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January 09, 2000 12:00 AM

How do I remove a nonexistent domain controller?

Windows IT Pro
InstantDoc ID #13414
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A. Windows 2000 tracks each domain controller (DC) in the metadata. If you remove a DC (e.g., through reinstallation or hardware removal) and you don’t run DCPROMO to clean up the DC’s metadata, connection objects will remain.

You can use the utility NTDSUTIL to remove a server from the metadata. (In the following code, enter the commands in bold.)


D:\&gt;<b>ntdsutil</b><br>
ntdsutil: <b>metadata cleanup</b><br>
metadata cleanup: <b>select operation target</b>


Next, you must connect to a server. In my example, I select a domain to accomplish this task. (In the following code, enter the commands in bold.)


select operation target: <b>connections</b><br>
server connections: <b>connect to domain savilltech.com</b><br>
Binding to \\TITANIC.savilltech.com ...<br>
Connected to \\TITANIC.savilltech.com using credentials of locally logged on user<br>
server connections: <b>quit</b>


Next, you must select a site, a server (i.e., the server you want to delete), and the domain the server is in. The order isn’t important. (In the following code, enter the commands in bold.)


select operation target: <b>list sites</b><br>
Found 2 site(s)<br>
0 - CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
1 - CN=Kent,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
select operation target: <b>select site 0</b><br>
Site - CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
No current domain<br>
No current server<br>
No current Naming Context<br>
select operation target: <b>list servers in site</b><br>
Found 4 server(s)<br>
0 - CN=TITANIC,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
1 - CN=TITUS,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
2 - CN=MORPHEUS,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
3 - CN=TRINITY,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
select operation target: <b>select server 2</b><br>
Site - CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
No current domain<br>
Server - CN=MORPHEUS,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
DSA object - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=MORPHEUS,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
DNS host name - MORPHEUS.deleteme.savilltech.com<br>
Computer object - CN=MORPHEUS,OU=Domain Controllers,DC=deleteme,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
No current Naming Context<br>
select operation target: <b>list domains</b><br>
Found 3 domain(s)<br>
0 - DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
1 - DC=dev,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
2 - DC=deleteme,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
select operation target: <b>select domain 0</b><br>
Site - CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
Domain - DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
Server - CN=MORPHEUS,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
DSA object - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=MORPHEUS,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
DNS host name - MORPHEUS.deleteme.savilltech.com<br>
Computer object - CN=MORPHEUS,OU=Domain Controllers,DC=deleteme,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
No current Naming Context<br>
select operation target: <b>quit</b>


Next, remove the server you selected. (In the following code, enter the command in bold.)


metadata cleanup: <b>remove selected server</b>


In the confirmation dialog box, which the Screen shows, click Yes.

Click here to view image

Close the utility. (In the following code, enter the commands in bold.)


"CN=MORPHEUS,CN=Servers,CN=London,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com<br>
" removed from server "\\TITANIC.savilltech.com"<br>
metadata cleanup: <b>quit</b><br>
ntdsutil: <b>quit</b><br>
Disconnecting from \\TITANIC.savilltech.com ...


Finally, you need to delete the server from the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Active Directory Sites and Servers snap-in. Select Programs, Administrative Tools, Active Directory Sites and Services from the Start menu. Expand the Sites branch, select the site, expand the Services container, right-click the server, and select Delete. Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box. I have been informed of a possible problem with this is SP2 is installed in which case perform on a box without SP2 installed.

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Comments
  • Martin J
    2 years ago
    Jul 15, 2010

    If you are using Windows Server 2003 SP1 version of NTDSUTIL you can perform a directive metadata cleanup without the need to connect to the site, domain and server. See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc736378(WS.10).aspx for full details.

  • Wubshet
    2 years ago
    Jun 24, 2010

    Thank you John. this is so handy and easy to use. Great Job!

  • Paul
    4 years ago
    Mar 19, 2008

    Turns out I COULD remove from Sites and Services but _not_ from the Users & Computers list of Domain Controllers...

  • Paul
    4 years ago
    Mar 19, 2008

    The ntdsutil portion worked fine for me, but when I attempted to remove the server from sites & services or from the list of domain controllers in AD Users and Computers, I received the message "The DSA object cannot be deleted."

    We're running Windows 2000 SP4 and were planning to upgrade to Windows 2003.

  • Nanookh
    6 years ago
    Apr 22, 2006

    Worked perfectly well. After a re-boot I got 3 NETLOGON errors related to the non-existent DC (in a row: 5723, 5513 and 5805). After a second re-boot, the errors did not re-appear.

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