Domain Controller

[Chip]

Howdy! I have had a Domain controller of a server crash
and i am only able to use the server in Safe Mode as it
will not allow my Administrator Password (or any
password) to logon under normal logon to the domain. (It
does work on the Safe Mode that does not use the Doamin
Contoller) I am very new to networking and was told to
use "dcpromote" to demote the server from a Domain
Controller BUT when i run it is says to logon under the
domain and run "dcpromo" again. But i cannot get on the
domain to run the 'dcpromo'!!! Any ideas of how i can
correct this problem. The server works fine in the safe
mode and i do not need the Active Directory on this
server. But i do not want the computer to run in "safe
Mode" forever from this point.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

AS ALWAYS, THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!

 

[Jim Singh]

The reason why you are able to login to the safe mode is because it is using
the local credentials to perform the authentication on the box. Now you have
to reboot the machine and boot into the AD restore mode, their it would ask
you for the restore mode pass. From there you can do a authoritative restore
of AD f rom the available good backup. DCpromo works to demote the DC but
you have to logon into the domain with domain admin credentials. To demote a
DC you need another healthy DC in your environment first.
Your other option is to rebuilt this DC while promoting another healthy DC
in domain. Once you rebuild the failed DC, make sure to delete the comp
object entry from ADSS, ntdsutil and ADUC.
-Jim