Removing a Domain Controller from 2k server 1

[PRW2000]

Hi

I recently tried to remove a domain controller from active dir using dcpromo however it would not remove and so thought i would be able to remove it manually! But if you go to Domain controllers in users and computers it says that you can't delete this DSA object any ideas on removing this!

You also get the same error trying to remove entries for this server from sites and services.

Any ideas greatly appriciated

 

[Jpoandl]

Not too sure. I have done this many times. Make sure that you are logged on as administrator (Maybe try enterprise admin logon too.)

You should be able to run DCPROMO and choose the options to remove AD. IF this is the last domain controller in your domain, you will get more txt messages but it should let you remove AD.

What types of error are you getting?



Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000

 

[PRW2000]

hi

The errors i was getting were at the stage where you enter user name password and domain to allow it to remove active dir but every time i tried to enter a user name it said that it wasn't valid because the domain could not be contacted and errors along those lines!

The fact is the server also no longer exists so it is not possible to try running dcpromo again but idealy i do need to find away to remove it from active dir.

regards


peter

 

[peterve]

try to remove everything you can find about this server name in DNS (drill down all levels in DNS).

---------------------------------------------------------------------
I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Van Eeckhoutte
peter.ve@pandora.be
*:->* Did this post help? Click below to let me know !

 

[PRW2000]

Have been through all levels of DNS and double checked there was nothing there relating to this server, I can't find a thing there were items but i had already deleted those trying to get rid of it! Only place i can find info relating to this server is in AD sites and services and AD useres and compouters but trying to remove any of these just give me the message DSA object can't be deleted!


regards


Peter

 

[peterve]

At the command prompt, type ntdsutil.
Type 'metadata cleanup', and then press ENTER. Based on the options given, the administrator can perform the removal, but additional configuration parameters need to be specified before the removal can occur.

Type 'connections' and press ENTER. This menu is used to connect to the specific server on which the changes occur. If the currently logged on user does not have administrative permissions, alternate credentials can be supplied by specifying the credentials to use before making the connection. To do so, type 'set creds domain nameusernamepassword' and press ENTER. For a null password, type null for the password parameter.


Type 'connect to server servername', and then press ENTER. You should receive confirmation that the connection is successfully established. If an error occurs, verify that the domain controller being used in the connection is available and the credentials you supplied have administrative permissions on the server.

Type 'quit' and press ENTER. The Metadata Cleanup menu is displayed.

Type 'select operation target' and press ENTER.
Type 'list domains' and press ENTER. A list of domains in the forest is displayed, each with an associated number.
Type 'select domain number' and press ENTER, where number is the number associated with the domain to which the server you are removing is a member. The domain you select is used to determine if the server being removed is the last domain controller of that domain.

Type 'list sites' and press ENTER. A list of sites, each with an associated number, is displayed.

Type 'select site number' and press ENTER, where number is the number associated with the site to which the server you are removing is a member. You should receive a confirmation listing the site and domain you chose.

Type 'list servers' in site and press ENTER. A list of servers in the site, each with an associated number, is displayed.

Type 'select server number', where number is the number associated with the server you want to remove. You receive a confirmation listing the selected server, its Domain Name Server (DNS) host name, and the location of the server's computer account you want to remove.

Type 'quit' and press ENTER. The Metadata Cleanup menu is displayed.

Type 'remove selected server' and press ENTER. You should receive confirmation that the removal completed successfully. If you receive the following error message:
Error 8419 (0x20E3)
The DSA object could not be found
the NTDS Settings object may already be removed from the Active Directory as the result of another administrator removing the NTDS Settings object, or replication of the successful removal of the object after running the DCPROMO utility.


Type 'quit' at each menu to quit the NTDSUTIL utility. You should receive confirmation that the connection disconnected successfully.


Remove the cname record in the _msdcs.root domain of forest zone in DNS. Assuming that DC is going to be reinstalled and re-promoted, a new NTDS settings object is created with a new globally unique identifier (GUID) and a matching cname record in DNS. You do not want the DC's that exist to use the old cname record. As best practice you should delete the hostname and other DNS records. If the lease time that remains on Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) address assigned to offline server is exceeded then another client can obtain the IP address of the problem DC.


Good luck
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Van Eeckhoutte
peter.ve@pandora.be
*:->* Did this post help? Click below to let me know !

 

[PRW2000]

thanks for that Peter i will give that ago and let you know what happens


Regards



Peter

 

[PRW2000]

OK Thanks for the info Peter, that has removed the server from sites and services. However.....it is still in AD users and computers! Have you any ideas on removing it from here?

because if i try to delete it from here i still get the error unable to remove DSA object

or is it just i need to restart the domain controller?

Thanks again


Regards


Peter

 

[peterve]

may be... try it if you can ;-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------
I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Van Eeckhoutte
peter.ve@pandora.be
*:->* Did this post help? Click below to let me know !

 

[PRW2000]

Will have to wait to restart but will let you know the outcome!

regards


Peter

 

[PRW2000]

ok have restarted all DC's however the dam server that no longer exist still has an entry under domain controllers in AD users and computers!

Any sugestions on how to remove this i get the same error as before if i try removing it which is DSA object can't be deleted!


thanks

Peter