Configure Windows Server 2003 as a domain controller

July 21st, 2008 by Aseem | File in: How-To

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post on how to setup Active Directory in Windows Server 2003 using the cdpromo command ( check the link below). in this post I’ll write on how to configure Windows server 2003 as a domain controller using the Configure Your Server Wizard.

Windows 2003 Active Directory Setup:dcpromo

When you installed Windows Server 2003 Manage Your Server window is displayed every time you start-up the system, unless you have checked “don’t display this page at logon” option.

If you don’t get this window at start-up, go to Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools, Manage Your Server, once you get to the window above click on Add or remove a role, the Configure Your Server Wizard will come up. click Next to run the Preliminary steps. hopefully your server is good to go.

On the next screen, you will get presented with a list of roles that you can setup on the server, select Domain Controller ( Active Directory)

Click Next. On the next screen, you are presented with the Summery of Selections. Clicking next on this window will run the Active Directory Installation Wizard:

Click on Next. The Welcome to the Active Directory Installation Wizard window will come up:

Click Next. The Operating System Compatibility window will show up:

If you don’t have operating systems older than windows 2000 on your network, you can safely click next on this window, otherwise make a pause and think if its worth upgrading older operating systems on your network to a windows server 2003 compatible domain controller.

On the next screen, you need to choose your Domain Controller type:

Select Domain controller for a new domain, and click next. On the next screen, you will need to select the type of domain to create:

Select the first option “Domain in a new forest” then click next. Next, you will need to specify the domain name:

Type your domain name, preferably with the local prefix at the end, that is just to differentiate between your domain name and your Internet domain.

Click next. Next, you will need to specify the NetBIOs name. This NetBIOS name wil help old computers using old windows operating systems to find the domain on the network:

Accept the default name, click next. Next, you will need to specify the location of the database and log folders:

Choose the location, otherwise accept the defaults and click next. Next, you need to choose the Shared System Volume:

Choose your location, otherwise click next.Next, you will need to configure DNS, remember DNS is required for Active Directory to run:

You most likely will get the warning “Diagnostic failed” on this window, don’t worry is normal. This happened because DNS is not configured on this computer. Choose the second option “Install and configure the DNS server on this computer, and set this computer to use this DNS server as its preferred DNS server, and click Next.

On the next window you will need to choose the default permissions for user and group objects:

Select the second option. You want only authenticated users to read information on your domain. Click next.

Next, you will need to type the directory Services Restore mode Administrator password. Remember this password is different from the built-in administrator domain account:

Type the password and click Next. Lastly, you will get the summary window:

Click Next. The installation on Active Directory should start. After a few minutes, you will get the Finish window. Click on Finish and restart the computer:

After the computer restarts, active directory should be setup on the server. remember that your domain administrator account password, should be the same as the local administrator password you had before installing active directory.