Cannot demote with dcpromo.exe

  • Thread starter Thread starter Max
  • Start date Start date
M

Max

Hello there.
Simple problem, I guess. Due to some testing of a WMI
component, I had to promoto my Windows 2000 Server to
Active Directory and DNS. SO I did, wizard worked a treat
no bother. Now my server takes a long time to reboot, I no
longer need AD installed and I am trying to demote the
server using dcpromo.exe
Server name = hellspawn
Domain name (pre-Windows) = HELLSPAWN0
Domain name = hellspawn.com
I tick the "this is the last domain controller on network"
option (as I have only 2 PCs connected to a hub), but when
I try to input Enterprise manager credentials, teh wizard
comes back to me saying he cannot find a domain controller
for the hellspawn.com domain. In the DOMAIN text box I
have tried all the possible names and combinations I could
think of, but problem is the same. If I do not use the
option "This is last controller ...", the wizard comes
back to me after seraching for a while saying that the
domain hellspawn.com does not exist.
I bet there is a quite simple and logic explanation to why
this happens. I was wondering if anybody here has a
solution to this.
Much appreciated
Max
 
-----Original Message-----
Hello there.
Simple problem, I guess. Due to some testing of a WMI
component, I had to promoto my Windows 2000 Server to
Active Directory and DNS. SO I did, wizard worked a treat
no bother. Now my server takes a long time to reboot, I no
longer need AD installed and I am trying to demote the
server using dcpromo.exe
Server name = hellspawn
Domain name (pre-Windows) = HELLSPAWN0
Domain name = hellspawn.com
I tick the "this is the last domain controller on network"
option (as I have only 2 PCs connected to a hub), but when
I try to input Enterprise manager credentials, teh wizard
comes back to me saying he cannot find a domain controller
for the hellspawn.com domain. In the DOMAIN text box I
have tried all the possible names and combinations I could
think of, but problem is the same. If I do not use the
option "This is last controller ...", the wizard comes
back to me after seraching for a while saying that the
domain hellspawn.com does not exist.
I bet there is a quite simple and logic explanation to why
this happens. I was wondering if anybody here has a
solution to this.
Much appreciated
Max
.
I posted a similiar question yesterday about Removing an
Click to expand...
Orphaned Domain Controller. I got back an answer pointing
me towards MS KB Article 216498 How to: Remove data in
active directory after unsuccessful domain controller
demotion. The article involves using NTDSUTIL to do a
metabase cleanup. I have not yet had the opportunitty to
try it, but I believe it is our answer. Good luck.
 
Thank you for that. I went through the ntdsutil step guide
and got an error message as I am trying to remove teh same
server I am working on ... I have only one DC. Doesn't say
on teh article how to avoid or correct this 0x2094 error,
so that is not going to help much (same for you if you are
working on the same server).
Cheers
Max
 
-----Original Message-----
Thank you for that. I went through the ntdsutil step guide
and got an error message as I am trying to remove teh same
server I am working on ... I have only one DC. Doesn't say
on teh article how to avoid or correct this 0x2094 error,
so that is not going to help much (same for you if you are
working on the same server).
Cheers
Max
.
I don't know if this will help or not. You can hack the
Click to expand...
registry to force a DC to be no longer. (I was shown how
to do this during my MCSE classes) Here is the path. I
have done it on actual DC's, but only in a lab
environment. I was told to do this from Directory Services
Restore Mode.

HKLM>System>Current Control Set>Control>Product Options
change Product Type from Lanman to serverNT
 
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