I am unable to promote my newly installed Windows Server 2012 machine to a domain controller. I have two existing domain controllers. The primary is at Windows Server 2003 level, and is running W2003Server, and the secondary is running Windows Server 2003 R2. (Update: Originally this question asked about the non-fatal warning message about a domain controller-could-not-be-located, which is normal when upgrading from Windows Server 2003, as it's impossible to create a Read-only domain controller when the active directory forest is at the 2003 functional level, so in my opinion that warning should be quashed. After continuing through several more similarly scary looking errors, I finally got to the real error which is an AdPrep
related error.)
On the new Win2012 server box, joining the domain as a server that is a member of the domain worked fine. But the AD DS Cfg Wiz freezes for about 100 seconds, it goes from page 1 of the wizard to page 2 (which shows site name combo box and two password entry edit boxes for DSRM password) then I get this error in Active Directory Domain Services Configuration wizard.
At first I thought this was the real error. But it's just a roadblock in my way that I continue past:
Domain Controller Options
A domain controller running Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2012 could not be located in this domain. To install a read-only domain controller, the domain must have a domain controller running Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2012.
[OK]
Next I get a few more similar "You can't check this checkbox so we've grayed it out for you" messages that you can continue past.
Next this one:
Error determining whether the target environment requires adprep: Validation error:
Validation error: Unable to check forest upgrade status for server
SERVERNAME.localdomain.local.
Exception: The specified server cannot perform the requested operation
Details:Test.VerifyForestUpgradeStatus.ADPrep.Win32Exception.-2147467259
[ OK ]
Has anyone gotten a Domain at 2003 level up to 2012?
Update Turns out I had no active schema master on the domain.
Update2 For make benefit of Future Users with this error, I've shown the screenshot with the errors I saw: