After joining your Windows 10 PC to Azure AD, you can verify the registration through:

# PowerShell command to check Azure AD join status
dsregcmd /status

You'll find registered devices in the Azure portal under:

Azure Portal → Azure Active Directory → Devices → All Devices

Traditional GPOs require a domain controller, while Azure AD uses modern management approaches:

• Azure AD Join replaces domain join
• Intune/MEM replaces Group Policy
• Azure AD Conditional Access replaces some security policies

For folder redirection and drive mappings, consider these Intune configuration methods:

// Example Intune PowerShell script for drive mapping
$driveLetter = "Z:"
$networkPath = "\\fileserver\departments\hr"
$registryPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer"

New-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name $driveLetter -Value $networkPath -PropertyType String -Force

Use Intune's Settings Catalog to configure privacy settings:

1. Create new Configuration Profile
2. Select "Settings catalog" as profile type
3. Search for and configure specific privacy settings

If you need traditional GPOs with Azure AD auth:

# Hybrid Azure AD join prerequisites
1. Azure AD Connect configured
2. Device writeback enabled
3. Organizational Unit configured for computer objects

For Windows 10 privacy configuration:

{
  "deviceConfiguration": {
    "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.windows10GeneralConfiguration",
    "privacyAdvertisingId": "disabled",
    "privacyAutoAcceptPairingAndConsentPrompts": "enabled",
    "startMenuHideRecentJumpLists": true,
    "startMenuHideRecentlyAddedApps": true
  }
}

Remember that full GPO parity isn't available in Azure AD alone - Intune or third-party solutions fill this gap for cloud-managed devices.

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When shifting from traditional Active Directory to Azure AD, one key difference is the absence of native Group Policy Object (GPO) management. Azure AD operates on a cloud-first model with modern MDM approaches, which requires adapting your administration strategy.

To view your test Windows 10 PC in Azure AD:

1. Navigate to Azure Portal (portal.azure.com)
2. Go to Azure Active Directory → Devices → All devices
3. Filter by Join type = Azure AD joined

You should see your test machine listed with details like OS version and join date.

For traditional GPO settings in Azure AD environments:

Option 1: Azure AD Device Settings

Basic policies can be configured at:
Azure AD → Devices → Device settings

Example settings available:

// PowerShell to check device registration status
Get-MsolDevice -All | Where-Object {$_.DeviceTrustType -eq "AzureADJoined"}

Option 2: Microsoft Intune (Recommended)

The complete solution for policy management requires Intune:

1. Create configuration profiles in Endpoint Manager
2. Target devices using Azure AD groups
3. Deploy settings equivalent to traditional GPOs

Sample JSON for OneDrive folder redirection (modern equivalent of GPO):

{
  "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.onenoteResource",
  "target": {
    "knownFolderId": "documents",
    "targetPath": "/OneDrive/Documents"
  }
}

For persistent drive mappings without traditional GPOs:

// PowerShell script deployed via Intune
$driveLetter = "Z:"
$path = "\\contoso.file.core.windows.net\share"
$registryPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"
Set-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name "MapNetworkDrive" -Value "net use $driveLetter $path /persistent:yes"

Create a custom Intune configuration profile using OMA-URI settings:

./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Privacy/LetAppsAccessLocation
Value: 1 (Force deny)

For hybrid scenarios where some GPOs must remain, consider:

• Azure AD Connect for hybrid identity
• Group Policy Analytics in Intune to convert GPOs

Remember that Azure AD device management represents a paradigm shift - focus on cloud-native solutions rather than trying to replicate exact on-prem behaviors.