Series Launching 13th May 2026
6 guides covering Active Directory, PowerShell, Group Policy, DNS/DHCP, and security hardening. New articles every 2 days from May 13th.
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The Enterprise Reality: Windows Server Is Everywhere
Here’s what the Linux purists don’t tell you: 75% of enterprise desktops run Windows, and the servers managing them run Windows Server. Active Directory controls identity for organisations from 50-person SMBs to Fortune 500 corporations. If you want to work in enterprise IT, you need Windows skills.
I’ve worked in environments with 500+ Windows servers alongside Linux infrastructure. The sysadmins who got promoted weren’t the ones who scoffed at Windows – they were the ones who could troubleshoot Group Policy, manage Active Directory, and write PowerShell scripts that automated the tedious stuff.
This series covers the Windows Server fundamentals that actually matter in enterprise roles. Not click-through tutorials, but the operational knowledge and troubleshooting skills that separate helpdesk from sysadmin, and sysadmin from infrastructure architect.
Career Context: Windows sysadmin roles in the UK: £35-45k. Add Active Directory expertise and PowerShell automation: £45-55k. Combine with hybrid cloud skills (Azure AD, Entra ID): £55-65k. These are the skills that unlock the higher bands.
The Series
Six guides covering the Windows Server skills that enterprise employers actually test. Each article includes practical examples, troubleshooting scenarios, interview talking points, and the career context that helps you position your experience.
Foundation
Windows Server Basics: Editions, Roles and Server Manager (Coming 13th May)
Standard vs Datacenter, Core vs Desktop Experience, and the role-based architecture that defines Windows Server.
Active Directory Essentials (Coming 15th May)
Users, groups, OUs, and the identity infrastructure that controls access across the enterprise.
Administration and Automation
PowerShell Basics (Coming 17th May)
The command line that transforms Windows administration. Cmdlets, pipelines, and scripting skills that separate button-clickers from automators.
Group Policy Deep Dive (Coming 19th May)
Enforce security settings, deploy software, configure desktops at scale. The tool that manages thousands of machines from a single console.
Networking and Security
Windows Networking: DNS and DHCP (Coming 21st May)
DNS, DHCP, and the Windows-specific networking that keeps enterprises connected. Troubleshooting the issues that generate the most tickets.
Windows Security Hardening (Coming 23rd May)
Hardening, auditing, and the security configurations that compliance requires. Defend your infrastructure against the threats that target Windows environments.
Who This Series Is For
- Linux admins adding Windows to their toolkit for hybrid roles
- Helpdesk/Desktop support moving up to sysadmin positions
- Career changers entering IT through the Microsoft ecosystem
- Homelab builders wanting to practice enterprise Windows scenarios
- MSP technicians managing mixed client environments
The Career Context
| Role | Windows Skills Required | Typical Salary (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Support | Basic AD user management, password resets | £25-32k |
| Junior Sysadmin | Server Manager, GPO basics, PowerShell fundamentals | £32-40k |
| Sysadmin | Full AD management, GPO design, automation | £40-50k |
| Senior Sysadmin | Complex AD architectures, security hardening, hybrid cloud | £50-60k |
| Infrastructure Architect | Enterprise design, multi-forest AD, Azure AD integration | £60-80k |
The jump from desktop support to sysadmin – that’s Active Directory and Group Policy. The jump from sysadmin to senior – that’s PowerShell automation and security hardening. This series covers both transitions.
The Linux Admin’s Advantage
If you’re coming from Linux, you already understand the fundamentals: users, groups, permissions, services, networking. Windows does these differently, but the concepts transfer.
| Linux Concept | Windows Equivalent | Key Differences |
|---|---|---|
| Bash | PowerShell | Object-based pipeline vs text streams |
| /etc/passwd, LDAP | Active Directory | Centralised, domain-based identity |
| Ansible, Puppet | Group Policy | Built-in, AD-integrated configuration management |
| systemd | Windows Services | GUI management, different dependency model |
| iptables/nftables | Windows Firewall | Profile-based, GPO-managed |
Get Notified When This Series Launches
6 practical Windows Server guides starting 13th May 2026. No spam, just a heads-up when each article goes live.
Related Learning Paths
- Linux Fundamentals – Master the other half of enterprise infrastructure (12 guides)
- Azure AZ-104 Series – Extend Windows skills to hybrid cloud
- Automation Series – IaC, Ansible, and cross-platform scripting
- Homelab Guides – Practice Windows Server in your own lab
ReadTheManual is run, written and curated by Eric Lonsdale.
Eric has over 20 years of professional experience in IT infrastructure, cloud architecture, and cybersecurity, but started with PCs long before that.
He built his first machine from parts bought off tables at the local college campus, hoping they worked. He learned on BBC Micros and Atari units in the early 90s, and has built almost every PC he’s used between 1995 and now.
From helpdesk to infrastructure architect, Eric has worked across enterprise datacentres, Azure environments, and security operations. He’s managed teams, trained engineers, and spent two decades solving the problems this site teaches you to solve.
ReadTheManual exists because Eric believes the best way to learn IT is to build things, break things, and actually read the manual. Every guide on this site runs on infrastructure he owns and maintains.