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I built a Windows Server 2012 R2 PDC for a new domain. It's still in its infancy with only one DC and one member computer. Now I need to remove all traces of that domain and start fresh because:

  1. It needs to be renamed
  2. We're having trouble with an interforest AD migration (SID history won't migrate) and the AD admin at the source domain, who's been at this job a lot longer than me, says all he can think of is to start over with the new domain.

How far do I need to go with the existing DC? Can I just use Server Manager to remove the AD Directory Services and DNS roles, then rebuild them, or do I need to wipe and rebuild the server? I'm afraid of Windows hiding settings in the registry and not getting rid of them, like it does all the time elsewhere.

2 Answers 2

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The easiest, cleanest thing to do would be to wipe the server and start from scratch.

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You can demote your DC and run sysprep with generalize option. "C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\sysprep.exe". Demoting will reset Windows security database, sysprepping will regenerate all SIDs. Time needed for this will be approximatelly the same as rebuilding it from scratch.

Somehow it doesn't look like the migration problem is with your new domain if it's just a fresh DC.

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  • Thanks. It's all those Windows updates and reboots that give me a headache thinking about rebuilding it. Are you factoring that into your time estimate? The domain was renamed shortly after it was built - the other admin thinks that may be the cause of the problem. I don't know if he's right, but he has done many of these migrations and this is my first, so if I want his cooperation I think I should do as he suggests.
    – Zac
    Jul 12, 2016 at 15:03
  • It's hard to estimate the time needed for all updates to apply, but sysprep will preserve them. In terms of domain rename - as soon as you wipe DNS and demote the server, there will be no trace of your previous domains. Jul 12, 2016 at 15:15
  • I did end up wiping and rebuilding the server, mostly just so I could get started doing something and so I could tell the other admin that I did what he asked. But I will definitely be using sysprep next time something like this comes up.
    – Zac
    Jul 12, 2016 at 16:18

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