Netwrix Account Lockout Examiner

Account lockouts in Active Directory environments create disruption for users and generate support tickets that consume IT resources. Netwrix Account Lockout Examiner addresses this challenge by providing administrators with tools to identify the root causes of lockout events quickly.

The application analyzes lockout patterns across domain controllers, correlating events to pinpoint the specific sources triggering lockouts. Instead of manually reviewing logs across multiple servers, administrators access a consolidated view showing lockout origins, affected accounts, and associated workstations or applications. This centralized approach reduces troubleshooting time from hours to minutes.

Lockout events can originate from various sources including cached credentials on workstations, mobile devices with outdated passwords, scheduled tasks, or services running under user accounts. The tool tracks these different vectors, displaying the machines or services attempting authentication with incorrect credentials. This visibility helps administrators address the underlying issues rather than repeatedly unlocking accounts.

The interface presents lockout data in an accessible format, showing timelines of events and filtering options to focus on specific accounts or timeframes. Real-time monitoring capabilities alert administrators to new lockouts as they occur, enabling proactive response before users submit help desk tickets.

Deployment requires minimal configuration. The application runs on Windows systems with appropriate permissions to query domain controllers. It extracts lockout information from security event logs without requiring agents on client machines or modifications to Active Directory schema.

For organizations managing Active Directory infrastructure, persistent lockout issues affect both user productivity and help desk workload. This tool provides the diagnostic information needed to resolve recurring problems by identifying all authentication sources, including those that might not be immediately obvious to administrators.

The reporting features document lockout patterns over time, useful for compliance requirements or identifying trends that might indicate security concerns. Historical data helps distinguish between legitimate user errors and potential unauthorized access attempts.

Netwrix offers this tool without licensing fees, making it accessible to organizations of various sizes. The software focuses specifically on lockout troubleshooting rather than attempting to provide comprehensive Active Directory management, maintaining a straightforward purpose that addresses a common administrative challenge.