Problem installing a Win2K additional doamin controller. HELP, PLEASE! 4

[toni]

I have a domain with a Win2K primary domain controller. I wanted to install an additional domain controller in another Win2K server. The problem is when the Assistant asks for the domain name to include the server in: I type in my domain name, but then it says that "it cannot contact the domain" (and that perhaps it is not registered in the DNS server, but i already installed and configured it in the PDC ¡¿?!). However, when I click the "Examine..." button on the right, the domain name appears to be found correctly.
Can anybody help me? I will be very grateful.
Thanx in advance,
.- Toni

 

[ericksot]

I had this problem also, what I found is that you must ensure that you have the "Primary DNS Suffix for this Computer" entered in the the Control Panel....System....Network Identification.....Properties.....More.... On the PDC

 

[toni]

I've tried what you say, but the "Properties..." button appears in grey (inactive). That's because, as a commentary below the button says, "it's a domain controller". So, if it's already a domain controller, how can I change the DNS Suffix?
----------------------------
PD: perhaps it helps to explain what it exactly says in the Network Identification page:

Computer complete name: mycomputer.xxx.xxx
Domain: yyy.yyy.yyy

where xxx.xxx is a real Internet registered domain name
while yyy.yyy.yyy is a ficticious domain name that I created to make an independent domain from xxx.xxx (yyy.yyy.yyy was intended to be only for internal use in a couple of laboratories).

 

[Guest_imported]

you have already installed AD on the second server. you will need to uninstall and make sure that the DNS server listed in the DNS is the 1st domain controler THIS IS A MUST and if you still have a problem jsut install netbeui for the AD install then uninstall it

 

[peterve]

Run dcpromo again to remove your AD
THen check your DNS Setup :

1. DOmain name suffixes must be filled in
(check both 'my computer' properties and tcp/ip configuration)
2. First DNS IP must point to the other (first) Domain COntroller
3. Remove DNS from your server
4. Run dcpromo again, let it install AD (and DNS as well)

(Can you give us the real names instead of xxx.xxx and yyy.yyy.yyy ?)
Peter Van Eeckhoutte
peter.ve@pandora.be

 

[toni]

I think my situation was misunderstood in the last two replies. All what I said in my reply of May 4th, was referring to the PDC (the first Win2K that I installed, and that is already correctly working).

That is:
-> In the PDC I have the two domain names that I mentioned in that reply. By the way, if it can help, these are:
Computer complete name: mycomputer.upc.es
Domain: LABSFIB.ESAII.UPC

-> It's in the second server where I want to install AD, but it gives the error -- so I cannot run dcpromo to remove AD, 'cause it has not been installed yet. First DNS IP already points to PDC. NetBEUI is also installed. Can't remove DNS from this server, as it was not installed yet. And the corresponding Network Identification page seems ok:
Computer complete name: backupcomputer.LABSFIB.ESAII.UPC
Domain: LABSFIB.ESAII.UPC

I hope this reply will be more helpful.

 

[toni]

I've just seen a new question posted in the forum with the same problem as mine. At least, it's similar, since his PDC is a WinNT (while mine is a Win2K).
However, I've just remembered something that perhaps could be important: my Win2K PDC is actually a migration from a WinNT4.0. My old domain name (ESAII_FIB) has been preserved, as I have Win98 clients.

PS: by the way, if anybody is wondering if I tried to put ESAII_FIB instead of the new LABSFIB.ESAII.UPC domain name, the answer is yes, but the Wizard then translates the old domain name to the new one, and so it leads to the mentioned error.

 

[shipmate]

Has this been resolved? has anyone else run into this?

I'm in the same boat;

Updated the PDC to 2k and AD, all went well. (No disjointed domain or anything)

Tried to add an additional domain controller; can't find the domain. During the AD install, I can browse and see the domain, but I still get the error, as toni said:

"it cannot contact the domain" (and that perhaps it is not registered in the DNS server, but i already installed and configured it in the PDC ¡¿?!).

DNS is installed on the PDC, dynamic updates are allowed, the other win2k machine is part of the domain......

Does anybody have any insight on this? Any ideas at all? I'm really stuck.......

