16.16. Searching for Deleted Objects
Problem
You want to search for deleted objects.
Solution
Using a graphical user interface
Open LDP.
From the menu, select Connection → Connect.
For Server, enter the name of a domain controller you want to target (or leave blank to do a serverless bind).
For Port, enter 389.
Click OK.
From the menu, select Connection → Connect.
Enter credentials of a user that is an administrator for the domain.
Click OK.
From the menu, select Options → Controls.
For Windows Server 2003, select the
Return
Deleted
Objects
control under Load Predefined.For Windows 2000, type
1.2.840.113556.1.4.417
for the Object Identifier and click the Check In button.Click OK.
From the menu, select Browse → Search.
For BaseDN, enter:
cn=Deleted Objects
,<DomainDN>
.For Scope, select One Level.
For Filter, enter:
(isDeleted=TRUE)
.Click the Options button.
Under Search Call Type, select Extended.
Click OK.
Click Run.
Using a command-line interface
As of this writing, none of the standard command-line tools provide a way to search for deleted objects.
Using VBScript
It is currently not possible to search for deleted objects with ADSI or ADO.
Discussion
When an object is deleted in Active Directory, it is not completely
deleted. The original object is removed, but a tombstone (deleted)
object takes its place in the Deleted
Objects
container within the naming context it was
deleted in. See Introduction in Chapter 16 for more on
tombstone objects.
Both the Deleted Objects
container and tombstone objects themselves ...
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