment, ensuring the consistency and security of software installations is essential. Allowing regular users to change installation options during the installation of an MSI package can lead to configuration discrepancies and potential security risks. In this article, we will walk through the process of creating a Group Policy Object (GPO) to deny regular users the ability to…
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GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

GPO to prevent autoplay on non-volume devices

December 22, 2023
Autoplay is a feature in Windows that automatically executes a predefined action when a new device, such as a USB drive, camera, or phone, is connected to the system. While convenient, it can pose a security risk, particularly in an enterprise environment, as it can lead to the automatic execution of malicious software. This article provides a detailed guide for system administrators on creating a…
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