Unable to Promote Backup Domain Controller to Primary Domain Controller Event ID 5516 and 3096 (263636)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
This article was previously published under Q263636

SYMPTOMS

Your computer system's backup domain controller cannot be promoted to a primary domain controller through the server manager and the domain is unavailable to manage. Your computer system's event log contains the following error messages:
Event ID 3096 The Windows NT domain controller for this domain could not be located.
Event ID 5516 The computer or domain computername trusts domain domainname. This may be an indirect trust. However, computername and domainname have the same security identifier. NT should be reinstalled on domainname or computername.

CAUSE

A trust relationship is configured from the backup domain controller to the domain to which the backup domain controller is a member.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, you must delete the trust relationship between the backup domain controller and the domain by performing the following steps:
  1. Start User Manager for Domains.
  2. Click Policies, and then click Trust Relationships.
  3. Remove Trust Relationships for the domain.
  4. Start Server Manager.

    The domain should be available.
  5. Select the backup domain controller to be promoted.
  6. Click Computer, and then click Promote to Primary Domain Controller.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/6/2002
Keywords:kbenv kberrmsg kbprb KB263636
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.