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"No logon servers are available" error after cloning domain controller

Article ID: 2742908 - View products that this article applies to.

Symptoms

You use the Virtualized Domain Controller (VDC) cloning feature that Windows Server 2012 introduced. After you clone a new VDC, you try to log on interactively. However, you receive the following error:

There are currently no logon servers are available to service the logon request

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Cause

The cloning process failed, and the server has started in Directory Services Repair Mode (DSRM). There is no visual indication that the domain controller has started in DSRM on the Ctrl+Alt+Delete sign-in page of Windows Server 2012.

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Resolution

Click the Left Arrow key, or press the Esc key.
Click Other User.
Type the user name as follows:
.\administrator
Provide the DSRM user password that is currently set on the source domain controller and that was used to clone this computer. This password was specified during the original promotion. Notice that this password might have been changed later by using NTDSUTIL.EXE.
When you log on, the server will display SAFE MODE in all four corners of the screen. Resolve the issues that prevented cloning, remove the DSRM boot flag, and then try to clone the domain controller again

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More information

This visual behavior and the error are not specific to cloning. This behavior and error are specific only to DSRM. DSRM is intentionally invoked as part of the cloning process to safeguard the network and domain from duplicated domain controllers.

Directory Services Repair Mode was called Directory Services Restore Mode in previous Windows operating systems.

For more information about how to configure and troubleshoot VDC together with details and step-by-step guidance, go to the following Microsoft websites:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831734.aspx

(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831734.aspx)

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=236370

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=236370)

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