A fire next door burned up our servers, and the backup media. Should we create new domain from scratch, or attempt to recover from obsolete servers? We had a small office with 3 servers, which split all the roles of our single domain, plus an Exchange 2008 server. Two servers were Windows Server 2008 one was a Windows 2000 BDC which was largely abandoned. The Win2008 servers burned in the fire, but the Windows 2000 server survived, and seems to have a working copy of the Active Directory. We only have 8-12 users but very large numbers of files, emails, etc backed up, and on client machines. So our end-user data is preserved, but the accounts themselves were lost in the fire, EXCEPT what is on our client PCs, and the Win2000 server. Give that we are going to get new servers, it seems we have a choice of: A) Attempting to re-create the old domain, so that user accounts are preserved. B) Create a new domain and new accounts and change ownership, etc. Given the small # of accounts, what is the easiest way to proceed?

Hello, as you still have a working DC use it and install at least one additional DC to the domain. You just have to seize the FSMO roles on it and run metadata cleanup, that's it. Then you are back in business also for the users logging on. Make sure the user machines use the existing DC/DNS server on the NIC. Of course you have to built also a new mail server if still required, therefore make sure to use the same Exchange server version, 2007 or 2010, you didn't mention. http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/archive/2010/05/16/active-directory-metadata-cleanup.aspxBest regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

Hello, A fire next door burned up our servers, and the backup media. You have to store some backups in another site so that if one is burned you will have backups in the other one. Should we create new domain from scratch, or attempt to recover from obsolete servers? If there is left DCs / backups you can rebuild your domain (Left DCs should be GCs. Same thing for backups). We had a small office with 3 servers, which split all the roles of our single domain, plus an Exchange 2008 server. There is no Exchange 2008. There is Exchange 2003 / 2007 / 2010. We had a small office with 3 servers, which split all the roles of our single domain, plus an Exchange 2008 server. Is it a GC? If yes then you have to: Perform a metadata cleanup Resize FSMO roles that are not holder by the 2000 DC Promote additional DCs and make them GCs and DNS servers For Exchange questions, please ask them here: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/exchangeserver This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator

Hi, Mr X provided the correct processes to recover the Domain Controllers. I would like to provide you the links for the detailed steps. How to remove completely orphaned Domain Controller http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555846 Using Ntdsutil.exe to transfer or seize FSMO roles to a domain controller http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504 Installing an Additional Domain Controller http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733027(WS.10).aspx Regards, Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Nah, the real solution was to back up the user data, and CREATE A NEW DOMAIN. It was impossible to set up a new server via upgrades and transfers. The Windows server had 2k on it at one point. Neither the new 2008 server nor the old 2k server had a way to remove the remains of Exchange 2k. Theoretically we could have tried to downgrade Exchange 2003 to 2000, reinstalled Exchange 2000, upgraded the hardware to 64 bit, upgraded back to 2003, then to 2007, then finally to 2010, then transferred everything, then ditched the poor beast. That would have been absurd, for 12 users and 12 PCs. I made a new domain with the same name, with the new domain controller off of the network. I installed Exchange on it. On the Old domain, All users backed up their data, and all the member computers left the old domain. The they joined the new domain, logged onto ther new account "with the same name" and restored their data. Much faster, cheaper and simpler than continuing to wrestle with requirements that cannot be satisfied.

Hello, Nah, the real solution was to back up the user data, and CREATE A NEW DOMAIN. that is not really a solution. The best solution would to get back your domain. Please perform backups of your new domain and store tapes outside your current site. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights. Microsoft Student Partner 2010 / 2011 Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Security Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuration Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows 7, Configuring Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator