To pre-stage a computer account so that it resides inside AD, perform the following steps:
- Open the Active Directory Users and Computers tool on a DC.
- Choose a location in which you want to place this new server. I am going to use an OU that I created called RemoteAccessServers.
- Right-click on your OU and navigate to New | Computer.
- Enter the name of your new server. Make sure this matches the hostname you are going to assign as you build this new server so that when it joins the domain, it matches up with this entry in AD. Take note on this screen that you also have the ability to determine which user or group has permission to join this new machine to the domain, if you want to set a restriction here:
- Click OK, and ...
