Demotion of last domain controller causes loss of domain accounts and Exchange Server does not start (260698)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0
  • Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5
This article was previously published under Q260698
Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

If you run the Dcpromo utility to demote the final domain controller in a domain to a member server, all of the domain accounts are lost. This includes the accounts that are used for the Exchange Server services. After you restart after the demotion, the following error message is displayed:
At least one service or driver failed during system startup. Use Event Viewer to examine the event log for details.
The following error messages are logged in the system log: Event ID: 7001
Source: Service Control Manager
Type: Error
Description:
The Microsoft Exchange Event Service service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service which failed to start because of the following error:

The dependency service or group failed to start.Event ID: 7001
Source: Service Control Manager
Type:Error
Description:
The Microsoft Exchange Message Transfer Agent service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Directory service which failed to start because of the following error:

The dependency service or group failed to start.Event ID: 7001
Source: Service Control Manager
Type: Error
Description:
The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Directory service which failed to start because of the following error:

The dependency service or group failed to start.Event ID: 7001
Source: Service Control Manager
Type:Error
Description:
The Microsoft Directory service depends on the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service which failed to start because of the following error:

The dependency service or group failed to start.Event ID: 7000
Source: Service Control Manager
Type:Error
Description:
The Microsoft Exchange Message Transfer Agent service depends on the Microsoft Exchange Directory service which failed to start because of the following error:

The service did not start due to a logon failure.

CAUSE

This issue can occur because when you demote the last domain controller in a Windows 2000 domain, you remove all of the user accounts from that domain, including the account that is used as the Exchange Server service account. When Exchange Server is initially installed, permissions are given to the service account by means of the Windows NT Security Identifier (SID) of the account.

Because of this, even if you run the dcpromo command again, recreate the domain controller with the same domain name, and create an account that is identical to the original service account (with the same user name and password), the system attendant and directory service may start, but no account will have Service Account Administrator permissions in Exchange Server.

Because no account can start the Exchange Server Administrator program to assign permissions, the only option available is to remove Exchange Server and reinstall it by using a new service account. You can successfully import the databases that were previously used, Priv.edb and Pub.edb, to the new installation of Exchange Server to minimize data loss.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, restore the existing databases (Priv.edb and Pub.edb) to a new installation of Exchange Server on the computer running Windows 2000 Server:
  1. If you have not already done so, run the dcpromo command to create a new Windows 2000 domain.
  2. Copy the Priv.edb and Pub.edb files from the Exchsrvr\Mdbdata folder to a temporary folder.
  3. Manually remove the existing Exchange Server installation:
    1. Stop all of the Exchange Server services by using the Services Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in.
    2. Delete all of the Exchsrvr folders on all of the drives.
    3. Delete the Exchange Server information from the registry. Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
      1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
      2. Locate the following key in the registry:

        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services

      3. Delete all of the installed Exchange Server services. These services include the following:
        • MSExchangeDS
        • MSExchangeDX
        • MSExchangeFB
        • MSExchangeIMC
        • MSExchangeIS
        • MSExchangeKMS
        • MSExchangeMSMI
        • MSExchangeMTA
        • MSExchangePCMTA
        • MSExchangeSA
      4. Locate the following key in the registry:

        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Exchange

      5. Delete Exchange. When the following message is displayed

        Registry Editor will delete the currently selected key and all its subkeys.

        Click Yes.
      6. Locate the following key in the registry:

        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/EDB

      7. Delete EDB. When the following message is displayed

        Registry Editor will delete the currently selected key and all its subkeys.

        Click Yes.
    4. Restart the server.
  4. Reinstall Exchange Server by using a newly created service account. Be sure to install Exchange Server by using the exact same organization and site name that you used in the previous installation (if the organization and site names are not exactly the same, you cannot use the Priv.edb and Pub.edb databases from the previous installation).
  5. If you were previously running Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3, when the installation is finished apply Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3.
  6. Delete all of the items (.edb files and all .log and .chk files) in the Exchsrvr\Mdbdata folder, and copy the original Priv.edb and Pub.edb databases (from previous installation) to the Mdbdata folder.
  7. Start the Exchange Server Information Store service.

    Note If the following error message is displayed
    Windows could not start the Microsoft Exchange Information Store on Local Computer. For more information, review the System Event log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor, and refer to service-specific error code 1011.
    run the isinteg -patch command at a command prompt in the Exchsrvr\Bin folder, and then restart the Exchange Server Information Store service.
  8. Start the Exchange Server Administrator program and in the left pane, locate the server name of the server on which you are installing Exchange Server.
  9. Click the server name, and click Properties on the File menu.
  10. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Consistency Adjuster.

    Note This creates entries in the Exchange Server directory for each mailbox in the Priv.edb database.
  11. In the DS/IS Consistency Adjuster dialog box, under Private Information Store, click to select the first two check boxes.

    Note For additional information about the DS/IS consistency adjuster, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    182979 Function and effects of running the DS/IS consistency adjuster

  12. Under Filter, click to select the All inconsistencies check box, and then click OK.
  13. When the following message is displayed, click OK:

    The DS/IS consistency adjuster will take ownership and change permissions on all public folders from unknown sites; the implications should be fully understood before continuing this operation. Choose Help for a more detailed explanation.



    Note The DS/IS consistency adjuster re-creates all recipients in the directory, but you must re-create any customer recipients (contacts) and distribution lists.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/21/2005
Keywords:kbprb KB260698 kbAudITPRO
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.