Seize the PDC emulator role

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To seize the PDC emulator role

Open Command Prompt.
Type:

ntdsutil
At the ntdsutil command prompt, type:

roles
At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type:

connections
At the server connections command prompt, type:

connect to serverDomainController
At the server connections prompt, type:

quit
At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type:

seize PDC

Value	Description
DomainController	The domain controller to which you want to assign the new operations master role. Use only for recovery purposes.

Caution

Do not seize the PDC emulator role if you can transfer it instead. Seizing the PDC emulator is a drastic step that should be considered only if the current operations master will never be available again. For more information about transferring operations master roles, see Related Topics.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group or the Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.
Before seizing the PDC emulator role, use the repadmin command-line tool to verify whether the new operations master has received any updates performed by the previous role holder, and then remove the current operations master from the network. For more information about operations master roles and the Active Directory command-line tools, see Related Topics.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.