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[ekke]

im not sure if you allredy got yor problem fixed.
you need to make sure the new domain controller has the same dns as the pdc otherwise you will not be able to install active directory so the "pdc" can comunicate with each other. if they do not have the same dns make sure they have and then you must restart your server.
and if the active directory installation does not start after resart go to start and run/dcpromo.

/Ekke

 

[techgoddess]

remember to check and see if how your DNS Server is set up. If it is set to the default replication in an AD environment which is Secure Only, it will not communicate with your new DC. Make sure to set it up as allow dynamic updates. this is the last thing I could think of - I have been through this before and that was the issue.

Kate
A+, MCP, MCSA

 

[shipmate]

My pdc/ad controller is running DNS; it's ip address is 192.168.1.29.
Our ISP hosts our external DNS servers; In the preferred DNS entries in TCP/IP, the pdc/ad controller has the addresses of the ISP's DNS servers.

The soon-to-be additional domain controller has 192.168.1.29 in the preffered DNS entry.

The DNS on the pdc/ad controller is ad integrated; should be be standard? It is now set to allow updates (not just secure)

I've installed Netbeui; Each machine can ping each other; On the soon-to-be additional domain controller, in "Entire Network", I can see "Directory", and see the ad, but nothing under it;

Does it look like a DNS issue? I think I'm getting closer to the problem......

Am I doing something way wrong here?

Thanks!

 

[tlcscousin]

Set a default gateway pointing to the forest root controller. Make sure as previously stated that the DNS is pointed to the DNS server for the domain.

 

[GlenJohnson]

I had the same problem. A consultant that was working with me found an article about fixing this with lmhosts file. (Even he doesn't know why it worked, but it did.) Our lmhost files look like this.

127.0.0.1 localhost
ipaddressone serveronename #serveronename
ipaddresstwo servertwoname #pre#dom.domainname
ipaddresstwo "Domainname \0x1b" #PRE
ipaddressthree serverthreename

Server one is a true W2K server. Server two is a NT4 upgrade. (This is where we had the problem.) Server three is a true W2K server. It has something to do with nt upgrades, and this fixed it. The consultant found this buried in a MS site. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
gjohn76351@msn.com
"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child."
Cicero (106-43 B.C.); Roman orator, philosopher.

 

[shipmate]

Woo hoo! Figured it out!

The pdc/ad controller is a DNS server.

The soon-to-be domain controller DNS entry points to the pdc/ad controller; makes sense, right?

But the pdc/ad controller had DNS entries (as earlier stated), for our ISP's DNS servers. I changed the pdc/ad controller to point to itself to DNS lookups (127.0.0.1)

Of course, now my pdc/ad controller can't search the web, because it looks to itself to resolve url's, and it doesn't have host records (except for a few internal machines). I did have to set dynamic updates.

I'd rather not host my own DNS, I have too much other stuff going on here. It's easier to have our ISP do it. But we still host our own email and website.

You were all on the right track, it was a DNS/communication issue; Thank you all for spending the time on this issue.

Shipmate

 

[brontosaurus]

Your PDC should be able to surf as well by forwarding unresolvable DNS queries out to the internet root servers or to configured Forwarders(usually your ISP's servers). Did you delete the root "." zone in your forward lookup zone section?

 

[shipmate]

It says that I can't add forwarders because it is a root server.

I did not delete the "." zone in the forward lookup zone section......

I think I see where your going; should I add an NS record of my ISP's DNS servers?

 

[brontosaurus]

No. Delete the root "." zone as I said, then restart the DNS service. You should now be able to add Forwarders. Just put your ISP's DNS server's IP address in that Forwarders tab. Do NOT add NS records for your ISP.

 

[brontosaurus]

No. Delete the root "." zone as I said, then restart the DNS service. You should now be able to add Forwarders. Just put your ISP's DNS server's IP address in that Forwarders tab. Do NOT add NS records for your ISP.

 

[Greenback]

Hi all,

Ive encountered a similar problem to the above.

I have upgraded my PDC to w2k, which worked fine - however, when i now try to add a DC to the domain, it comes back with "the wizard cannot gain access to the list of domains in the forest...".

This is hugely irksome and i have tried everything that has been suggested above - im assuming that ive got everything setup correctly in DNS, with my w2k DNS having a forward lookup to my UNIX dns servers.

I've got a testbed running and haven't had this problem so im assuming its because of the upgrade path taken.

has anyone found anything else out about this??

Cheers
GB