Can't promote WS2016 Core to additional DC - The folder C:\Windows\NTDS is not valid

Question

I have a Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Core and I'm trying to promote it to an additional Domain Controller. I use this command:

 Install-ADDSDomainController -CreateDnsDelegation:$false -DatabasePath 'C:\Windows\NTDS' -DomainName 'testdomain.net' -InstallDNS:$false -LogPath 'C:\Windows\NTDS\' -NoGlobalCatalog:$true -SysVolPath 'C:\Windows\SYSVOL' -NoRebootOnCompletion:$false -Force:$true -Credential (Get-Credential TESTDOMAIN\Administrator)

When I run it, I get this error:

Install-ADDSDomainController : Verification of prerequisites
for Domain Controller promotion failed. The folder C:\Windows\NTDS\ is
not valid. Specify a valid path, including drive letter. For
example: C:\NTDS.
At line:1 char:1
+ Install-ADDSDomainController -CreateDnsDelegation:$false
-DatabasePat ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Install-ADDSD
   omainController], TestFailedException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Test.VerifyDcPromoCore.DCPromo.G
   eneral.37,Microsoft.DirectoryServices.Deployment.PowerShel
   l.Commands.InstallADDSDomainControllerCommand

I also tried creating the folder but I still get that error. I even used C:\NTDS (As the error suggested for me to do) but I get the same error.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

I just had this issue. It's the trailing backslash after the -LogPath 'C:\Windows\NTDS\'. You just want -LogPath 'C:\Windows\NTDS'.