Copying Active Directory

Hi Gals/Guys

Yet again i seek your help.....

I have to re-install Windows 2003 on a server and i was looking for a way to save current users and setting of my Active Directory, cause otherwise its very time consuming and annoying to re-join users on domain.

I have tried NTbackup thing but failed to do it, so is there a tool or method which can help in this situation....... What if i make a ghost of the current installation and just run it on the other machine will that make it possible that all the settings will remain same on the other machine (specially domain and AD thing)

If you have multiple DC's you could just install a new machine and let replication take care of the users and AD bits. System state will backup all the AD information as well. The only thing you need be careful about is how you go about restoring your AD - Nonauthoritative restore allows the restored domain controller to be brought fully up to date. Authoritative restore forces the data items on the restored domain controller to take precedence and be pushed out to all other domain controllers.

Take a look at this as well http://searchwinit.techtarget.com/ti...070680,00.html

There is only one Domain Controller, the problem is i am shifting the server onto a new machine, so i wanted somehow to get the old system AD users and there settings (policies) onto this new one......

I have been told to use the backup tool of windows 2003 and i did it to take the backup of system but i tried twice to restore from that backup utility and failed, rather the new windows got corrupted.

In the past I've done the same thing - moving a DC from one machine to another. I also had 2000 on the old one and was going to use 2003 on the new one.

I installed the new machine in the existing domain, promoted it to DC and demoted the old machine. AD copied itself to the new DC without any problems.

I've used the following as kind of a guide:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884453/en-us

Even though I wasn't using an SBS server, all but the exchange part in the end is the same :)

GL.

Morvai.

The asnswers you have been given are the correct course of action. Since the whole point of AD is to replicate itself exactly across all DC's why don't you just let it do it's job?... It's really rather good at it. Install the new machine, loin it to the domain, dcpromo it and voila... Your new DC is intact and error free...

I will certainly try this and will shortly be back with you if encounter any issue.