Pin the dsa.msc shortcut to your Taskbar. Then, Win + (Number) opens ADUC instantly. From there, right-click the domain root and select "Find." It’s still the fastest visual search method for complex queries. Are you still RDPing into your DCs? Let me know your Windows 11 admin workflow in the comments below!

If you manage a Windows 11 endpoint in a corporate environment, you know the drill. You need to find if a user account is locked out, reset a password, or grab a manager’s DN. Your first instinct? Remote Desktop into a Domain Controller.

Get-ADUser -Filter "Name -like '*Smith*'" -Properties Title,Department,Manager

Windows 11 has quietly become a powerful administrative workstation. While the average user is searching for "Weather" or "Spotify," you can be running LDAP queries from the same search bar. Let’s walk through how to unlock the superpower on your Windows 11 machine. The Problem: The Native "People" Search isn't Enough If you type a username into the Windows 11 taskbar search, you will likely see "People" results from your local contacts or Outlook. That’s useless for an admin.

Get-WindowsCapability -Name Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools* -Online | Add-WindowsCapability -Online Now, search instantly:

Stop right there.

First, ensure the AD module is available:

Beyond the Magnifying Glass: Mastering Active Directory Search in Windows 11 Tagline: Stop RDP’ing into your DC just to find a user. Here is how to query AD straight from your Start Menu.