Microsoft KB Archive/322699

= How to Automate the Installation and Promotion of a Windows NT 4.0 Domain Controller =

PSS ID Number: 322699

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2003

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

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This article was previously published under Q322699



SUMMARY
This article describes how to automate the installation and promotion of a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 domain controller.



MORE INFORMATION
It may be useful to automate some of the steps for promoting a Windows NT 4.0 primary domain controller or backup domain controller to a Windows 2000 domain controller. You can use Dcpromo.exe to promote a Windows 2000 member server to a domain controller. Dcpromo.exe uses an answer file to automate this process. For additional information about the syntax of this answer file, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

223757 Unattended Promotion and Demotion of Windows 2000 Domain Controllers

If Windows 2000 Setup detects that the computer you are upgrading to Windows 2000 is a Windows NT 4.0 primary domain controller or backup domain controller, an entry is made in the registry. This entry configures the computer so that during the first logon, Dcpromo.exe automatically starts and provides the administrator with the ability to promote the computer to a domain controller. The entry starts Dcpromo.exe with the dcpromo /upgrade command. The /upgrade switch makes Dcpromo.exe look for the existence of an answer file in the %SystemDrive%\Dcpromo-ntupg.inf file. This file uses the same format that is documented in Q223757. To fully automate this process, use an unattended text file that automatically logs on an administrator so that Dcpromo.exe receives an opportunity to run. For example, an unattended text file with the following settings automatically logs on an administrator one time, and gives Dcpromo.exe an opportunity to upgrade the computer:

[GuiUnattended]

AdminPassword=

AutoLogon=Yes

AutoLogonCount=1

To automate this process more, make sure that the RebootOnSuccess=yes option is set.

Keywords: kbhowto kbnetwork KB322699

Technology: kbwin2000AdvServ kbwin2000AdvServSearch kbwin2000Search kbwin2000Serv kbwin2000ServSearch kbWinAdvServSearch

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