Microsoft KB Archive/296561

= How the Local User Accounts Are Handled When a Server Is Promoted to a Domain Controller =

PSS ID Number: 296561

Article Last Modified on 9/19/2003

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP1
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1

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This article was previously published under Q296561



SUMMARY
This article describes how local user accounts are handled when a server is promoted to a domain controller.



MORE INFORMATION
When a Windows 2000-based server is promoted to a domain controller, the server no longer uses the local account (Security Accounts Manager [SAM]) database during normal operations to store users and groups. When the promotion is complete, the new domain controller has a copy of the Active Directory database in which it stores users, groups, and computer accounts. The SAM database is present, but it is inaccessible when the server is running in Normal mode. The only time that the local SAM database is used is when you boot into Directory Services Restore mode or the Recovery Console.

If this new domain controller is the first domain controller in a new domain, the local SAM database that the new domain controller contained as a stand-alone server is migrated to the Active Directory database that is created during the promotion. All of the local user accounts that the local SAM database contained when it had been a stand-alone server are migrated from the local SAM database to the Active Directory database. In addition, any permissions that had been assigned to the local users, such as, NTFS permissions, are retained when the users are migrated to the Active Directory database.

For additional information about promoting a stand-alone server to a domain controller, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

238369 How to Promote and Demote Domain Controllers in Windows 2000



WinSERaid2:43002

Keywords: kbinfo kbnetwork KB296561

Technology: kbwin2000AdvServ kbwin2000AdvServSearch kbWin2000AdvServSP1 kbwin2000Search kbwin2000Serv kbwin2000ServSearch kbwin2000ServSP1 kbWinAdvServSearch

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