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Include application directory partitions in an Active Directory installation from backup media

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

You can use this procedure to install Active Directory from restored backup media that includes application directory partitions to create an additional domain controller in an existing domain. In this procedure, you edit a domain controller installation answer file to provide instructions for including application directory partitions in the installation. You must have already created the answer file according to the directions in Create an answer file for domain controller installation.

Administrative credentials

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group in the domain into which you are installing the additional domain controller.

To include application directory partitions in an Active Directory installation from backup media

  1. Open the answer file that you created to install the domain controller.

  2. To include application directory partitions that are contained in the system state backup, add the following entry to the end of the answer file:

    ApplicationPartitionsToReplicate=

  3. Provide a value for ApplicationPartitionsToReplicate as follows:

    • If you want to include all application directory partitions, use the value *.

    • If you want to include specific application directory partitions, type the distinguished name of each directory partition. Separate each distinguished name with a space, and enclose the entire list in quotation marks, as shown in the following example:

      ApplicationPartitionsToReplicate="dc=app1,dc=contoso,dc=com dc=app2,dc=contoso,dc=com"

  4. In the entry ReplicationSourcePath=, type the path to the folder that contains the restored system state backup files on the installation computer.

  5. If you do not want Dcpromo to prompt the user for passwords, type the password in the Password= entry for the account that you will use to install the domain controller, type the password in the SafeModeAdminPassword= entry that you will use to provide access to Directory Services Restore Mode, and then save the answer file.

    Note

    Passwords are automatically deleted from the answer file when Dcpromo runs.

  6. Open a command prompt, and then change directories to the location of the answer file.

  7. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

    dcpromo /adv /answer:"Drive:\PathToAnswerFile\AnswerFileName"

    Active Directory installation occurs automatically. If you left passwords blank in the answer file, Dcpromo prompts you for your administrative password and for the Directory Services Restore Mode password. If you specified "no" for the RebootOnSuccess= entry in the answer file, Dcpromo prompts you to restart the server after installation.