Active Directory: how to tell if your computer is joined to an Active Directory

This page helps you tell whether your computer is connected or "joined" to the main campus OIT Active Directory (ds.uah.edu).

Use the following steps to determine whether your computer is joined to an Active Directory domain, and, if so, whether you are logged in to the domain or to the local computer.

Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10

Checking whether your computer is joined to Active Directory:

  • Right mouse click on the Computer icon
  • Select Properties
  • Look under the Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings for this entry:
    • Domain:  ds.uah.edu
      (means you are connected to the main campus OIT Active Directory)

If you have a Domain: entry that is not ds.uah.edu, you may be part of a departmental Active directory. If you have an entry that starts with Workgroup: then your device is not joined to an Active Directory.

Checking whether you're logged in to the AD or the local machine:

Even if your computer is joined to the Active Directory, you may be logged in either to the Active Directory or to your local machine. To check:

  1. Open the Start menu, then type cmd in the Search box and press Enter.
  2. In the command line window that appears, type set user and press Enter.
  3. Look at the USERDOMAIN: entry. If the user domain contains your computer's name, you're logged in to the computer. If it contains the Active Directory's name, you're logged in to the Active Directory.

Mac OS X

Most Macs on campus are not joined to the campus Active Directory. However, some may be.

Checking whether your computer is joined to Active Directory:

  • Open the Directory Utility.
    • 10.7 and above: In System Preferences, click Users and Groups, then click Login Options. (You may need to click the Make Changes lock symbol and log in to this section of interface.) Click Join next to Network Server. In the window that appears, click Open Directory Utility.
  • If Active Directory is NOT checked, then your computer is not joined to an Active Directory.
    If Active Directory IS checked, select it from the list and click the edit pencil to the lower left to see what domain it is joined to.
    (You will need to click the Make Changes lock symbol and log in to see whether your computer is part of a domain.)
  • Look under the Active Directory Domain field for this entry:
    • Domain:  ds.uah.edu
      (means you are connected to the main campus OIT Active Directory)

If you have an Active Directory Domain entry that is not ds.uah.edu, you may be part of a departmental Active directory.

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