Exchange Setup does not work because of Domain Name System settings on the domain controller

When you run Exchange Setup from a member server, you may receive the following error message at the Component Selection dialog box: If you use the Nltest.exe utility (included in the Microsoft Windows 2000 Resource Kit) with the nltest /dsgetsite option, the Nltest.exe utility generates the following output: This command-line utility attempts to resolve the Active Directory site name by using Domain Name System (DNS).

The Exchange server and the schema master must both be pointed to valid internal DNS servers.

To resolve this issue, make sure that the DNS settings on the schema master domain controller and the member server are pointed to valid internal DNS servers. If the schema master is the DNS server, make sure that the schema master uses its own Internet Protocol (IP) address and is the preferred DNS server.

To change the DNS settings:

1. Right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties in the shortcut menu to open the Network and Dial-up Connections dialog box.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties in the shortcut menu.
3. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
4. Change the preferred DNS server.

Nltest.exe is a powerful command-line utility that you can use to test trust relationships and the state of domain controller replication in a Microsoft Windows NT domain.

For additional information about the Nltest utility, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: