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Article ID: 822704 - Last Review: October 30, 2006 - Revision: 4.1

Cannot use the DCPromo.exe tool to promote Windows 2000 member servers after you upgrade the domain from Windows NT 4.0

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Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986/ ) Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
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SYMPTOMS

When you use the DCPromo.exe tool to promote the Microsoft Windows 2000 member servers to a domain controller that you upgraded from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, you may receive the following error messages:
The domain Domain cannot be contacted. Ensure that the DNS domain name is typed correctly. This condition may be caused by a DNS lookup problem. If this domain was recently created, its name may not yet be registered with the Domain Naming Service. For information about troubleshooting common DNS lookup problems, please see the following Microsoft Web Site: http://go.microsoft/fwlink/?LinkId=5171
The domain Domain is not an Active Directory domain, or an Active Directory domain controller for the domain could not be contacted.
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CAUSE

This issue may occur if the existing Windows 2000 domain controller or domain controllers have the NT4Emulator registry value set to 0x00000001 (1) in the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Netlogon/Parameters
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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, follow these steps.

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
  1. Back up the following registry subkey:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Netlogon/Parameters
    To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, and then click Run.
    2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
    3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Netlogon/Parameters
    4. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File.
    5. In the File name box, type a name for the .reg file, enter the location where you want to save the file (for example, the My Documents folder) in the Save in box, and then click Save.
  2. Remove the NT4Emulator value on the Windows 2000 domain controller or domain controllers. To do this, click to select the NT4Emulator value in the right pane, press the DELETE key, and then click OK.

    For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    298713  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298713/ ) How to prevent overloading on the first domain controller during domain upgrade
  3. Restart the Windows 2000 domain controller or domain controllers.
  4. Rejoin all Windows 2000-based or Windows XP-based clients and member servers to the domain.
  5. Continue with DCPromo.exe.
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
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Keywords: 
kbprb KB822704
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