Running dcpromo to demote and re-promote Windows Small Business Server Products

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Updated: January 12, 2010

Applies To: Windows SBS 2003, Windows SBS 2008

Symptom

Using the dcpromo command to demote, and then re-promote either Windows Small Business Server 2003 or Windows SBS 2008 is not supported.

Cause

Windows Small Business Server 2003 or Windows SBS 2008 has to be the primary domain controller in a domain where the Windows SBS product is integrated with Exchange, SharePoint, and IIS is installed on the same server along with Active Directory. Using dcpromo to demote a Windows SBS product, used in the above scenario, will break the integration of the various installed applications on Windows SBS. There using dcpromo to demote and then re-promote the same Windows SBS product is not supported.

Workaround

The following workarounds are available.

  1. If dcpromo has been used to demote a Windows SBS the only supported means to promote it back as a domain controller is to rebuild the server, or restore the system to a state prior to demotion.

  2. If you have an additional domain controller in the domain, and you’d like to join a Windows Small Business Server 2003 server to an existing Active Directory domain, see How to install Small Business Server 2003 in an existing Active Directory domain in the Microsoft Support center (https://support.microsoft.com/?id=884453).

  3. If you have an additional domain controller that’s running Windows Small Business Server 2003 in the domain, and you’d like to join a Windows SBS 2008 server to an existing Active Directory domain, see Migrate to Windows Small Business Server 2008 from Windows Small Business Server 2003 in the Microsoft TechNet (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc546034(WS.10).aspx).