Background: was running 2 WinNT Server (SP6) machines, one with Exchange 5.5 (SP4). Added a W2K3 server and upgraded the non-Exchange machine to W2K3. Installed Exchange 2K3 on one of the upgraded machines. Created a new AD Domain. Migrated all accounts. Migrated e-mail from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2K3. Turned off the only remaining WinNT machine and set it on a shelf for 10 months. So far so good, and everything works fine. Until.
Two months ago I decided to “properly” remove the last server in a domain to get rid of the NT machine for good. Well, I could not actually get the WinNT machine removed because of reported incomplete replication. But everything was working without the machine being connected; I just wanted to clean the servers up a bit. So I scoured the MS (and other) websites and found a variety of ways to get rid of the information, and managed to do so. And that’s when trouble began happening.
Before I continue: the DC in the AD Domain is also our file/application server (so various databases are housed there in addition to user files). The other server in the AD domain is a member server, but not a DC. It hosts web pages and e-mail.
Not long after I had obliterated the last traces of the former domain, several things happened. People using ACT suddenly started experiencing crashes. Same with people using Access (one person). Same with the lone GroupWise holdout. Same with the development office software and the accounting office software. Most users had no problems. Since when the crashes initially happened each person reported that they had Outlook open, I began investigating the possibility that the problem lie somewhere in having removed the Exchange 5.5 server (unfortunately, closing Outlook did not stop the crashing).
How likely is it that the databases crashing is related to improperly removing the now non-existent domain and its controller? How likely is it that the problem is network-related and simply a m
