How do I automatically upgrade a server to a domain controller during installation?

A. You can automatically run DCPROMO during an unattended installation. Enter the command

dcpromo /answer:%path_to_answer_file%

In my example, the DCInstall section and parameters are added directly to the unattended answer file. The Microsoft Windows 2000 Resource Kit details the DCInstall section’s parameters in the file Unattend.doc. I’ve listed the main entries in the following table.

Because the DCPROMO process occurs after setup, the created answer file is called $winnt$.inf and copies to the system32 folder. The parameters are in this file, so you need to add the following text to the GUIRunOnce section of the unattended Setup answer file.

[GUIRunOnce] "DCpromo /answer:%systemroot%system32$winnt$.inf"

After the DCPROMO process completes, DCPROMO removes password information from the $winnt$.inf file. To make this process easier because the RunOnce command doesn’t executeuntil someone logs on to the computer, you can add the following text to the unattended answer file.

[GUIUnattended]
Autologon = yes ; automatically logs on the administrator account
AutoLogoncount = n ; number of times to perform auto-admin logon

Don't use items such as %systemroot% or %windir%, because the unattended installation process doesn’t understand them.

You can just create a DCInstall section directly in your unattend.txt file to avoid having multiple unattended setup files. Enter text such as the following.

[DCInstall]
AdministratorPassword = cartman
CreateOrJoin = Create
DomainNetBiosName = savtech
NewDomainDNSName = savtech.com
RebootOnSuccess = Yes
ReplicaOrNewDomain = Domain
SiteName = "London"
TreeOrChild = Tree

My example script would create a new forest with the domain savtech.com at the top and the new domain controller in the site London. The SYSVOL, logs, and Active Directory (AD) files would be in the default locations. The new domain Administrator account password would be cartman.

If you want to use DCPROMO outside an unattended installation, enter

dcpromo /answer:

You’ll see a dialog box that says DCPROMO is running in unattended mode. Then, the machine will reboot.