How to Join Windows 10 to a Domain: Step-by-Step Guide

Windows 10 domain joins using a graphical interface (GUI)

1. Start or Operating System and enter the system.

NOTE: User must have Local Admin Rights and rights to join PCs to domain

2. Right Mouse Button click on the Start button and select System;

3. Click Change settings;

4. Click the Change button;

5. Enter your Computer name and Domain (in “Member of“).

When you join your PC to the domain you have 2 scenarios to go:

• Change name, reboot, join to domain, reboot;

• Change name, join to the domain, and reboot (I use this);

6. After all changes click the OK button;

7. Enter the credentials of user, that has the rights to join computers to the domain. I use the early created in AD computer name and selected the user for its joining. After entries click the OK button;

8. If all things are right you will see the message Welcome to the domain. Click the OK button;

9. Next system tells you about restarting. Click the OK button;

10. Click the Close button;

11. You will get a pop-up to Restart Now your system:

12. After the system restarts you can log in into the system with your domain credentials.

Windows 10 domain join using PowerShell

Open a Windows PowerShell with administrator rights and type the following command by changing DomainName to yours and DomainUser with a domain user account.

Add-Computer -DomainName DomainName> -Credential DomainUser>

For example, the command would look something like this:

Add-Computer -DomainName contoso.com -Credential contoso\Administrator

After the command runs, you will need to type the user’s password and then restart your computer to complete the process.

Restart-Computer