Transfering users to a new domain, Server 2003

[jonpayne007]

I hope somebody can help me!!! Our Domain Controller is in the process of completely failing. We are building a new domain controller and want to keep the domain name the same to try to minimise any problem with the 50 users we have.

The server has reached the stage where we can only see the Lotus Domino window running and cannot connect to server to view any of the files etc using any of the interfaces. We cannot map drives to the server either.

Can anyone tell me how I can copy all the user profiles to the new domain controller bearing in mind that the domain names are the same.

Thanks

[+BudMan MVC]

Simple restore your DC from your backup to the new hardware ;)

Dude if you can not access files off the server -- how exactly do you expect to do anything.. I am not sure what "we can only see the Lotus Domino window running" means exactly. But since you say you can not view any files or map any drives pretty much sounds dead.

[Daedroth]

Now may be the obvious time to point out you should always have more than one Domain Controller.

Do you have a backup of Active Directory?

[c.grz]

Im guessing there aren't any backups...

[Jordan1003]

How far gone is your DC really - I presume users can still login to the domain etc

Can you join a PC - or promo a new DC?

If you can you could migrate the FSMO roles to the new counterpart and interrogate the disk on the old server offline and attached to another machine.

[Raa]

Is it possible to install the server into the current domain then promote it to the Primary DC?

That might be a quick fix...

[jonpayne007]

Thanks for all your responses. We have managed to get the server back up and running and discovered that one of the RAID1 drives has failed. We still want to build the new DC so I will look at all of your suggestions while we are doing this. Thanks again,

[sc302 Veteran]

if you have the dc up and running build another server, dc promo it as part of the existing domain. It will replicate all domain objects ot it at that point and you will have your secondary dc. Transfer the FSMO roles over to it and then you can retire your old dc without backups or squat as far as Active Directory goes.

[+John Teacake MVC]

DC Promo another server?

[sc302 Veteran]

yes, he wants to build another server. so build the other server and run dcpromo on it from a run prompt. it will start the active directory installer and install ad on that new server, during the install process it will ask him to make it another domain controller of an existing domain. dcpromo is the executable that runs the active directory installer from windows 2000 server to current

[ybrett23]

yes, he wants to build another server. so build the other server and run dcpromo on it from a run prompt. it will start the active directory installer and install ad on that new server, during the install process it will ask him to make it another domain controller of an existing domain. dcpromo is the executable that runs the active directory installer from windows 2000 server to current

once the new server has replicated, he should transfer the roles to the new server then dcpromo the old one

[sc302 Veteran]

once the new server has replicated, he should transfer the roles to the new server then dcpromo the old one

see post 8.

[jonpayne007]

Thanks again everyone. We have built the new server and have also done DCPROMO and now have a secondary DC connected to the old machine with all the AD objects etc. Now when we have all the user files from the old server, we can copy the FSMO roles across and promote it to be the Primary COntroller and demote the other one. Is that right?

[Storm]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but i have a similar question.

I have 2 DC's one running 2008 and one running 2003.

Now when either DC is off, client computers have a problem connecting to internet, or windows logon etc.

does anyone know why this is?

[Farstrider]

You could have issues if the machine, "domain1.com" uses the "domain2.com's" DNS server or vice versa. Logon issues regarding the network and internet could very well be the result if one of the Servers is not running! You also need to be able to resolve AD-specific records for the domain that they are members of. You should also ensure that they are capable of registering their own DNS records.

[ybrett23]

see post 8.

oops didnt see that post

[sc302 Veteran]

Thanks again everyone. We have built the new server and have also done DCPROMO and now have a secondary DC connected to the old machine with all the AD objects etc. Now when we have all the user files from the old server, we can copy the FSMO roles across and promote it to be the Primary COntroller and demote the other one. Is that right?

Make the new dc a global catalog, remove global catalog on the old dc. Run dc promo on the old dc to remove active directory on it and finish the ad migration.

[sc302 Veteran]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but i have a similar question.

I have 2 DC's one running 2008 and one running 2003.

Now when either DC is off, client computers have a problem connecting to internet, or windows logon etc.

does anyone know why this is?

Storm, in dhcp change the dns servers around. And on the dcs change the dns servers around....primary is themselves secondary is each other. In the dhcp scope, primary is the new 2008 and secondary 2003. Any pcs that are static, the 2008 has to be the primary.