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Install Active Directory

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Use the Active Directory Installation Wizard to install Active Directory on a member server in your domain to create an additional domain controller in an existing domain.

Administrative Credentials

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group.

To install Active Directory

  1. Click Start, click Run, type dcpromo and then press ENTER.

  2. The Active Directory Installation Wizard appears. At the Welcome screen, click Next.

  3. For Domain Controller Type, select Additional domain controller for an existing domain. Click Next.

  4. For Network Credentials, enter the user name, password, and domain for the user account that has permission to add this new domain controller to the domain. Click Next.

  5. Enter the name of the domain that you want the new domain controller to host. Click Next.

  6. For Database and Log Locations, enter the paths for the locations of the directory database (Ntds.dit) and the log files. For better performance, store the database and log files on separate physical disk drives. Click Next.

  7. For Shared System Volume, enter the path where you want to locate the system volume (SYSVOL). Click Next.

  8. Under Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Password, enter the password that you want to use when you need to start Directory Services Restore Mode. Click Next.

  9. The Summary screen displays a list of the items you chose. Verify that the information is correct, and then click Next to proceed with the installation.

  10. The wizard proceeds to install Active Directory. When it finishes, the wizard displays a summary screen listing the domain and site in which the new domain controller is a member. Verify that this information is correct. Click Finish to close the wizard.

  11. Click Restart to restart the domain controller.

  12. Let the domain controller restart. If any message indicates that one or more services has failed to start, restart the domain controller one more time. If the initial replication cycles have not had enough time to complete during the first restart on a new domain controller, some services may be unable to start successfully. If the message appears during additional restarts, examine the event logs in Event Viewer to determine the cause of the problem.