Configure Active Directory Certificate Services User Templates

Learn how to configure user certificate templates in Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) using a Windows Server Enterprise CA. In this video, we walk through creating custom certificate templates for users, enabling manual and automatic enrollment via GPO, and demonstrate how to apply certificates for secure email, document signing, PowerShell script signing, .NET app publishing, and file encryption. Whether you're an IT administrator or working toward AD CS mastery, this tutorial provides a detailed, practical step-by-step guide from template creation to deployment. This is part of a larger Windows Active Directory series focused on securing your enterprise with key infrastructure roles and features.

🔗    • How to Install and Configure Active Direct...  


Applies to:
✅ Windows Server 2025, ✅ Windows Server 2022, ✅ Windows Server 2019, ✅ Windows Server 2016, ✅ Windows Server 2012R2, ✅ Windows Server 2012


Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:34 ADCS Certificate Templates
2:23 Create New ADCS Certificate Template
4:37 Enrollment, Manual
5:48 Create New Auto-Enroll ADCS Certificate Template
6:56 User Auto-Enroll GPO
7:53 Enrollment, Automatic
8:42 Certificate Use Demonstration
12:16 Next Steps – Computer Templates and Enrollment
12:38 Thank you for watching!


Glossary:
AAD = Azure Active Directory
ADCS = Active Directory Certificate Services
ADDS = Active Directory Domain Services
AIA = Authority Information Access
CA = Certificate Authority
CDP = CRL Distribution Point
CRL = Certificate Revocation List
CSR = Certificate Signing Request
EFS = Encrypting File System
GPO = Group Policy Object
MMC = Microsoft Management Console
OCSP = Online Certificate Status Protocol
PKI = Public Key Infrastructure
RSA = Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (a public-key encryption algorithm)
SHA = Secure Hash Algorithm
UPN = User Principal Name
SAN = Subject Alternative Name
PAW = Privileged Access Workstation
RSAT = Remote Server Administration Tools
PSSession = PowerShell Remoting Session
CMDLET = Lightweight PowerShell command
NTFS = New Technology File System (used for EFS encryption)


Code Signing Timestamp Servers:
http://timestamp.comodoca.com/authent...
http://timestamp.digicert.com
http://sha256timestamp.ws.symantec.co...
http://timestamp.sectigo.com


GitHub (commands):
https://github.com/DariensTips/Config...


Links:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/pow...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/pre...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/tra...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/tra...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/tro...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/win...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/win...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/win...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/win...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/pow...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/pow...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/vis...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/vis...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/pow...



Hashtags:
#ADCS #WindowsServer2025 #CertificateServices #ActiveDirectory