Recovering from a domain server crash without a backup.

1) Is there ANY way to put a new domain server into an existing domain, replacing the previous unit that crashed, without unjoining then rejoining each and every client on the network?

Scenario: A small company with 30-50 client PCs has a single Win2K3 domain server. All client PCs are members of the domain. The server crashes and it is found that backups were not being performed. A new instance, with the same domain name, is created from a fresh install. Naturally, the existing client PCs will not be able to access the domain. The basic solution is to remove the client PCs from the domain then join them into the new domain to build the trust relationship with the new domain controller. The problem though is that this means a new profile has to be built on the client PC as well, including porting over e-mail and the such.


2) Same basic scenario as above only this time the server has not yet crashed. Is there a way to export the various settings/credentials/etc so that the newly created instance of the domain controller can simply import them and have all the client PCs sign on like nothing has changed?
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: newtworking in school
    ... I suggest XP PRO for the client PCs and ... WinServer 2003 for the domain server. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web)
  • Re: Recovering from a domain server crash without a backup.
    ... When a domain is created it has a unique SID. ... If you have a server to use in the above example, ... A small company with 30-50 client PCs has a single Win2K3 ... crashes and it is found that backups were not being performed. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.general)