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I'm seeing this error in my event log on my (only) domain controller:

The DFS Replication service stopped replication on the folder with the following local path: C:\Windows\SYSVOL\domain. This server has been disconnected from other partners for 295 days, which is longer than the time allowed by the MaxOfflineTimeInDays parameter (60). DFS Replication considers the data in this folder to be stale, and this server will not replicate the folder until this error is corrected.

To resume replication of this folder, use the DFS Management snap-in to remove this server from the replication group, and then add it back to the group. This causes the server to perform an initial synchronization task, which replaces the stale data with fresh data from other members of the replication group.

In the past (maybe 295 days ago?) there was two domain controllers for a few minutes, while I renamed the domain. This seemed to me the easiest way to accomplish that complex and evidently error-prone task. Now, and for a long time, there has been only one DC in the domain, and that is all there should ever be.

I haven't been able to see how to use the snap-in to remove the server from the replication group, and honestly, I'm not sure I really want to do that, as there is only one server.

What can I do to eliminate this DFSR error?

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  • why would you only want one domain controller? And how did you remove the 2nd domain controller when you removed it? Did you run dcpromo to properly demote the other domain controller? Otherwise, you will have issues (like you are having now). Finally - what is the domain functional level (2003/2008/2008R2)?
    – Rex
    Oct 23, 2013 at 4:44
  • I would only want one, because I only have one machine to act as a DC. I imagine I ran dcpromo, but let's assume I didn't, if that helps. The functional level is currently 2008, but I'm willing and able to raise it if that would help...
    – Mark
    Oct 23, 2013 at 4:52
  • The DC is running Server 2012, if that's relevant.
    – Mark
    Oct 23, 2013 at 4:56
  • Could you tell us how you removed the temp DC from your domain? I'm suspecting this wasn't done properly.
    – Trondh
    Oct 23, 2013 at 9:12

1 Answer 1

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As part of the process of promoting a member server to Domain Controller, that new DC is also included on the DFS replication group in charge of replicate SYSVOL. As your DCs are Windows Server 2012 (I asume both of them have the same versión) this is the standard mechanism for replicating DFS. In Windows Server 2008 the default way to replicate SYSVOL changed from FRS to DFS.

So, I would recomend you in order to solve the problem, go to DFS Management Console, Edit SYSVOL replication group and Delete the old DC that you promoted and is no longer in use.

By the way, if you have this issue with the DFS it's highly probable that you may perform some aditional cleaning tasks if you didn't demote the DC using DCPromo.

Hope this helps!!

Regards

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  • Do you have a bit more detail on how to do that (DFS Management Console)? From a machine other than the DC, preferably, since only the server core is installed on the DC?
    – Mark
    Oct 23, 2013 at 13:16
  • Sure @Mark, in order to perform such management task you should have installed RSAT for Windows 7/8 on your management Workstation: Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP1). Then you can follow the procedure showed on TechNet on this article Managing DFS Replication Oct 23, 2013 at 14:49
  • Under DFS Management -> Replication -> Domain System Volume there is only one server listed, and it's the currently existing server. There is no "Connections" tab, just the "Memberships" tab.
    – Mark
    Oct 24, 2013 at 3:40
  • Should there even be a DFS group, when there's only one server? Maybe that's the problem?
    – Mark
    Oct 24, 2013 at 3:49

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