JSI Tip 4257. Dcpromo generates 'The system cannot find the file specified' or 'Access is denied'?

When you run Dcpromo, your receive one of the following:

Active Directory Installation Failed:The operation failed with the following error:The system cannot find the file specified. New Credentials.The operation failed with the following error: "Access is denied". These error messages can be caused by one or more of the following conditions: The absence of the default Ntds.dit file.Incorrect permission on the default Ntds.dit file.Incorrect permissions on an existing NTDS folder structure.

When you install a Windows 2000 server, regardless of the product or its role, a model Ntds.dit files is located at %SystemRoot%System32. When you promote a server, the actual Ntds.dit file is created at %SystemRoot%Ntds.

If you received the The system cannot find the file specified message, the %SystemRoot%System32Ntds.dit (default) file is missing. The simplest fix is to expand Ntds.di_ from any server CD.

NOTE: Check the %SystemFolder%DebugDcpromo.log to see if this was the problem.

If you receive the Access is denied error, verify that the following permissions are set:

System32Ntds.dit BUILTINUsers:             Read [RX]BUILTINPower Users:       Read [RX]BUILTINAdministrators:    Full Control [ALL]NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM:       Full Control [ALL]Everyone:                  Read [RX] %SystemRoot%NtdsBUILTINUsers:             Special Access [RX]BUILTINPower Users:       Special Access [RWXD]BUILTINAdministrators:    Special Access [A]NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM:       Special Access [A]CREATOR OWNER:   %SystemRoot%NtdsDrop  (only if Drop exists)BUILTINUsers:             Special Access [RX]BUILTINPower Users:       Special Access [RWXD]BUILTINAdministrators:    Special Access [A]NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM:       Special Access [A]CREATOR OWNER:             Special Access [A]

NOTE: Check the %SystemFolder%DebugDcpromo.log to see if this was the problem.

NOTE: After successful promotion, the following permissions should exist:

%SystemRoot%NtdsNT AUTHORITYSYSTEM:       Special Access [A]BUILTINAdministrators:    Special Access [A]%SystemRoot%NtdsDropNT AUTHORITYSYSTEM:       Special Access [A]BUILTINAdministrators:    Special Access [A]