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Event ID 16386 — Account Upgrade

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

When a computer is promoted to become a domain controller, the promotion process imports user accounts from the local computer's Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database into the Active Directory database.

Event Details

Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 16386
Source: SAM
Version: 6.0
Symbolic Name: SAMMSG_UNKNOWN_USER_NOT_UPGRADED
Message: An error occurred trying to read a user object from the old database.

Resolve

Confirm that the account exists and that it has the correct data

The Security Accounts Manager (SAM) was not able to properly upgrade the account that is identified in the Event Viewer event text. The problem may be related to a resource issue during a database read or write operation, or it may be due to a duplicate account name. Determine if the account was created, and configure the account properties as necessary. If the account was not created or if an account name was duplicated, create an account with a unique name for the account that could not be upgraded. Perform the following procedures using a domain member computer that has domain administrative tools installed.

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in Domain Admins, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Search for the account and verify account properties

To search for the account and verify account properties:

  1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers. To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start. In Start Search, type dsa.msc, and then press ENTER. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  2. In the console tree, right-click the object that represents your domain, and then click Find. The Find Users, Contacts, and Groups dialog box opens.
  3. In Name, type the account name that is specified in the event text, and then click Find Now:
    • If the account appears in Search results, right-click the account, and then click Properties. Review the account properties to be sure that the account you found represents the account that is named in the event text. Specifically, try to determine that there was not an attempt to create two accounts with the same name.
    • If the account is different from the account that was named in the event text, create an account with a unique name for the account that was named in the event text. Set the properties of the new account to match the properties of the account that is named in the event text.
    • If the account does not appear in Search results, create the account with a unique name and the same user account properties that it had previously.

Create an account using Active Directory Users and Computers

To create an account using Active Directory Users and Computers:

  1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers. To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start, click Run, type dsa.msc, and then press ENTER.

  2. In the console tree, expand the hierarchy of objects as necessary.

  3. Right-click the container in which you want to create the new account, click New, and then click the account type that you want to create (such as Computer, Contact, Group, and User). Fill out all the required fields (and any of the appropriate optional fields) in the dialog box that appears for the specific type of account that you selected.

    If you select an account type of User or InetOrgPerson, an additional dialog box appears. Click Next to go to the next dialog box, and then fill out the appropriate information.

  4. When you have filled out all the appropriate information and you are ready to create the account, click OK.

Verify

During promotion of the primary domain controller (PDC), when a new domain is created, all the accounts are migrated to the domain. Perform the following procedure using a domain member computer that has domain administrative tools installed.

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in Domain Admins, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To verify the properties of the account:

  1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers. To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start. In Start Search, type dsa.msc, and then press ENTER. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  2. In the console tree, right-click the object that represents your domain, and then click Find. The Find Users, Contacts, and Groups dialog box opens.
  3. In Name, type the account name that is specified in the event text, and then click Find Now.

Verify that the named account exists with the correct attribute data. All data should be migrated from the original account to the new domain account.

Account Upgrade

Active Directory