There is 1 PDC (running NT4 server) and
1 BDC (running Win2k) in my site,
today the PDC failed to boot to windows
(kernel files missing). Then i opened server
manager on the win2k BDC and tried to promote
it to a PDC, however i found that that option is
disabled.
How can i promote the win2k BDC to PDC?
Or what could I do to recover the NT4 PDC?

Thanks for your kind attentions

What you are describing is not at all possible. A W2k or
higher server cannot be an NT 4.0 BDC. W2k or higher
needs the active directory which is not available in NT 4.0
as you would expect. To recover you can install the HD
from the PDC, assuming it isn't running RAID, to a new
machine then copy the SAM and Security file from the PDC
to a disk then restore on a new NT 4.0 PDC.. Without
another NT 4.0 BDC that's your only option other than
creating a W2k domain with your W2k machine.


"lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:
> There is 1 PDC (running NT4 server) and
> 1 BDC (running Win2k) in my site,
> today the PDC failed to boot to windows
> (kernel files missing). Then i opened server
> manager on the win2k BDC and tried to promote
> it to a PDC, however i found that that option is
> disabled.
> How can i promote the win2k BDC to PDC?
> Or what could I do to recover the NT4 PDC?
>
> Thanks for your kind attentions

thx for pointing out the mistake, i only had a look at the name of the win2k
(which is named as "xxx_bdc") and then wrongly recognized it as a BDC.
Yes my PDC is built on a Compaq ML 370 server which had a raid vol. Then
would I have some ways to put some boot files back to the PDC and make it up
again? If so, would you pls tell me the path of those files?

Thanks

"Michael Giorgio - MS MVP" wrote:

> What you are describing is not at all possible. A W2k or
> higher server cannot be an NT 4.0 BDC. W2k or higher
> needs the active directory which is not available in NT 4.0
> as you would expect. To recover you can install the HD
> from the PDC, assuming it isn't running RAID, to a new
> machine then copy the SAM and Security file from the PDC
> to a disk then restore on a new NT 4.0 PDC.. Without
> another NT 4.0 BDC that's your only option other than
> creating a W2k domain with your W2k machine.
>
>
> "lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:
> > There is 1 PDC (running NT4 server) and
> > 1 BDC (running Win2k) in my site,
> > today the PDC failed to boot to windows
> > (kernel files missing). Then i opened server
> > manager on the win2k BDC and tried to promote
> > it to a PDC, however i found that that option is
> > disabled.
> > How can i promote the win2k BDC to PDC?
> > Or what could I do to recover the NT4 PDC?
> >
> > Thanks for your kind attentions
>
>
>

You by chance wouldn't have a recent ERD available? The ERD
with a /s switch will copy the SAM and Security hives.

If not and you can rebuild the array and get to the data, you can find
the files in the %systemfolder%/system32/config folder.
"lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:
> thx for pointing out the mistake, i only had a look at the name of the
> win2k
> (which is named as "xxx_bdc") and then wrongly recognized it as a BDC.
> Yes my PDC is built on a Compaq ML 370 server which had a raid vol. Then
> would I have some ways to put some boot files back to the PDC and make it
> up
> again? If so, would you pls tell me the path of those files?
>

would it possible that only sth like ntldr is missing? but not the sam and
security hive?

btw, are the nt domain a/c all stored in the sam?

"Michael Giorgio - MS MVP" wrote:

> You by chance wouldn't have a recent ERD available? The ERD
> with a /s switch will copy the SAM and Security hives.
>
> If not and you can rebuild the array and get to the data, you can find
> the files in the %systemfolder%/system32/config folder.
> "lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:
> > thx for pointing out the mistake, i only had a look at the name of the
> > win2k
> > (which is named as "xxx_bdc") and then wrongly recognized it as a BDC.
> > Yes my PDC is built on a Compaq ML 370 server which had a raid vol. Then
> > would I have some ways to put some boot files back to the PDC and make it
> > up
> > again? If so, would you pls tell me the path of those files?
> >
>
>
>

Yes very possible. Looks like you'll have to try and repair the
corrupted file / files on the NT 4.0 PDC.

"lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:
> would it possible that only sth like ntldr is missing? but not the sam and
> security hive?
>
> btw, are the nt domain a/c all stored in the sam?

Make sure there isn't a floppy in the drive. As silly as this sounds, this
is the #1 reason I've seen for the NTLDR message on boot-up of an NT 4 box.

Ray

"lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FAEDAF15-050E-4BA4-B168-C486E88E90F8@microsoft.com...
> There is 1 PDC (running NT4 server) and
> 1 BDC (running Win2k) in my site,
> today the PDC failed to boot to windows
> (kernel files missing). Then i opened server
> manager on the win2k BDC and tried to promote
> it to a PDC, however i found that that option is
> disabled.
> How can i promote the win2k BDC to PDC?
> Or what could I do to recover the NT4 PDC?
>
> Thanks for your kind attentions

i also hope it to be that simple, however...
how can i restore only the boot files (e.g. ntloader, ...) but not the sam
and security hive? should there be sth like fixboot/fixmbr command to recover
them?

on the other hand, what would happen if I setup a new nt 4 PDC on another
machine and make an ERD from it, then recover the corrupted PDC using this
ERD?

Thanks

"Ray" wrote:

> Make sure there isn't a floppy in the drive. As silly as this sounds, this
> is the #1 reason I've seen for the NTLDR message on boot-up of an NT 4 box.
>
> Ray
>
> "lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:FAEDAF15-050E-4BA4-B168-C486E88E90F8@microsoft.com...
> > There is 1 PDC (running NT4 server) and
> > 1 BDC (running Win2k) in my site,
> > today the PDC failed to boot to windows
> > (kernel files missing). Then i opened server
> > manager on the win2k BDC and tried to promote
> > it to a PDC, however i found that that option is
> > disabled.
> > How can i promote the win2k BDC to PDC?
> > Or what could I do to recover the NT4 PDC?
> >
> > Thanks for your kind attentions
>
>
>

Nope, that won't do it. The problem with the computer is not the
SAM or Security hive. There are plenty of ways of recovering
the current machine. Have a look:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ntldr+error+boot

"lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:38F245C0-7280-4AF8-B72D-AE3E07BF7E1E@microsoft.com...
>i also hope it to be that simple, however...
> how can i restore only the boot files (e.g. ntloader, ...) but not the sam
> and security hive? should there be sth like fixboot/fixmbr command to
> recover
> them?
>
> on the other hand, what would happen if I setup a new nt 4 PDC on another
> machine and make an ERD from it, then recover the corrupted PDC using this
> ERD?
>
> Thanks
>
> "Ray" wrote:
>
>> Make sure there isn't a floppy in the drive. As silly as this sounds,
>> this
>> is the #1 reason I've seen for the NTLDR message on boot-up of an NT 4
>> box.
>>
>> Ray
>>
>> "lamlam" <lamlam@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:FAEDAF15-050E-4BA4-B168-C486E88E90F8@microsoft.com...
>> > There is 1 PDC (running NT4 server) and
>> > 1 BDC (running Win2k) in my site,
>> > today the PDC failed to boot to windows
>> > (kernel files missing). Then i opened server
>> > manager on the win2k BDC and tried to promote
>> > it to a PDC, however i found that that option is
>> > disabled.
>> > How can i promote the win2k BDC to PDC?
>> > Or what could I do to recover the NT4 PDC?
>> >
>> > Thanks for your kind attentions
>>
>>
>>

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/228734/EN-US/

"Michael Giorgio - MS MVP" <Michael.Giorgio@NoSpam.mayerson.com> wrote in
message news:O4uYsVn0GHA.3464@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Nope, that won't do it. The problem with the computer is not the
> SAM or Security hive. There are plenty of ways of recovering
> the current machine. Have a look:
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ntldr+error+boot
>