Cannot remove Active Directory!!!

[Galvanon]

Hello all --

Before I started at my new company, the old Network Admin decided to rip out
the first DC that was installed in this domain (that had most of the FSMO
roles on it -- definitly PDC Emulator) and he reloaded it. Anyway, he's
going now, and there are still 2 more servers that have AD installed on it.
I've seized all of the FSMO roles to one of the servers, but I still cannot
get AD to uninstall from the servers.

So, it doesn't matter which server I run dcpromo on, I keep getting errors:


"The operation failed because:
A domain controller could not be contacted for the domain Galvanon.local
that contained an account for this computer.
Make the computer a member of a workgroup then rejoin the domain before
retrying the promotion."

I don't know HOW to make this DC a member of a workgroup (like the error
message says - is that even possible?).. Also, which I click on "This is
the last DC in the domain", I get this error:

"The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted."

The operation failed because:

This domain controller is not the last domain controller in the domain.

"The server is unwilling to process the request."


Any ideas how I can get these servers to become member servers of my new
domain???

Thanks!

-Blake

 

[Jetro]

Try this first

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=332199
Domain controllers do not demote gracefully when you use the Active
Directory Installation Wizard to force demotion in Windows Server 2003 and
in Windows 2000 Server

 

[Nishikanth Reddy]

Hello all --

Before I started at my new company, the old Network Admin decided to rip out
the first DC that was installed in this domain (that had most of the FSMO
roles on it -- definitly PDC Emulator) and he reloaded it. Anyway, he's
going now, and there are still 2 more servers that have AD installed on it.
I've seized all of the FSMO roles to one of the servers, but I still cannot
get AD to uninstall from the servers.

So, it doesn't matter which server I run dcpromo on, I keep getting errors:


"The operation failed because:
A domain controller could not be contacted for the domain Galvanon.local
that contained an account for this computer.
Make the computer a member of a workgroup then rejoin the domain before
retrying the promotion."

I don't know HOW to make this DC a member of a workgroup (like the error
message says - is that even possible?).. Also, which I click on "This is
the last DC in the domain", I get this error:

"The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted."

The operation failed because:

This domain controller is not the last domain controller in the domain.

"The server is unwilling to process the request."


Any ideas how I can get these servers to become member servers of my new
domain???

Thanks!

-Blake

Try dcpromo /forceremoval in "Run" and you will not get any error and your domain controller will be removed.
If you any questions you can mail me.