Forget your past domains

[Guest_imported]

I bought 2 nice computers at an auction. Both are running Windows NT server 4.0. I have the Administrator passwords for both and am able to login.

The first one let me change its domain to a workgroup and wipe out all the old users and do anything I wanted. I set it up just how I wanted. No problem. It was an FTP server and now is an FTP server.

The second one appears to have been a mail server for the large company. It says when you login, "Cannot find PDC - using cached account information" and so it won't let me make any changes to the users, to the domain/workgroup name. I've tried alot. I can't figure out if it is a PDC, BDC, or stand-alone server, or something else. Any ideas? Also, is there a way to make it forget its old owners and start a new domain?

I am supposing that it was on a network with a PDC and BDC and it had high security on it. Those computers are no longer connected nor available.

I am trying to avoid reinstalling, because I will lose some of the other software and I am not sure I would be able to restore it to its present condition.

Thanks,
Tim

 

[cmegha2001]

If this is a BDC promote this to a PDC you will then have control, I don't think you can change the role of a PDC to a workgroup without having to FDISK.

CMegha

 

[Guest_imported]

I don't know if it is a BDC or a PDC, but I cannot promote or demote it at all.

 

[Guntha]

It appears that you are trying to log into the network, correct me if your not, but wouldnt you want to log in locally to the Server?

 

[Guest_imported]

That may be it. But how to do you login locally to the Server without logging into the network? When I log in, it displays a list of the domains (from the old network it used to belong to), and it forces you to pick one - SSGRAPHICS. No other domains will work, even with Administrator password. After logging on, it displays a message that the PDC could not be found, and it is using cached information.

How do you force it to login locally?

Tim

 

[meastaugh1]

Under the list of domains you can usually select the local computer. Although I'm not sure whether that might only apply to standalone servers and not DCs.

Also, NT won't allow you to demote a DC to a standalone, it is a rebuild.

 

[djhawthorn]

It sounds like your not logging in with an account that has admin privalidges to the local box. If you were, you could do all of that stuff - even if you did log on with "chached account information". MCSE NT4/W2K

 

[Guest_imported]

The local machine is not listed in the domains.

And, using the cached account info, Administrator has highest access of any user, is a member of the highest groups.