Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of SC2002Admin
SC2002Admin

asked on

Re-joining domain

If I format the PDC server and then set it up with the exact same DNS setting and PDC using AD - Do I have to unjoin and rejoin all the clients?

Or will the clients sees it as nothing has changes?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of TASINetwork
TASINetwork

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
If you want to format your single domain controller then you should build another one. Anything will do - an old Desktop, or even a demo copy of VMWARE.
Transfer all the roles to this second domain controller, including global catalog and other AD settings. I would leave it overnight to ensure everything is replicated correctly.
Then remove the old domain controller using the command "dcpromo". Reboot when prompted and allow the machine to come back up. Login to the domain again, and then put the machine in to a workgroup. This will ensure that it has been removed from the domain correctly.

Shutdown and rebuild.
While it is doing the first stage of the rebuild, remove the old computer from the domain list in ADUC that is on the standby machine.

Once the build is complete, you can repeat the process with the VMWARE/old desktop to remove it from the domain correctly.
DO NOT EVER remove a domain controller from a live domain by just shutting it down and wiping it. This will mean going through a manual remove of a domain controller from the domain - which can get messy.

Simon.