ADRestore.NET remains a valuable, albeit older, utility for system administrators who need to recover accidentally deleted Active Directory objects. While Microsoft has provided more comprehensive solutions in modern Windows Server versions (most notably the AD Recycle Bin), many production environments still run older functional levels where those features are unavailable or impractical to enable. In those situations, having a reliable, GUI‑based tombstone reanimation tool can save hours of manual reconstruction.
While the original AdRestore.exe from Sysinternals (created by Mark Russinovich) is excellent for scripting and quick reanimation, ADRestore.NET brings ease-of-use, advanced filtering, and attribute visualization to the table. Key Features of ADRestore.NET
Enter – the GUI version of AdRestore. This article provides a deep dive into what AdRestoreNet is, how it works, why you need it, and a step-by-step guide to recovering deleted objects with a visual interface.
That said, ADRestore.NET is not a substitute for proper backups and regular testing of your disaster recovery plan. Always ensure you have a tested, full backup of your Active Directory database. And when you do need to rely on tombstone reanimation, remember that ADRestore.NET restores objects —but without their group memberships and many attributes. Always plan for manual cleanup after using the tool. adrestorenet the gui version of adrestore
– Lightweight and does the job, but requires memorizing switches and offers no visual feedback.
| Requirement | Details | |-------------|---------| | Permissions | or delegated Reanimate Tombstone control | | OS | Windows Server 2008 R2 – 2022, Windows 10/11 (x64) | | .NET | .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later | | AD access | Must be run from a domain-joined machine with LDAP connectivity to a DC |
| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | | Deleted objects remain restorable only within the tombstone lifetime (default 180 days). | | Linked attributes | Group memberships, manager assignments, etc., may need re-linking after restore. | | Password | Restored user accounts keep their last known password (unless password was reset before deletion). | | SID | Original SID is preserved. | | BitLocker recovery keys | For computer objects, keys in AD may be lost – check separately. | | Conflict resolution | If a duplicate name exists, restore may fail – rename the conflicting object first. | ADRestore
You must run the tool with Domain Admin privileges or be delegated explicit rights to restore deleted objects.
Restoring objects with ADRestore.NET is straightforward. Here is the step-by-step process: 1. Download and Run
The memberOf attribute is lost during tombstoning. You must re-add the user or computer to their respective security and distribution groups. While the original AdRestore
Using ADRestoreNET is straightforward and does not require an installation process. Step 1: Prerequisites
Right-click AdRestoreNet.exe and select Run as Administrator . The tool requires domain admin privileges or delegated permissions to read tombstones and restore objects.
– If you deleted an entire OU that contained child objects (users, computers, sub‑OUs), you must restore that OU first. Failure to do so will result in errors when attempting to restore the child objects, because their lastKnownParent attribute still points to the deleted OU. After restoring the OU, you can then restore the child objects.
Before running the tool, ensure the following conditions are met: