Error Message: The Specified Domain Either Does Not Exist or Could Not Be Contacted

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This article was previously published under Q283133

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SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to run the Active Directory Installation wizard (Dcpromo.exe) for a new domain controller or you attempt to join a computer that is running Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Professional to a domain, you may receive the following error message:

The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted

The system log may report the following information:

Event 7013 - Logon attempt with current password failed with the following error:
Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.

If you run the Dcdiag tool on the domain controller, you may also receive Sysvol errors, and you may not be able to resolve any operation manager roles. When you attempt to resolve these roles, you receive an "error 1355" message.

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CAUSE

This issue can occur because the Sysvol directory is not shared out on the domain controller.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, share out the Sysvol directory. However, it is recommended that you enable the system to share this directory. It is not recommended that you share out this directory by using Windows Explorer.

For additional information about enabling the system to share this directory out on its own, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

257338 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/257338/EN-US/ ) Troubleshooting Missing Sysvol and Netlogon Shares

To verify that the Sysvol directory is shared out, you can either open Windows Explorer, or type net share at a command prompt to see if the Sysvol share is showing. By default, the Sysvol share is located in the following folder: %SystemRoot%\Sysvol\Sysvol.

It is also recommended that you check the File Replication Service log. When replication has completed (with a domain with just one domain controller) the File Replication Service log reports the following event:

Event 13516: The File Replication Service has stopped preventing the computer from becoming a domain controller.

The system volume can take some time to initialize depending on the network.

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MORE INFORMATION

This issue may still occur even though the following tests are successful:

When you check the DNS feature, you find that DNS is configured properly, and all of the SRV records are listed in the four folders in the Forward Lookup zone for this domain.
You are able to use a ping command to search for the domain controller by both name and IP address.
You are able to use a ping command to search for the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of this domain.
When you run the nslookup command, the domain LDAP records are resolved. To run the nslookup command, follow these steps:
1. At a command prompt, type nslookup, and then press ENTER.
2. Type set q=srv and press ENTER.
3. Type _ldap._tcp.FQDN where FQDN represents the domain controller's FQDN.
When you follow this procedure, you are able to resolve the weight and priority parameters and the domain controller's name.