<div>
check you domain level first, ADCU right click on domain name.<br />
<br />
and on DC query which server is running your FSMO<br />
<br />
netdom query fsmo
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check you domain level first, ADCU right click on domain name.

and on DC query which server is running your FSMO

netdom query fsmo

<div>
You can lower the function and domain levels with the below commands in powershell:<br />
<br />
<br />
Set-ADForestMode -Identity domain.local -ForestMode Windows2008R2Forest<br />
<br />
Set-ADDomainMode -Identity domain.local -DomainMode Windows2008R2Domain
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You can lower the function and domain levels with the below commands in powershell:


Set-ADForestMode -Identity domain.local -ForestMode Windows2008R2Forest

Set-ADDomainMode -Identity domain.local -DomainMode Windows2008R2Domain

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<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
When setting up my 2012 server I distinctly remember selecting an option to make my server compatible with windows server 2008. I am unable to join my 2008 server to my existing 2012 domain, when attempting to do so I receive the following error: &quot;The functional level of the domain or forest is incompatible with this operating system.&quot;<br />
<br />
Am I unable to make my 2008 server a domain controller? Please advise.<br />
<br />
Thank you!
</div>
</div>


When setting up my 2012 server I distinctly remember selecting an option to make my server compatible with windows server 2008. I am unable to join my 2008 server to my existing 2012 domain, when attempting to do so I receive the following error: "The functional level of the domain or forest is incompatible with this operating system."

Am I unable to make my 2008 server a domain controller? Please advise.

Thank you!

Adding 2008 server to 2012 Domain

Windows Server 2012 is the server version of Windows 8 and the successor to Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2012 is the first version of Windows Server to have no support for Itanium-based computers since Windows NT 4.0. Windows Server 2012, now in its second release (Windows Server 2012 Release 2) includes Foundation, Essentials, Standard and Datacenter, and does not support IA-32 or IA-64 processors.

Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, based on the Microsoft Vista codebase, is the last 32-bit server operating system released by Microsoft. It has a number of versions, including including Foundation, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, HPC Server, Itanium and Storage; new features included server core installation and Hyper-V.