Transfer the PDC emulator role

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

To transfer the PDC emulator role

• Using the Windows interface

• Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers.

2. In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Users and Computers, and then click Connect to Domain Controller.

3. In Enter the name of another domain controller, type the name of the domain controller you want to hold the PDC emulator role.

   Or, click the domain controller in the list of available domain controllers.

4. In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Users and Computers, point to All Tasks, and then click Operations Masters.

5. Click the PDC tab, and then click Change.

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 Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Active Directory Users and Computers.

• To transfer a role to another domain controller, you may first need to change the focus of Active Directory Users and Computers to the target domain controller. To do this, right-click Active Directory Users and Computers, click Connect to Domain Controller, and then click the target domain controller.

Using a command line

1. Open Command Prompt.

2. Type:

   ntdsutil

3. At the ntdsutil command prompt, type:

   roles

4. At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type:

   connection

5. At the server connections command prompt, type:

   connect to serverDomainController

6. At the server connections command prompt, type:

   quit

7. At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type:

   transfer PDC

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.

• To view the complete syntax for this command, at the ntdsutil command prompt, type:

  roles ENTER

  ? ENTER

Information about functional differences

• 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.

See Also

Concepts

Working with MMC console files
Manage the domain using a different domain controller
Operations master roles
Command-line reference A-Z
Ntdsutil