Cannot Start Active Directory Snap-ins; Error Message States That No Authority Could Be Contacted for Authentication

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This article was previously published under Q284929

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SYMPTOMS

After you install Active Directory, you may be unable to start the Active Directory snap-ins on the domain controller. When you try to start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, the following error message may appear:

Naming information cannot be located because: no authority could be contacted for authentication. Contact your system administrator.

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CAUSE

This behavior can occur when Domain Name Service (DNS) is not correctly configured.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, make sure that the zones on your DNS server are configured correctly and that your DNS server is authoritative for the zone that contains the Active Directory domain name.

Try again to start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. If you receive the same error message, use the DCPROMO utility to remove Active Directory, restart your computer, and then use DCPROMO to reinstall Active Directory. Verify that Active Directory has been installed successfully.

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MORE INFORMATION

Before you install Active Directory, you must install and configure a DNS server that is authoritative for your Active Directory domain name. Active Directory depends on DNS to function correctly and requires the creation of the SYSVOL share.

NOTE: The SYSVOL share must be installed on an NTFS partition. At least one NTFS partition must be present on your domain controller in order to install Active Directory.

To verify that Active Directory has been installed successfully:

Start DNS Manager, and then verify that the correct DNS entries have been created, by comparing the entries in DNS Manager with the entries in the Netlogon.dns file, which is located in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory.
Verify that the SYSVOL share has been created, and that it contains the NETLOGON share and the Policy and Script folders.
Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, and make sure that your domain controller appears in the Domain Controllers container for the domain you specified.
Open Event Viewer, and then review the entries in the File Replication Service Log, the DNS Server Log, and the System Log to make sure that Active Directory has been successfully installed.

For more information, refer to the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

237675 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/237675/EN-US/ ) Setting Up the Domain Name System for Active Directory

241515 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241515/EN-US/ ) How to Verify the Creation of SRV Records for a Domain Controller

239897 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239897/EN-US/ ) SRV Resource Records May Not Be Created on Domain Controller

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