NT 4.0 has changed roles again

[JBruyet]

Hey all,

I installed three Win2k servers on my network. I've installed and configured AD and everything works. I have two NT 4.0 servers, and the one that was a PDC went to BDC when AD started up. BUT, I was just checking an error message on one of my 2k DC machines and it said that the trust relationship had changed with my NT machine. I went back to my NT 4.0 server and according to Server Manager my NT 4.0 machine is a PDC again. Is there a way to manually demote an NT server? And keep it there?

Thanks,

Joe Brouillette

 

[JBruyet]

Well then, does anyone have a favorite NT info site that I can check to see why my NT server won't "submit" to my 2k domain controllers?

Thanks,

Joe Brouillette

 

[noeleon]

http://www.winnetmag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=7416

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q167248&

http://www.experts-exchange.com/winntnet/Q_20290575.html

 

[JBruyet]

Thanks, but none of those options work for me. For the first one I don't have any settings (except for the default) under the Security key (and I do have admin rights). For the second one I don't have a "demote pdc to bdc" option on the computer tab. For the third one I don't want to get rid of Active Directory. Any other ideas???

Thanks,

Joe Brouillette

 

[JBruyet]

Here's a message that pops up a lot in my error logs:

This computer is configured to be the primary domain controller of its domain. However, the computer NT_SERVER is currently claiming to be the primary domain controller of the domain.

So am I going to have to reload Windows NT to get this machine back to a BDC? And why don't my 2k machines let my NT server know it's not BMOC anymore?

Thanks,

Joe Brouillette

 

[CoolClark]

Here's a hack but I've never tried it

http://www.nthelp.com/40/pdc2bdc1.htm

 

[CoolClark]

Forgot to mention UPromote. This is great tool for demoting/promoting servers. We've been using it to demote BDCs to member servers but it can also be used to promote member servers to BDCs or PDC. You could demote it and then promote it back to a bdc. Just a thought.

 

[GlenJohnson]

Does NT have browsing like W2K? I've had a similar problem with W2K, all I had to do was turn off browsing on the dc I wanted to take a backseat. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
glen@nellsgiftbox.com

"What is harder than rock, or softer than water? Yet soft water hollows out hard rock. Persevere."
Ovid(43BC-17AD); Roman poet.

 

[JBruyet]

Cool Clark, the hack won't work because 1) there is no "demote PDC to BDC option" on the computer menu and 2) the security key in the registry has no data that I can see. I may look into the UPromote program you mentioned.

Glen, I've already turned off browsing but it didn't help.

If anyone else has any ideas I'll give them a try, but another couple days and I'm going to wipe this sucker and reload NT.

Thanks,

Joe Brouillette

 

[GlenJohnson]

That's what I had to do with a dcpromo on a w2k server. Luckily, all the data lived on a different drive than the os, so I didn't lose much. Good luck.


Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
glen@nellsgiftbox.com

"What is harder than rock, or softer than water? Yet soft water hollows out hard rock. Persevere."
Ovid(43BC-17AD); Roman poet.