NT 4 Server

[nathangoldhill]

Does anybody know how I can find out if a server has been installed as a standalone server?

Also is it true that a Standalone server cannot be promoted to being a PDC.

If my machine is a Standalone Server is their anyway I can change it to becomming a BDC without re-installing it?

[unix fan]

Use the command:

net accounts

The computer role will show:

Workstation: NT Workstation
Server: Standalone NT Server
Primary: PDC
Backup: BDC

The official Microsoft answer is that you have to reinstall. However, there is third-party tool UPromote (http://www.algintech.com/UTools/UPromote.asp) but costs $100. No idea if it works.

[mfutty]

The answer to whether the machine is a member server, PDC, or BDC can be found two ways -

Method 1 - Look at the server within Server Manager. It will tell you what role it is playing.

Method 2 - Look at the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Security\Policy\PolSrvRo
If it is a PDC, the first hexadecimal octet
will be "03"; if it is a BDC, the first hexadecimal octet will be "02", and otherwise it is a member server. (you will probably have to change permissions on the security hive to access and view the key, which I would not suggest doing unless you are very familiar with regedit and remember to set the permissions back)

To answer your second question, there is no way to "promote" a member server to a domain controller in NT. A new installation will be required.


------------------
BREAKFAST.SYS halted... Cereal port not responding

[nathangoldhill]

It just says server, not whether it is a standalone server or not. Any other ideas?

[nathangoldhill]

In server manager it just says that it is a Windows NT 4.0 Sever!

[unix fan]

If net accounts shows "Server" = Standalone Server. WinInfo will also check the registry...
http://www.windows2000faq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=14964