Little long winded but I want to make sure I don't miss anything Current setup ServerA 2k3 (32BIT) - AD,DNS,DHCP ServerB 2k3 (64BIT) - AD,DNS, Exchange2k7 New Setup Server1 2k8r2 - AD,DNS,DHCP Server2 2k8r2 - Exchange Forest was at server 2003 functionality and FSMO roles were located on ServerA I moved them to serverB as I only had 64Bit version of adprep from the 2k8r2 disc. I checked on serverB using AD Users and Computers and it showed as all holding all the roles. I ran adprep /forestprep which worked correctly on serverB I then ran adprep /domainprep and it failed with a message saying it was not required. Although I didn't think this was correct, I logged on to Server 1 and after install the AD DS roles I typed dcpromo and selected to add server to existing forest, at the point in the wizard where it checks the AD it failes and tells me I must run adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep. I logged back on to serverB and looking closer in AD Users and Computers it does show that it holds all the FSMO roles however the "Change" options is ServerB to B, if I look in the same place on Server A the "Change" otpion is ServerB to A. I'm also unable to load AD sites and Services on ServerB but it works fine on ServerA. I swapped the FSMO roles back and now everything looks fine. Both change options are change from A to B. I then tried to run adprep /domainprep on serverA (32Bit version, with 2k8r2 ldf files) but I get the same error saying it is not needed. However dcpromo on server1 still fails with the same error. I'm at the point I believe something on serverB is corrupt and this is causing the adprep /domainprep to fail. So what I want to ask is firstly can I dcpromo down serverB (which is the current exchange server), and if so am I likely to break anything?

You cannot run DCPROMO on an Exchange server. You will need to use a swing server, i.e., bring up a new Exchange 2007 server, move all the mailboxes and everything else to it, and then uninstall Exchange from the DC. After you have run DCPROMO to make Server B a member server, you can, if you want, install Exchange and move everything back.Ed Crowley MVP "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."

Hi Ed thanks for the reply. I'm going to be installing exchange 2010 and completly removing serverB from the network. Given that and the information above would you still advise to do it the same way or is there another way? Maybe something I've over looked.

I'm not sure what your saying is the problem. It sounds line both DCs report the correct FSMO role holder. When you try to move a FSMO role, the GUI should show you (1) the current role holder and allow you to move the role to (2) the server to which you have connected in the tool. What you report sounds like normal behavior (except for ADS&S not working properly on one of them). Don't forget the forest-wide FSMO roles, Schema and Domain Naming. ADPREP is an AD thing, not an Exchange thing. Again, YOU CANNOT RUN DCMROMO ON AN EXCHANGE SERVER. Period. You will break Exchange. Bring up the new Exchange 2007 server, move all the mailboxes and everything else to it, and then uninstall Exchange from the DC. After that, you can run DCPROMO.Ed Crowley MVP "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."

I'm not sure what your saying is the problem. It sounds line both DCs report the correct FSMO role holder. When you try to move a FSMO role, the GUI should show you (1) the current role holder and allow you to move the role to (2) the server to which you have connected in the tool. What you report sounds like normal behavior (except for ADS&S not working properly on one of them). Don't forget the forest-wide FSMO roles, Schema and Domain Naming. Really. Ok now I'm a little confused. Currently all ofthe FSMO roles are on ServerA, and when I connect the AD tool to serverA it gives me the option to move each of the roles to ServerB, however after I had moved each of the roles and I connected to ServerB it gives me the option to move each of the roles to ServerB and if I don't change anything and connect to ServerA, it gives me the option to move them to ServerA. Which is why I thought that there must be something wrong somwhere in the AD.

Ok it turns out that actually that wasn't the case, I assumed (wrongly) that when I rdc'd to serverb and opened the tools they would automatically connect that server, and would only connect to serverA if i changed it. So what I've now done is move all the fsmo roles over to serverB and dcpromo'd down serverA, ran adprep /domainprep on serverB which informed me that I needed to run adprep /forestprep (even though this completed fine earlier today on serverA) which has completed along with /domainprep

I'm not sure what you're saying is the problem. It sounds line both DCs report the correct FSMO role holder. When you try to move a FSMO role, the GUI should show you (1) the current role holder and allow you to move the role to (2) the server to which you have connected in the tool. What you report sounds like normal behavior (except for ADS&S not working properly on one of them). Don't forget the forest-wide FSMO roles, Schema and Domain Naming. ADPREP is an AD thing, not an Exchange thing. Again, YOU CANNOT RUN DCMROMO ON AN EXCHANGE SERVER. Period. You will break Exchange. Bring up the new Exchange 2007 server, move all the mailboxes and everything else to it, and then uninstall Exchange from the DC. After that, you can run DCPROMO. Ed Crowley MVP "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."

Totally agree with Ed. Once you DCPromo and Exchange, it breaks.