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How to let non-administrators view the Active Directory deleted objects container in Windows Server 2003 and in Windows 2000 Server

Article ID: 892806 - View products that this article applies to.

SUMMARY

When an Active Directory object is deleted, a small part of the object stays in the deleted objects container for a specified time. It stays there so that other domain controllers that are replicating changes will become aware of the deletion. By default, only the System account and members of the Administrators group can view the contents of this container. This article describes how to modify the permissions on the deleted objects container.

You may have to modify the permissions on the deleted objects container if the following conditions are true:

You have enterprise applications or services that bind to Active Directory with a non-System account or a non-Administrator account.
These enterprise applications or services poll for directory changes.

MORE INFORMATION

To modify the permissions on the deleted objects container so that non-administrators can view this container, use the DSACLS.exe program. The DSACLS.exe program is included with the Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) Administration Tools.

To obtain and install the ADAM Administration Tools, follow these steps:

Download the ADAM retail package. The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

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Download the ADAMretailX86.exe package now.
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9688F8B9-1034-4EF6-A3E5-2A2A57B5C8E4&displaylang=en)

For more information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
119591
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/119591/ )
How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services
Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

Note This version of the ADAM Administration Tools is an upgrade from the version in the Windows Server 2003 Support Tools. This version of the ADAM Administration Tools is supported by Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; and Microsoft Windows XP Professional.
To extract the contents of the file that you downloaded in step 1, double-click the file, and then specify a directory when you are prompted.
In the directory that you extracted the file to in step 2, double-click the Adamsetup.exe program to start the Active Directory Application Mode Setup Wizard, and then click Next.
Review and accept the license terms, and then click Next.
Select ADAM administration tools only, and then click Next.
Review your selections, and then click Next.
When Setup has concluded, click Finish.

After you have installed the ADAM Administration Tools, you can modify the permissions on the deleted objects container. To do this, follow these steps:

Log on with a user account that is a member of the Domain Admins group.
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to ADAM, and then click ADAM Tools Command Prompt.

At the command prompt, type a command that is similar to the following example:

dsacls "CN=Deleted Objects,DC=Contoso,DC=com" /takeownership

Notes

When you type this command, use the name of the deleted objects container for your domain.
Each domain in the forest will have its own deleted objects container.

Output that is similar to the following example should be displayed:

Owner: Contoso\Domain Admins
                  Group: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Access list:
{This object is protected from inheriting permissions from the parent}
Allow BUILTIN\Administrators      SPECIAL ACCESS
                                LIST CONTENTS
                                READ PROPERTY
Allow NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM   SPECIAL ACCESS
                                DELETE
                                READ PERMISSONS
                                WRITE PERMISSIONS
                                CHANGE OWNERSHIP
                                CREATE CHILD
                                DELETE CHILD
                                LIST CONTENTS
                                WRITE SELF
                                WRITE PROPERTY
                                READ PROPERTY
The command completed successfully

To grant a security principal permission to view the objects in the deleted objects container, type a command that is similar to the following example:

dsacls "CN=Deleted Objects,DC=Contoso,DC=com" /g CONTOSO\EricLang:LCRP

Output that is similar to the following example should be displayed:

Owner: CONTOSO\Domain Admins
Group: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM

Access list:
{This object is protected from inheriting permissions from the parent}
Allow BUILTIN\Administrators       SPECIAL ACCESS
                                 LIST CONTENTS
                                 READ PROPERTY
Allow NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM    SPECIAL ACCESS
                                 DELETE
                                 READ PERMISSONS
                                 WRITE PERMISSIONS
                                 CHANGE OWNERSHIP
                                 CREATE CHILD
                                 DELETE CHILD
                                 LIST CONTENTS
                                 WRITE SELF
                                 WRITE PROPERTY
                                 READ PROPERTY
Allow CONTOSO\EricLang           SPECIAL ACCESS
                                 LIST CONTENTS
                                 READ PROPERTY

The command completed successfully

In this example, the user "CONTOSO\EricLang" has been granted List Contents and Read Property permissions on the deleted objects container in the "CONTOSO" domain. These permissions let this user view the contents of the deleted objects container, but do not let this user make any changes to objects in the container. These permissions are equivalent to the default permissions that are granted to the Administrators group. By default, only the System account has permission to modify objects in the deleted objects container.