Computer_Dan2
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Best Advice for Domain Recreation - Workstation Configuration converting from Windows NT Domain to Windows 2003 AD / Domain
One of my customers lost their Windows NT domain server to a power outage/surge. All restoration efforts have failed - no drivers for replacement hardware, old standby server not stable enough to do domain migration to Windows Server 2003.
We want to start out new. I have got a new Windows Server 2003 setup an running. I did some testing on the new server with a new AD / Domain setup. I decided to create a new Domain name with new user names and passwords. However, I seem to have created a lot of work at the client side of things.
This is the primary problem I am experiencing:
When I add the computer (windows XP Pro) to the new domain by using the "change domain" function I get a new user created with the name of the domain attached to the name (nnnnn.dddd) in my users list. So I end up with a new Desktop environment for the user. Not what I want. This happens whether I use the old domain user name or the new domain user name.
I was considering recreating the domain on Windows Server 2003 and naming it the same as the old NT domain, so that the user name would end up being the same as it was. My hope is that the desktop, software installs and working environment would be the same as it was.
By the way, what is the difference between the two methods of adding a computer to a domain. 1) Network ID and 2) Change. I have used the Change for my early atempts at making this as painless as possible.
We want to start out new. I have got a new Windows Server 2003 setup an running. I did some testing on the new server with a new AD / Domain setup. I decided to create a new Domain name with new user names and passwords. However, I seem to have created a lot of work at the client side of things.
This is the primary problem I am experiencing:
When I add the computer (windows XP Pro) to the new domain by using the "change domain" function I get a new user created with the name of the domain attached to the name (nnnnn.dddd) in my users list. So I end up with a new Desktop environment for the user. Not what I want. This happens whether I use the old domain user name or the new domain user name.
I was considering recreating the domain on Windows Server 2003 and naming it the same as the old NT domain, so that the user name would end up being the same as it was. My hope is that the desktop, software installs and working environment would be the same as it was.
By the way, what is the difference between the two methods of adding a computer to a domain. 1) Network ID and 2) Change. I have used the Change for my early atempts at making this as painless as possible.
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What is this "Standby Server"?
You will under no circumstances be able to recreate your current domain by installing a new machine and running dcpromo on it, no matter which name(s) you choose. A domain is defined by its SID, and this SID is unique. It will only be kept if you're doing an upgrade of the current domain.
You will under no circumstances be able to recreate your current domain by installing a new machine and running dcpromo on it, no matter which name(s) you choose. A domain is defined by its SID, and this SID is unique. It will only be kept if you're doing an upgrade of the current domain.
ASKER
The "standby server" was a BDC a long time ago and was a matching hardware configuration to the broken PDC. We tried getting it up and going so we could do a domain migration. It was retired for a reason and those reasons (hardware) are stopping that approach.
I think I understand what you are saying about the SID. I think what I am not understanding is the XP Pro process for joining a domain. Most of my users have a local name - say JimM and a name the "domain joining" process creates - JimM.XXXXX where XXXXX is the domain name. All applications are installed as that JimM.XXXXX user.
With the new domain (YYYYY), when I join the machine that JimM uses, I get a new XP user JimM.YYYYY. The Desktop and Applications setup under JimM.XXXXX are not available.
I was thinking that if I renamed (or reinstalled) the new domain (YYYYY) to the name of the old Domain (XXXXX) and then joined the users to the domain, they would end up being the same as they were (JimM.XXXXX) and the workstation would not create the new user directory structure on XP, use what was there and alot of the application software would not have to be reinstalled.
Can I get there from where I am at?
Thanks
I think I understand what you are saying about the SID. I think what I am not understanding is the XP Pro process for joining a domain. Most of my users have a local name - say JimM and a name the "domain joining" process creates - JimM.XXXXX where XXXXX is the domain name. All applications are installed as that JimM.XXXXX user.
With the new domain (YYYYY), when I join the machine that JimM uses, I get a new XP user JimM.YYYYY. The Desktop and Applications setup under JimM.XXXXX are not available.
I was thinking that if I renamed (or reinstalled) the new domain (YYYYY) to the name of the old Domain (XXXXX) and then joined the users to the domain, they would end up being the same as they were (JimM.XXXXX) and the workstation would not create the new user directory structure on XP, use what was there and alot of the application software would not have to be reinstalled.
Can I get there from where I am at?
Thanks
The software shouldn't have to be reinstalled; software is usually installed for all users on a workstation, and not user specific.
Anyway, the user profiles are user dependent, the users are identified by their SID as well, and these SIDs can't be recreated, either.
You need to use a tool like moveusers to transfer the "old" profiles to the "new" accounts.
Anyway, the user profiles are user dependent, the users are identified by their SID as well, and these SIDs can't be recreated, either.
You need to use a tool like moveusers to transfer the "old" profiles to the "new" accounts.
ASKER
I appreciate your input.
I have already tried a few users on the new domain with their new user name. When their workstation (XP machine) is added to the domain, a new user is created on the machine. The Desktop is changed, the client for the acounting software will not run and requires a reinstall to work under the new user name. The new user is added under the Documents and Settings tree and if I don't reestablish rights to the old documents, they cannot get to their documents in their old user folders.
I was hoping that if the user name already existed when the workstation was added to the new domain (new SID, but same name) the user would not be created and I could avoid a lot of the reinstallation and configuration needed with the new user name / new domain name installation. I am not changing machine names.
Thanks
I have already tried a few users on the new domain with their new user name. When their workstation (XP machine) is added to the domain, a new user is created on the machine. The Desktop is changed, the client for the acounting software will not run and requires a reinstall to work under the new user name. The new user is added under the Documents and Settings tree and if I don't reestablish rights to the old documents, they cannot get to their documents in their old user folders.
I was hoping that if the user name already existed when the workstation was added to the new domain (new SID, but same name) the user would not be created and I could avoid a lot of the reinstallation and configuration needed with the new user name / new domain name installation. I am not changing machine names.
Thanks
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ASKER
The problem I seem to be having is adding the workstation and user to the new domain. In my new setup I gave the users all new names - my XP workstations create a new user for the workstation, so I get a new Desktop and many applications we run end up needing to be reinstalled for that new user.
I am considering redoing the AD / Domain - using the old domain name and old user names to see if I can sidestep this application reinstallation issue.