Question

How to force removal a domain controller

Asked by: ocwd

I have a kind of death domain controller that can not communicated with other domain controller. I want to remove it for active directory but when I ran dcpromo /forceremoval
it fail because it always want to update the data base it can't communicated with other domain controller any more then the operation fail. is there another way to remove or make this domain controller a member server only.

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Asked On
2008-03-18 at 14:07:32ID23251799
Tags

Microsoft

,

windows 2003

,

2003

Topics

File Servers

,

Microsoft Windows Operating Systems

,

Microsoft Operating Systems

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Answers

 

by: johnny_the_knifePosted on 2008-03-18 at 14:17:50ID: 21155948

Just to clarify, you have one two servers which are domain controllers in an Active Directory domain.  One of the domain controllers is un-serviceable and you wish to remove it from the domain.

If this is the case, and you can't demote the server gracefully, you will need to turn the server off and take it out the back and burn it (or reinstall Windows, up to you), then use ntdsutil on the good domain controller  to seize the FSMO roles held by the dead one.

This article describes the steps: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504

 

by: johnny_the_knifePosted on 2008-03-18 at 14:18:41ID: 21155950

Re my above:In the first line  I meant you have TWO domain controllers and one is Unservicable.

 

by: ocwdPosted on 2008-03-18 at 14:20:41ID: 21155969

Correct I two domain controller and one is not serviceable but I can not remoe it by using DCPromo /forceremoval. it will every time. is reinstall windows the only option?

 

by: johnny_the_knifePosted on 2008-03-18 at 14:26:26ID: 21156028

Can you just use dcpromo normally to demote it?  This would be preferable because if you use /forceremoval you will have to use NTDSUtil to seize the FMSO roles it held anyway.

Basically, if you seize the roles without rebuilding reinstalling Windows (assuming you can't gracefully demote the server) you run the risk of causing serious problems with your domain.

 

by: ocwdPosted on 2008-03-18 at 14:34:17ID: 21156113

here is what I got when I try dcpromo normally.

the operation failed because:
active directory could not transfer the remaining data in directory partition
CN=Schema,CN=configuration,DC=ocwd.com,DC=COM to domain controller fvserver.com

there are no more endpoint available from the endpoint mapper

 

by: johnny_the_knifePosted on 2008-03-18 at 14:39:03ID: 21156150

Are you able to transfer it's FSMO roles to another server so it doesn't hold any (see http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=324801&product=winsvr2003) then try demoting it.

 

by: ocwdPosted on 2008-03-18 at 14:47:46ID: 21156238

this domain controller is not the operation master and it's not the RIF,  PDC and infrastructure master operations domain controller. it's just a member domain controller. the other domain controller is the master operation.

 

by: Jay_Jay70Posted on 2008-03-18 at 15:12:56ID: 21156480

IF the DC is dead, then turn it off and remove it from the network - reinstall windows on it - its gone.....
http://www.petri.co.il/delete_failed_dcs_from_ad.htm

If you follow that procedure - you MUST reinstall windows before bringing it back up

make sure your other DC is a GC and holds all the roles - its quite a simple process

 

by: ocwdPosted on 2008-03-18 at 15:44:52ID: 21156883

thank you very much for both of your help.

 

by: Jay_Jay70Posted on 2008-03-18 at 15:46:14ID: 21156895

anytime :)

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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