How can I create a new domain under Windows Server 2003?

John Savill

May 13, 2003

3 Min Read
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A. Windows 2003 includes a new wizard for installing and configuring DNS, which means you no longer have to perform these tasks before adding a new domain. If you have a new server and you want to create a new domain, perform the following steps:

  1. Start the DCPROMO wizard--go to Start, Run, then type

    DCPROMO
  2. At the introduction screen, click Next.

  3. When you see the warning that Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 SP3 and earlier versions won't be able to log on to Windows 2003 domain controllers (DCs), click Next.

  4. When the wizard asks you whether this domain is a new domain or an additional DC for an existing domain, select "Domain controller for a new domain," then click Next.
    Click here to view image

  5. Select the appropriate forest option (i.e., domain in a new forest, a child domain of an existing domain tree, a new domain tree in an existing forest), then click Next. (If you select anything other than "Domain in a new forest," the wizard will prompt you to enter the name of the parent/forest domain and an account for the forest.)

  6. If the wizard determines that DNS isn't correctly configured, it will ask you to either configure the DNS client or let the DCPROMO process install and configure DNS. Select "No, just install and configure DNS on this computer," then click Next.

  7. Enter the DNS name for the new domain (e.g., savilltech.com), then click Next.
    Click here to view the figure

  8. When the wizard asks you to supply a NetBIOS name for backward compatibility with older clients and servers, accept the default (typically the left half of the DNS domain name) or provide another NetBIOS name, then click Next.

  9. After the wizard displays the locations for the database and log files (by default, these components are located in the %systemroot%NTDS folder), click Next.

  10. After the wizard displays the location of the System Volume (SYSVOL) folder (by default, this folder is located under %systemroot%), click Next.

  11. When the wizard asks you to establish permissions for the new domain, you have two options: "Permissions compatible with pre-Windows 2000 server operating systems" or "Permissions compatible only with Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 operating systems." Select the appropriate permissions for your domain, then click Next.
    Click here to view image

  12. When the wizard asks you to enter a Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Password, type the password in both locations as requested, then click Next. Make sure you remember this password--Windows 2003 requires that you provide this credential if you encounter a problem and need to restore Active Directory (AD) or the system state.

  13. When the wizard presents a summary of the options you've selected, ensure that everything is as it should be, then click Next.

  14. The DCPROMO process will begin. (If you asked the wizard to install DNS, the system might prompt you for the Windows 2003 installation media.) When the process completes, the system will display a confirmation dialog box. Click Finish, then restart the machine for the changes to take effect.

This procedure should give you a good grounding for any DCPROMO action you might need to perform.

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