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Since the end of May 2025, the current version (2.5.30) of Microsoft Entra Connect is no longer available for download in the public domain at Microsoft. This must now be downloaded via the Microsoft Entra Portal in the Entra Connect area.
It is also advisable to look at the current version history of Entra Connect for a few minutes and check whether the currently used variant is still fully supported.
The following table should be interesting for one or the other admin:
As already mentioned, the following note can be found in the change history:
The Application-based authentication link then leads directly to a new Microsoft Learn page.
The schema shows the “new” procedure for how Entra Connect now authenticates itself to the tenant in the cloud.
Changeover can be done when upgrading from an older Entra Connect version. This is even queried in the Upgrade Wizard.
The configuration then runs in the background after successful authentication at the tenant.
NOTE: The M365 Cloud Admin must have at least the Hybrid Identity Administrator role. For further requirements for the changeover, see link.
You hardly notice any change here.
The changeover has already taken place immediately. The “Managed by Microsoft Entra Connect” mode is then used. In this one, the certificates are also automatically exchanged before expiration (I’m curious!)
As the article says, there are different modes
here: Managed by Microsoft Entra Connect (recommended)
Bring Your Own Application
Bring Your Own Certificate
If the authentication has not yet been changed during the upgrade, this can also be done later via the Entra Connect menu.
So far so good. The configuration of the Entra Connect software is also changed during this process. This can be checked in the “Synchronization Service” under the “Connectors”.
Result
Why switch to the new authentication method? Service users are dispensed with here and the path is taken via certificate-based authentication. Thus, password changes of the account are also superfluous and the central sync system in the direction of M365 is hardened!
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