How do I uninstall Active directory in Windows 2003 if server will not boot in normal mode?

Hi all,
I hope someone can help....

I have my exchange server 2003 running on the second domain controller
with Windows 2003 installed.
My first domain controller (windows 2003) is running fine. However the
active directory is corrupt on my exchange server and " I get error
Directory Services cannot start...Error status Oxc00002E1.... Please
click OK to shut down this system....
http://support/microsoft.com/kb/258062 applies here.
I have tried everything in the article but still end up with corrupt
AD.
I only want my Exchange server back on line so loosing AD on this
server is no problem.
Does anyone know how to remove AD manually or otherwise because DCPROMO
will not run in AD Services restore mode and I cannot login successfuly
into the server anyother way. If it helps, I have another partition
that I have now install Windows 2003 and I can access the original boot
partition as well as the main DC
thanks

In news:1157805972.550987.207390@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com,
RO_UK <ro@natpoint.com> typed:
> Hi all,
> I hope someone can help....
>
> I have my exchange server 2003 running on the second domain controller
> with Windows 2003 installed.
> My first domain controller (windows 2003) is running fine. However the
> active directory is corrupt on my exchange server and " I get error
> Directory Services cannot start...Error status Oxc00002E1.... Please
> click OK to shut down this system....
> http://support/microsoft.com/kb/258062 applies here.
> I have tried everything in the article but still end up with corrupt
> AD.

Well, you've probably made this situation worse, if you actually tried to
remove AD. You also can't run dcpromo to demote a DC if Exchange is running
on it - you will be very sad.

Do you have backups from before the Bad Things happened?

> I only want my Exchange server back on line so loosing AD on this
> server is no problem.

Yes it would be :) Do you have any idea what happened?

> Does anyone know how to remove AD manually or otherwise because
> DCPROMO will not run in AD Services restore mode and I cannot login
> successfuly into the server anyother way. If it helps, I have another
> partition that I have now install Windows 2003 and I can access the
> original boot partition as well as the main DC
> thanks

Can you get at the file system on this server and get the *.edb and *.stm
files out somewhere else? If so, check out
http://www.quest.com/recovery_manager_for_exchange/ - you can then access
the files from another box running ESM & Outlook 2003 and extract the data.
You will still have to deal with the shards of the old Exchange server &
failed DC in AD, but your Exchange mailboxes can be recovered. There's a
per-mailbox cost for the product but there's no minimum license requirement,
and it is well worth the investment.

I'm sure some other wiser AD gurus will reply with more advice, but I
thought I'd take a whack at this in case I could be of some assistance where
Exchange is concerned.

--
General notes, in case you can actually recusitate this box somehow:

I'd suggest that you install another W2003 server temporarily - a member
server, not a DC, with a new name...install Exchange into your existing
org/admin group, move mailboxes, replicate public folders. All your users
need to open Outlook once with both servers operational, and they will
'automagically' find their mailboxes on the new server.

Once you're convinced this is complete, follow the procedures to remove the
first Exchange server ....

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822931/

Then you can go ahead with removing the 'bad' server, even by force if need
be...making sure the other DC has all the FSMO roles and is a GC.

http://www.petri.co.il/delete_failed_dcs_from_ad.htm may be helpful if you
can't do anything with the existing server. You can rebuild it from scratch
when you're finished and reverse the process

Hope I'm not leading you down a primrose path here, but be very careful with
DCs/Exchange. If possible, when you're all done, do not run Exchange on a
DC. Since you ought to have more than one DC, tho, get a cheapo workstation
box and run that as another DC/DNS server on your domain, with no other
roles.

do you have a backup?


--

Cheers,
(HOPEFULLY THIS INFORMATION HELPS YOU!)

