Microsoft KB Archive/814589

Knowledge Base

HOW TO: Rename a Windows 2003 Domain Controller

PSS ID Number: 814589

Article Last Modified on 6/6/2003

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The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition

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For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 296592.

IN THIS TASK

• SUMMARY
  • Requirements
  • Use the Netdom Tool to Rename a Domain Controller
  • Install Windows Support Tools
  • Rename a Domain Controller in a Domain that Contains a Single Domain Controller
  • Rename a Domain Controller in a Domain That Contains Multiple Domain Controllers
• REFERENCES

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes various methods to rename a Windows Server 2003-based domain controller.

Requirements

• To rename a domain controller, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group or the Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory.

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Use the Netdom Tool to Rename a Domain Controller

Note To rename a domain controller by using the Netdom tool, make sure that the domain functional level is set to Windows Server 2003.

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. Type netdom computername CurrentComputerName /add:NewComputerName, and then press ENTER.
   

Note that NewComputerName must be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). The primary DNS suffix specified in the FQDN for NewComputerName must be the same as the primary DNS suffix of CurrentComputerName, or it must be contained in the list of allowed DNS suffixes specified in the msDS-AllowedDNSSuffixes attribute of the domainDns object.

1. Allow sufficient time for the computer account to be replicated to all domain controllers and the DNS resource records to be distributed to all the authoritative DNS servers for the domain name.
2. Type netdom computername CurrentComputerName /makeprimary:NewComputerName, and then press ENTER.
3. Restart the computer, and then repeat step 1 to open a command prompt.
4. Type netdom computername NewComputerName /remove:OldComputerName, and then press ENTER. Note that OldComputerName is the name of the renamed computer; that is, this name is the same as CurrentComputerName in step 2 and step 4.

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Install Windows Support Tools

To install Windows Support Tools, follow these steps:

1. Insert your Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM in your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
2. Click Start, click Run, type DriveLetter:\Support\Tools\suptools.msi in the Open box, and then press ENTER (where DriveLetter is your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive).
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation of Windows Support Tools.

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Rename a Domain Controller in a Domain that Contains a Single Domain Controller

To rename a domain controller in a domain that contains a single domain controller:

1. Install a second Windows Server 2003 computer in the same domain with the server that you want to rename.
2. Promote this second server to a domain controller either by using the Configure Your Server Wizard or by running the dcpromo.exe command.
3. Use either the appropriate Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in or the Ntdsutil.exe utility to make the second server a global catalog server, and then move all of the operations master roles to the second server. Note that you must transfer the roles; do not seize the roles. See the Help file that is included with the Active Directory Sites and Services MMC snap-in for instructions about how to assign global catalog responsibilities. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO Roles to a Domain Controller

4. Verify that the new domain controller is functioning correctly. To verify authentications and global catalog searches, run the Dcdiag.exe utility against the domain controller, and then perform any other appropriate test to verify that the new domain controller can provide all of the domain functions after you remove the original domain controller from the domain. Also, verify that the \sysvol and \netlogon drives are shared on the new domain controller.
   
   Run the following command from a command prompt on the new domain controller's console

   net share

   and then verify the existence of Sysvol and Netlogon in the list that is generated.
5. To demote the domain controller that you want to rename to a member server, click Start, click Run, type dcpromo.exe in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
6. Rename the computer:
   1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
   2. Click the Computer Name tab, click Change, type the new computer name in the Computer name box, and then click OK two times.
   3. Restart the computer.
7. Either use the Configure Your Server Wizard or run the dcpromo.exe command to promote the member server back to domain controller status.
8. Reconfigure all of the operations master roles and the global catalog as needed.

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Rename a Domain Controller in a Domain That Contains Multiple Domain Controllers

Note Before you rename a domain controller in a domain with multiple domain controllers, make sure that the computer that you want to rename is not the global catalog server and that it does not hold other Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) roles. Note that the first domain controller that was installed in the forest is the root domain controller, and it is responsible for the global catalog and for all FSMO roles. All of these functions must be transferred to another domain controller before you rename the server. For additional information about moving a global catalog, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

313994 HOW TO: Create or Move a Global Catalog in Windows 2000

For additional information about transferring FSMO roles, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

324801 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in Windows Server 2003

After you make sure that the global catalog and all FSMO roles have been transferred to another domain controller, you can rename the domain controller according to the procedure listed for a domain with a single domain controller.

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REFERENCES

For additional information about managing the Active Directory schema, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

326310 HOW TO: Manage the Active Directory Schema in Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

For additional information about forcing the demotion of Active Directory domain controllers, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

332199 Using the DCPROMO /FORCEREMOVAL Command to Force the Demotion of Active Directory Domain Controllers

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Keywords: kbActiveDirectory kbhowto KB814589
Technology: kbWinServ2003Ent kbWinServ2003EntSearch kbWinServ2003Search kbWinServ2003St

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