How To Recover a Deleted Domain Controller Computer Account in Windows 2000

This article describes how to recover a domain controller computer account that has been inadvertently deleted.

Because the Active Directory Installation Wizard requires a working connection to another domain controller in the domain, you cannot use the Active Directory Installation Wizard to demote and then promote the orphaned domain controller.

To recover an orphaned domain controller computer account, use the appropriate method:

Method 1

1. Run Windows 2000 Setup on the orphaned domain controller to re-install the operating system.
2. Configure the computer as a domain controller.

Method 2

NOTE: The following steps must be performed on the orphaned domain controller and any other domain controllers in the domain.

1. Restart the domain controller.
2. When the Windows 2000 Startup menu is displayed, select Directory Services Restore Mode, and then press ENTER.
3. Restore the System State from a backup set that was created prior to the computer account deletion.
4. At a command prompt, type ntdsutil, and then press ENTER.
5. Type authoritative restore, and then press ENTER.
6. Type restore subtree "cn=domain controller,ou=Domain Controllers,dc=domain name,dc=xxx", and then press ENTER, where domain controller is the computer name of the domain controller, domain name is the domain name the domain controller resides in, and xxx is the top level domain name of the domain controller, such as com, org, or net.
7. Type quit, press ENTER, type quit, and then press ENTER.
8. Type exit, and then press ENTER.
9. Restart the domain controller.

For additional information about orphaned domain controllers, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about demoting and promoting domain controllers, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about performing an authoritative restore, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: