How to check and export the application schema extensions on Windows 2012 R2 DC

Hi Andrew,

I just wanted to follow up and see if your issue has already been resolved. If you still need any clarification or additional help, please feel free to reply here. If the previous information helped solve your problem, consider marking the response as “Accept Answer” so it can assist other community members as well. Thank you!

Hi Andrew Ang,

To check the application schema extensions on a Domain Controller running Windows Server 2012 R2, you can use ADSI Edit to view the schema objects in Active Directory. Open Run and type adsiedit.msc, then right-click ADSI Edit and choose Connect to. Under Select a well known Naming Context, select Schema and connect. After connecting, browse to CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=<yourdomain>,DC=<com>. In this container you can review objects such as "classSchema" and "attributeSchema", where applications typically add new classes or attributes as part of their schema extensions.

To export schema information using Windows PowerShell, open PowerShell on the Domain Controller and run the command below (you can copy and paste it directly):

Import-Module ActiveDirectory

Get-ADObject -SearchBase (Get-ADRootDSE).schemaNamingContext -LDAPFilter "(objectClass=attributeSchema)" -Properties lDAPDisplayName,adminDisplayName,attributeID,whenCreated |

Select lDAPDisplayName,adminDisplayName,attributeID,whenCreated |

Export-Csv C:\Temp\SchemaAttributes.csv -NoTypeInformation

This command will query the Active Directory schema and export the results to a CSV file located at "C:\Temp\SchemaAttributes.csv". The CSV file will contain useful details such as the LDAP display name of the attribute, administrative display name, attribute ID, and the creation date, which can help identify schema extensions added by applications.

Alternatively, you can export the full schema using the LDIFDE utility. Open an elevated Command Prompt on the Domain Controller and run the following command:

ldifde -f C:\Temp\ADSchema.ldf -d CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=<domain>,DC=<com>

This command exports all schema classes and attributes to an LDIF file, which can be used for documentation, auditing, or further analysis.

If this was helpful, please click "Accept Answer" or "Vote". If you have any further questions, you can leave a comment. I hope this helps and wish you success in resolving your issue. Have a great day!
TV