I have ONE (sorry) WIndows 2003 ADC controller. What is the easiest way to move this to a new machine / hardware. The current server is 5 years old, drives reaching their life expentancy etc. I have new hardware, but I have read that using something like Ghost may not work on a PDC. Can I stand up another machine, join the domain, make it a (BDC basically), and then down the old PDC and somehow tell the new one that it's now the master. Any suggestions and especially step by steps are most sincerely appreciated.... Randy

1. install new server with OS 2. run DCPROMO to to promote it to a domain controller 3. Make it a global catalog http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313994 4. DCPROMO the old server to remove AD(this will move the FSMO roles like PDC emulator) 5. shut down old server For future reference, this group is for Exchange administration. This post would be better placed in an active directory news group.

Firstly, Windows 2003 Domain Controllers are more advanced than NT 4.0 where you have PDC and BDC We live in a new age now where all domain controllers are writeable so no real PDC and BDC roles anymore However there are some flexible roles you need to move http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801/en-us So you need to install Windows 2003 on your new server Join it to the domain and make it a domain controller (dcpromo and also install DNS) You should also configure it as a Global Catalog Server Move all roles from old server to new server Move over all your other services (DHCP, WNIS and others to your new server) Deli