DC Failing need help migrating

[onsetcomp]

Hello,

I have (2) Win 2k servers. The one that is the DC has suddenly started failing by displaying Transport Error 20004 upon restarting and getting to the desktop. I spent over 8 hours on tech support calls to MS and got nowhere. We decided to replace it with a new Win 2003 server (the whole PC, not an upgrade) but I need to run ADPrep on my current DC which I can't because of the error on startup and Active Dir is not usable. My second Win2k server is now authenticating logins but is not the DC. I'm terrified that if I start messing around with it to make it the DC and run ADPrep on it and something goes wrong I will have over 100 users who can't log in anymore. Here is my thought so I can migrate to Win 2003 server:

If I set up another PC with Win 2k server and make that the DC are there any problems I'm setting myself up for by running ADPrep on that PC? If this works then I theoretically can setup AD on the new Win 2003 server and connect to the new temp DC.

Any ideas or problems I'm overlooking?

Thanks,

-Eric

 

[setnaffa]

1. set up new w2k DC
2. transfer all FSMO roles and GC to new w2k DC
3. demote/rewave the server that's failing

only when the w2k domain is stable and safe then worry about 2k3...

if any of those steps seem mystical, you'll find lots of advice already here... and as long as you're patient and polite, lots of folks willing to help...



Setnaffa is an MCSE-2k3 (working on Messaging now) with a few other certs, too...

 

[beerhunter2]

Does this look similar to your problem?

"After installing KB835732 on a Win2K SP4 machine, I got extremely slow log on, and the following error message at startup"TransportInit - Error calling transport setup (20004)" After clicking OK to acknowledge the error, Internet Explorer generates errors upon opening, and shuts down - thus no web browsing. The only solution I have been able to come up with is to unistall the patch - Start - Settings - Control Panel - Add Remove SOftware - Remove KB835732"

There are other similar stories at the following link. Scroll down and check out the last 5 posts.

http://www.entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=6195

Help! I've fallen and I can't reach my beer.

 

[onsetcomp]

Thanks for the info Beerhunter2. I'm not alone.

1 year ago the KB835732 patch installed automatically on both our Win2k servers (identical hardware systems). One system worked fine with the patch until two weeks ago. The other system had the dreaded 20004 error immediately and after hours of MS tech support we uninstalled it and it everything worked fine again (last year).

Why would a system work fine for a year with the patch and suddenly decide to fail?

The problem is that due to hard drive space concerns, after several months of not having problems I delete the uninstall files. So I can't just uninstall it. MS provided me with an uninstall bat file which did not help. They said all the files that the normal uninstall would have replaced were replaced by this bat so now they too are lost.

My hope is to get the Win 2003 server up and not look back.

I have learned to not trust MS and turn off the autoupdate until a problem requires an update. Our servers our not directly on the internet so the risk is reduced.

-Eric