Recover Active Directory from another server

Tontonsam

Dear all,
I have a server that has probably memory problem. It can take approximately one month to have the spare memory as it is not a compatible memory. I had windows 2000 server installed in this server. So, I plan to install windows 2000 server to another server and I'd like to know if it is possible to move the active directory to this server. How can do that? All my research shows that I have to backup the system state but I can't now and the other server don't have the same HAL. How do you recommend to move the AD?

dynamik

That was your only DC?

What type of memory does it need? That seems ridiculous.

Can you promote a Server 2000 machine to a DC with dcpromo /adv and the system state? I thought that was 2003+

Does Server 2000 allow you to do repair installations? That'll correct the HAL if it does. You should image your drive before doing something like that though.

Tontonsam

It is the only DC. The memory is a 512MB DDR PC2100U, all memory PC2100 PC2700 I test doesn't work. As I told you, It is impossible to promote an AD with the system state cause I didnt backup the system state.

undomiel

The U just means that it is unbuffered ram. So any regular non-ECC PC2100 chip would work. Maybe you're having a problem with your motherboard?

dynamik

The point I was making is that I don't think you can promote a new DC using the system state even if you had it. I think that's a 2003 feature.

http://www.pcmemorystore.com/PCMS239626.htm
http://www.computermemoryoutlet.com/CMO13671.htm

You can select other brands, etc. I'd spend some time on those two sites. Who told you it was a month out?

Tontonsam

Generally, it takes one month to get a command I placed. But according to you, if any memory PC2100 should work, I think that it should work an another machine. I placed it to another machine, it doesn't work and vice versa. But I have another server with the same model in other site, I have sent the memory to test to the server. When I power on the server, the keyboard lights, and I feell the hard disk is running but anything appears in the screen. It seems more a memory prob like a board problem. Hoping that.
But according to my problem, I plan to install a new AD Domain with the same name and recreate all the users (25 users appr). And just rejoin the computers to the new domain.

dynamik

Why don't you just go to the other site with the downed server and another machine, swap the memory quick, load it up, promote the other machine to a DC and have replication transfer everything over? Remember to transfer the fsmo roles as well.

What you're talking about doing is going to be an absolute nightmare (user profiles, etc.). It's going to be much more involved than recreating a few accounts

snadam

dynamik wrote:

Why don't you just go to the other site with the downed server and another machine, swap the memory quick, load it up, promote the other machine to a DC and have replication transfer everything over? Remember to transfer the fsmo roles as well.

What you're talking about doing is going to be an absolute nightmare (user profiles, etc.). It's going to be much more involved than recreating a few accounts

yea, Id say trying to replicate is the way to go first. What you are describing I would consider a 'last chance' solution. See if you can get it replicated first before you go gung ho with your ONLY DC.

Tontonsam

It is almost impossible to go to the other site. It s a distance Washington and Florida. If the memory works, I know i have more prob with my server. Now it is to have a solution to have my AD restored with the other disk. It will take more days to test the memory.

dynamik

Well if you're going to do all that, just put the drive in another machine and do a repair installation. That should leave everything in tact and fix any HAL problems. I just suggested imaging the drive in case you had problems. If you're just going to wipe everything out, it doesn't seem like that matters to you.

snadam

dynamik wrote:

Well if you're going to do all that, just put the drive in another machine and do a repair installation. That should leave everything in tact and fix any HAL problems. I just suggested imaging the drive in case you had problems. If you're just going to wipe everything out, it doesn't seem like that matters to you.

+1 Even with 25 users (and who knows how many workstations), youd had to create, modify, edit the OUs and GPOs all over again. Seems arduous when you have the possibility of slapping the drive in another machine and doing a repair installation of the NOS. The repair process can take 45 minutes; the other way can take day/s. If your hands are tied, we understand. We just want to give you all viable options before you go crazy on the domain

somedudefromthenet

as Dynamik said earlier, you definitely have to image the drive specially if you don't have any documentation of your domain structure.

On the hardware side, When you turn on the domain controller do you see anything on the display at all? Even if the MotherBoard is fried you will still hear the hard drives spin and initialize, and see lights on your keyboard when you turn on the server as long as the power supply is still good.

Chances are the memory module might have been damaged by the motherboard going bad, so testing the memory on another system would show that it is actually bad.

theseman

There are many many reasons why you should try to save this domain. A big hassle for things like folder Permissions, mailboxes etc. etc.

-Travis

dynamik

This probably goes without saying, but you should always have a second DC for fault tolerance. If it's not practical for you to have another machine dedicated to that role, install Server 2003 in a VM and use that. You could even do that on your local machine. Just power it on every once in awhile to have data replicate. That's a simple solution to prevent this type of problem from occurring in the future.

Tontonsam

I agree with you for saving the domain. When this happen, I realize that I had the opportunity to have second DC for fault tolerance and never use this option. And it pays off. I will install the drive to the another server after imaging and do a repair installations. Will let you know. Thanks for the big communities. It's very interesting while i am preparing 70-290, i am facing this problem. I got more experience.