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Change Active Directory

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by glerler

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Here is the scenario. Client has a Windows Server 2003 SBS that was used in a prior office. The current config needs to be entirely redone for the new office. Is my thinking correct in that I should run dcpromo, remove AD, make changes I need to names etc. Run dcpromo for the new AD. This is going to be a totally new config. Anything I missed? Thanks Glen

5 replies

by davethenetguy

raise functional level to windows server 2003 before unistalling a.d. . otherwise some features of a.d. may not work properly after new instalation.

by cg it

Standard Windows you can do lots of stuff but with SBS you can't. This is because SBS is an all-on-one-box Active Directory domain and when you run the SBS setup wizards, it configures everything. DNS, DHCP,DC, Exchange, IIS, in short, you can't just DCpromo demote like standard edition because your not getting rid of Exchange, IIS, and teverything else including the machine NetBIOS name and domain names. They will still reside in there. Also SBS does not allow trusts so you can only have 1 domain. Any residual configuring with the old domain will just make SBS not run right.

So you can try dcpromo demote but in my experience, you will just end up with a box that might work sometimes but will always have problems.

Reinstall from scratch is you want to change machine name/NetBIOS name/domain name.

by glerler

I have decided to whack the current install and start over. A little more work but I know I won't run into any gotcha's. Seems like the smart way to go. Thanks to all!!

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