You should have access to a domain joined admin workstation and a domain controller.
Download the LAPS files from Microsoft onto the admin workstation. You can choose the architecture and documentation that you want to download.
Install all of the LAPS components onto the admin workstation.
NOTE: To see all of the module commandlets:
Get-Command -Module AdmPwd.ps
Extend the AD Schema. See the MS documentation if you have an RODC
On the admin workstation, open a PowerShell terminal as a user that has schema admin rights:
Import-Module AdmPwd.ps
Update-AdmPwdADSchema
To verify LAPS was added to the AD schema, in a domain controller PowerShell terminal:
Get-ADObject 'CN=ms-Mcs-AdmPwd,CN=schema,CN=Configuration,
DC=contoso,DC=com'
View Extended Right Holders in the target OU
Passwords are kept in plain text on the DC so permissions assigned to LAPS are critical. Only those who should have access to view and set the passwords should be allowed to view and change the passwords.
Get an early look at Extended Rights Holders on the OU’s where LAPS will be applied. On my clean lab machines, I only see “NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM, CONTOSO\Domain Admins”. If any others show up, you should consider whether to remove them or leave them in place if they will be actually used in the LAPS configuration. See the MS document for further:
Find-AdmPwdExtendedRights -Identity "<OU NAME>" | Format-Table
-or-
Find-AdmPwdExtendedRights -Identity "<OU NAME>" | Format-List
Set the Extended Right Holders in the target OU
The following commands require the PowerShell module to be loaded:
Import-Module AdmPwd.ps
* Note also that the commands need to be run on each OU where LAPS is to be used.
Add SELF permissions to all computers in an OU to allow them to change their own local admin password:
Set-AdmPwdComputerSelfPermission -Identity "<OU NAME>"
For the next to commands, you will need to create the appropriate domain security groups as needed.
Add users/groups that will be allowed to read the LAPS passwords (this is a single command):
Set-AdmPwdReadPasswordPermission -Identity:"<OU NAME>" -AllowedPrincipals:"<domain\user or group>",
"<domain\another user or group name>"
Add users/groups that will be allowed to reset the local admin passwords on the LAPS computers (also run the above command in addition to this one):
Set-AdmPwdResetPasswordPermission -Identity:"<OU NAME>" -AllowedPrincipals:"<domain\user or group>", "<domain\another user or group name>"
If you want to check that permissions were set, this command should show it:
Find-AdmPwdExtendedRights -Identity "<OU NAME>" | Format-List
Or check the object security permissions:
R-click the OU -> Properties -> Security tab -> Advanced -> Select the group name -> Edit
Under Properties (scroll down), these should be checked:
Read ms-Mcs-AdmPwdExpirationTime
Write ms-Mcs-AdmPwdExpirationTime
*Note - write depends on which Set-AdmPwd command you ran above.
Setup GPO for LAPS
The LAPS GPO files are installed on the admin workstation and need to be copied to the Active Directory server. They can be found under C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions and C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US (if using the US version of English).
Once the files have been copied to the AD server, create the following directories on the AD server if they do not already exist and copy the files.
The AdmPwd.admx file needs to be copied to:
C:\Windows\SYSVOL\contoso.com\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\
The AdmPwd.adml file needs to be copied to:
C:\Windows\SYSVOL\contoso.com\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\en-US\
en-US, (or what ever the appropriate language on the server is)
Open Group Policy Management and create a LAPS GPO object.
Edit the LAPS GPO for the appropriate settings for your domain:
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> LAPS
Link the GPO to the appropriate OU’s.
Install the client piece
The LAPS client can be installed using SCCM, Group Policy, scripting, or locally using a .msi or .dll file.
On my admin workstation, I can see that LAPS is already installed by viewing “Programs and Features”, or by looking for “C:\Program Files\LAPS\CSE\AdmPwd.dll”. This .dll file can be used to install the client on other computers if desired.
Adding additional OU’s after initial setup
If LAPS is already setup and you are adding new OU’s or computers:
-Set the permissions on the OU using PowerShell commands above.
-Set up the admin user locally on each managed computer.
-Set up a new GPO if needed.
-Install the client.