# Jorge de Almeida Pinto # MVP Windows Server - Directory Services

BLOG (WEB-BASED)--> http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/jorge/default.aspx
BLOG (RSS-FEEDS)--> http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/jorge/rss.aspx
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* This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights!
* Always test before implementing!
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"RO_UK" <ro@natpoint.com> wrote in message
news:1157805972.550987.207390@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Hi all,
> I hope someone can help....
>
> I have my exchange server 2003 running on the second domain controller
> with Windows 2003 installed.
> My first domain controller (windows 2003) is running fine. However the
> active directory is corrupt on my exchange server and " I get error
> Directory Services cannot start...Error status Oxc00002E1.... Please
> click OK to shut down this system....
> http://support/microsoft.com/kb/258062 applies here.
> I have tried everything in the article but still end up with corrupt
> AD.
> I only want my Exchange server back on line so loosing AD on this
> server is no problem.
> Does anyone know how to remove AD manually or otherwise because DCPROMO
> will not run in AD Services restore mode and I cannot login successfuly
> into the server anyother way. If it helps, I have another partition
> that I have now install Windows 2003 and I can access the original boot
> partition as well as the main DC
> thanks
>

Hi
please read, if that is your case contact MS to get the patch
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;830574

--
I hope that the information above helps you

Good Luck
Jorge Silva
MCSA
Systems Administrator

"RO_UK" <ro@natpoint.com> wrote in message
news:1157805972.550987.207390@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Hi all,
> I hope someone can help....
>
> I have my exchange server 2003 running on the second domain controller
> with Windows 2003 installed.
> My first domain controller (windows 2003) is running fine. However the
> active directory is corrupt on my exchange server and " I get error
> Directory Services cannot start...Error status Oxc00002E1.... Please
> click OK to shut down this system....
> http://support/microsoft.com/kb/258062 applies here.
> I have tried everything in the article but still end up with corrupt
> AD.
> I only want my Exchange server back on line so loosing AD on this
> server is no problem.
> Does anyone know how to remove AD manually or otherwise because DCPROMO
> will not run in AD Services restore mode and I cannot login successfuly
> into the server anyother way. If it helps, I have another partition
> that I have now install Windows 2003 and I can access the original boot
> partition as well as the main DC
> thanks
>

Thanks to all who contributed to this topic. I finally established that
my boot disk was failing. Fortunately I had two drives in the server
and I installed a fresh copy of Windows 2003 on the second drive,
managed to rescue my system state and AD database from the old drive.
Reinstall Exchange and restore my storage

thanks again

RO_UK wrote:
> Hi all,
> I hope someone can help....
>
> I have my exchange server 2003 running on the second domain controller
> with Windows 2003 installed.
> My first domain controller (windows 2003) is running fine. However the
> active directory is corrupt on my exchange server and " I get error
> Directory Services cannot start...Error status Oxc00002E1.... Please
> click OK to shut down this system....
> http://support/microsoft.com/kb/258062 applies here.
> I have tried everything in the article but still end up with corrupt
> AD.
> I only want my Exchange server back on line so loosing AD on this
> server is no problem.
> Does anyone know how to remove AD manually or otherwise because DCPROMO
> will not run in AD Services restore mode and I cannot login successfuly
> into the server anyother way. If it helps, I have another partition
> that I have now install Windows 2003 and I can access the original boot
> partition as well as the main DC
> thanks

In news:1158005491.366064.46850@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com,
RO_UK <ro@natpoint.com> typed:
> Thanks to all who contributed to this topic. I finally established
> that my boot disk was failing. Fortunately I had two drives in the
> server and I installed a fresh copy of Windows 2003 on the second
> drive, managed to rescue my system state and AD database from the old
> drive. Reinstall Exchange and restore my storage

Glad to hear it!

As mentioned, life will be a lot easier for you if you leave Exchange on a
member server.

>
> thanks again
>
> RO_UK wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> I hope someone can help....
>>
>> I have my exchange server 2003 running on the second domain
>> controller with Windows 2003 installed.
>> My first domain controller (windows 2003) is running fine. However
>> the active directory is corrupt on my exchange server and " I get
>> error Directory Services cannot start...Error status Oxc00002E1....
>> Please click OK to shut down this system....
>> http://support/microsoft.com/kb/258062 applies here.
>> I have tried everything in the article but still end up with corrupt
>> AD.
>> I only want my Exchange server back on line so loosing AD on this
>> server is no problem.
>> Does anyone know how to remove AD manually or otherwise because
>> DCPROMO will not run in AD Services restore mode and I cannot login
>> successfuly into the server anyother way. If it helps, I have
>> another partition that I have now install Windows 2003 and I can
>> access the original boot partition as well as the main DC
>> thanks