Can i browse active directory without being Administrator?

Can anyone tell me how to browse active directory incase I am just a regular user? I normally do database work and want to get information on which groups contains which users or to which groups this user belongs too. I am on Vista operating system by the way. Thanks.

Well, it usually depends on the permissions in your directory, you can ask your directory admin about delegating you necessary permissions on objects which are in scope of your work.

I guess that you could use the Windows Server 2008 Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista Service Pack 1, it has the ability to use MMC snap-ins depending on level of GPO restrictions in your orgranization, download it from here - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941314

You can try to use VBScript or PowerShell programs to enumerate the direct members of a group that could be:

Set objGroup = GetObject("LDAP://cn=MyGroupName,ou=West,dc=MyDomain,dc=com")
For Each objMember In objGroup.Members
Wscript.Echo objMember.sAMAccountName
Next

Also try out the VBScript program to enumerate the groups a user is a direct member of:

Set objUser = GetObject("LDAP://cn=TestUser,ou=West,dc=MyDomain,dc=com")
For Each objGroup In objUser.Groups
Wscript.Echo objGroup.Name
Next

And also try to test if a specific user is a member of a specific group:

Set objUser = GetObject("LDAP://cn=TestUser,ou=West,dc=MyDomain,dc=com")
Set objGroup = GetObject("LDAP://cn=MyGroupName,ou=West,dc=MyDomain,dc=com")
If (objGroup.IsMember(objUser.AdsPath) = True) Then
Wscript.Echo "User " & objUser.sAMAccountName _
& " is a member of group " & objGroup.Name
Else
Wscript.Echo "User " & objUser.sAMAccountName _
& " is NOT a member of group " & objGroup.Name
End If

You can browse Active directory with a regular user, there is a free browser which you can use to browse active directory active directory browser - click the download center and at the bottom there is free browser download

Incase no administrator has restricted or denied it, then any user can view Active Directory information. Since you are on Vista OS, then install the RSAT tools from this link -
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downl....aspx?id=21090