Re: Missing Computer Accounts

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Agreed. In every case (hundreds of cases in several companies) I have investigated this alleged occurrence someone or something was actually deleting the objects. AD doesn't kick them out and the objects themselves don't just decide to leave.

joe

--
Joe Richards Microsoft MVP Windows Server Directory Services
Author of O'Reilly Active Directory Third Edition
www.joeware.net


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Al Mulnick wrote:
Seen it? No, I can't say as I have. That's not normal.

You've checked to see that nobody is manually removing them. Did you check that there's not an automated process in place?

Have you checked the users workstation logs to see what's going on there?
Have you checked the DC logs to see if any other issues are going on?

It's been my experience that computer accounts don't randomly get suicidal and leave the domain. I've seen where automated processes that nobody was told about can do this though.




"amiller" <amiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:156B9930-4428-4978-B713-BDD32CA92B19@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi all,

I have an issue where computer accounts just randomly go missing in Active
Directory Users and Computers. The user can no longer logon to the domain
because he no longer has a computer account in the domain. In order to logon
I have to re-join the computer to the domain. The computer accounts are fine
for a few days and then one or more will go missing. It seems to be random
because its not always the same account, although sometimes it is.

I've checked event viewer under Security and specifically the Account
Management category to see what user had accessed the computer account. I
find there are no entries for any user accessing the computer account.
However, when I rejoin the missing computer to the domain and then check
event viewer - security - account management I can see the entry detailing
that I did indeed create the computer account.

As a test, I have created computer accounts manually and then deleted them
to varifiy that auditing of account management is indeed turned on. When I
do so, I can see in the event viewer under security - account management that
I have created and then deleted the computer accounts.

I feel confident that no one is manually deleting the computer accounts.
I've searched the Microsoft site for this issue but found nothing. I've also
searched the internet at large and found did find that others were having the
same issue, however, no one had a solution except to suggest that someone was
deliberately deleting the accounts.

Some details:
Windows Server 2003 SP1
Single domain controller
XP clients
No Exchange
Symantec Managed Virus protection

Has anyone seen this and how to I correct the issue?

Thanks,
Al Miller


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