How do I use LDP.exe to test Active Directory (AD) or LDAP connections and bindings?

To use the Microsoft LDP GUI Tool:

1. Download the LDP tool from this article in the attachments or files section, unzip it, and double-click its icon to run.

2. Open Connection > Connect. 
Put either the Domain Controller's name or its IP address



The port number is 389 for the default LDAP port, or this can be 636 for SSL, in which case select the 'SSL' checkbox as well.
Click the OK button to establish the connection.

3. Once a successful connection is established, this output is visible :



4. Open Connection > Bind. A valid domain user credential and password are needed.



Successful binding will show this type of output in the main window:



5: Open View > Tree. The whole Active Directory tree should show up.



Start looking for some specific domain account information by traversing the tree.

This will help validate if the connection and binding to AD or LDAP are valid, using the credentials provided to BCM itself.