Promoting Server 2003 to a DC.

Percy Le Blanc

Hello everyone, I am new to these forums and was wondering if someone can help me out.

I am currently studying for the 70-290 and purchased the MS press book that comes with the trail version of 2003. I have installed 2003 on a single stand alone PC. Problem is I cannot promote the server to domain controller and install AD. When I run the Configure your server wizard a dialog box comes up stating that at least one of the network connections on this server is currently disconnected. I press continue anyway. Then get a message dialog box stating that the TCP/IP protocol must be porperly configured in order to procced. Complete this configuration.

What am I doing wrong?
I'm guessing that the server must be connected to a network to install AD. The book states otherwise.

Thanks in advance for anyone that can help me, as I'm keen to get this up and running and get stuck into this book.

choice_bro

have you tried running dcpromo ?

here is a tut about it

Creating the first Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller in a domain

Make sure everything on the check list is installed and I can not see any reason why it would not work ...

choice_bro

oops.. just re-read your post

do you have a static IP and are you able to get onto the internet as a stand alone server?

dynamik

This happened to me the other day on a machine I was testing as well. Is this a physical machine? Just plug in a cable and connect it to something temporarily. You can disconnect it as soon as the promotion is done. I think it just wants a network connection because it checks if the domain is already in use, etc.

sprkymrk

If Windows detects a NIC in "down" state, it removes the bound protocols from that adapter, including TCP/IP (but not NetBUI or IPX), until it is detected as "up" again. This is known as Windows Media Sensing feature. When running DCPromo you need a working TCP/IP stack. That's why it fails if you are not connected to a "live" hub/switch. The hub/switch does not need to be connected to a network, just turned on, as dynamik stated.

You can also edit a registry setting to disable the Media Sensing feature, google should pull it up for you. Easier just to plug into a switch/hub though.

Percy Le Blanc

Thanks for the input all.
This is a physical machine.
I'll try what dynamik said and connect it temporily.

Percy Le Blanc

Thanks guys.
Connection to a switch did the job.