Simple Steps: How to use offline domain join (djoin.exe) in Active Directory

Offline domain join is a new process that computers running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 can use to join a domain without contacting a domain controller.

There is a new tool included with Windows Server 2008 R2 / Server 2012 R2 and Windows 7 / 8 called Djoin.exe.

This tool allows clients to be joined to a domain without any network connectivity.

There are any number of circumstances where you may want to have a client computer join to a domain when they have no access to a domain controller.

On example might be if you are creating a new branch office and the servers are not functional yet in that location, but you would like to begin rolling out the clients.

Here are the steps :

1 – On the Windows Server, open CMD  and type :

djoin /provision /domain “osi” /machine “OSI-CL06” /savefile win7blob.txt

** osi = your domain name

** OSI-CL06 = PC Client

** If the djoin /provision command completes successfully, you’ll see your new Clients PC account in the Computers container in AD.

2 – Browse to domain administrator profile folder which is located in C:\Users folder, and look for Win7blob.txt file…

Transfer Win7blob.txt file to OSI-CL06 client PC…

3 – On the OSI-CL06 PC, confirm that it still in workgroup.

Paste the Win7blob.txt that you copy previously from the server (any domain member PC) into local admin profile (for this demo i copy into Windows 7 System32 folder (not the best practice)…

4 – On the client PC, open cmd and type djoin /requestODJ /loadfile win7blob.txt /windowspath %systemroot% /localos…, and then restart the PC…

5 – Once your Client PC restarted, open System Properties and confirm that your Client PC is now a member of your domain…

*** Please take note : You’ll only be able to logon with a domain account for the first time if there’s connectivity to a DC.