How to Add a Computer to a Domain in Windows 11

To add a Windows 11 computer to a domain, press Windows key + R, type sysdm.cpl, and on the Computer Name tab click Change. Select Domain, type the domain name (for example, corp.example.com), click OK, and enter an account that’s allowed to join computers to the domain. Restart, then sign in with your domain account. You need Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education; Windows 11 Home can’t join an Active Directory domain.

Before you start

• Edition: check Settings > System > About > Windows specifications. If it says Home, upgrade to Pro first.
• Network: the PC must be on the company network or VPN and able to reach a domain controller.
• DNS: the PC’s DNS server must be the domain’s DNS server (usually set automatically by the office network). Test with nslookup corp.example.com.
• Credentials: a domain account with permission to join computers. Ask your IT team if you’re not sure.
• PC name: rename the PC to match your company’s naming scheme before joining, since renaming afterwards also needs domain credentials.
• Local admin: sign in to Windows with an administrator account.

Method 1: System Properties

1. Press Windows key + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. Or go to Settings > System > About and click Domain or workgroup.
2. On the Computer Name tab, click Change.
3. Under Member of, select Domain and type the full domain name.
4. Click OK, then enter the domain username and password when prompted.
5. When you see “Welcome to the domain”, click OK and restart the PC.

Method 2: Settings app

1. Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
2. Click Connect.
3. At the bottom of the window, click Join this device to a local Active Directory domain.
4. Enter the domain name, then your domain credentials.
5. Optionally add the domain account as a local user and choose its account type, then restart.

Method 3: PowerShell

Open Terminal (Admin) and run:

Add-Computer -DomainName corp.example.com -Credential CORP\adminuser -Restart

Enter the password when prompted. Add -NewName PC-NAME to rename the PC in the same step. This is useful when setting up several PCs.

Sign in with your domain account

After the restart, click Other user on the sign-in screen and enter DOMAIN\username or [email protected]. The first sign-in takes a while as Windows builds your profile and applies company policies.

Check that it worked

Open Settings > System > About; the full device name now includes the domain. In Terminal, systeminfo | findstr /B "Domain" shows the domain name. See how to find your domain name in Windows 11.

Active Directory vs Microsoft Entra ID

Companies that use Microsoft 365 without on-premises servers usually use Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) instead of a traditional domain. In that case, use Join this device to Microsoft Entra ID in the same Connect window. See how to join Windows 11 to Microsoft Entra ID.

Troubleshooting

Error	Fix
“An Active Directory Domain Controller for the domain could not be contacted”	Point DNS to the domain’s DNS server and check the network or VPN connection
“The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted”	Check the spelling of the full domain name and test with nslookup
“Access is denied”	The account can’t join computers. Ask IT for one that can
“The trust relationship between this workstation and the primary domain failed”	Remove the PC from the domain and join again, or ask IT to reset the computer account
Sign-in fails after joining	Check the clock and time zone; large time differences block domain sign-in

Leave a domain

In the same Computer Name > Change dialog, choose Workgroup, type a name such as WORKGROUP, and enter domain credentials. Make sure you know a local administrator password first, or you may not be able to sign in afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

Can I join a domain from Windows 10?

Yes, with the same steps. See how to join a Windows 10 PC to a domain and how to sign in to another domain.

Summary

1. Check you have Windows 11 Pro and can reach the domain controller.
2. Run sysdm.cpl, click Change, choose Domain and enter the name.
3. Enter domain credentials and restart.
4. Sign in as DOMAIN\username.