Give XP ability to search Active Directory


Out of the box, Windows XP Pro does not have Windows 2000’s capability to search the Active Directory. To put it back: create a shortcut icon on the desktop to run the following command: rundll32 dsquery,OpenQueryWindow .

Rundll32.exe is an application included with Windows that executes functions in dynamic link libraries (DLLs). Most applications (and Windows) use DLLs to share code between multiple applications or multiple modules within a single application. There are lots of other tasks you can accomplish with Rundll32.exe. You can execute these commands from a console or incorporate them into scripts or batch files to help you quickly access certain features in the user interface for configuring the operating system or hardware.

The following command starts the Add Printer Wizard:
Rundll32.exe printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /il

If you want to add a standard TCP/IP port for printing, use this command:
Rundll32.exe tcpmonui.dll,LocalAddPortUI

You can easily create new shared folders through the New Share dialog box. Use this command to open it:
Rundll32.exe ntlanui.dll,ShareCreate

Another function you can access through Ntlanui.dll is the Shared Directories dialog box. Here’s how to open it:
Rundll32.exe ntlanui.dll,ShareManage



Note:
This Windows XP tip applies only when you are running Windows Explorer in Classic Mode. If you go Tools –> Folder Options –> General tab and select “Show common tasks in Windows” then you’ll see a link called “Search Active Directory” under Network Tasks. Clicking on this link will then bring up the familiar Active Directory search interface.

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