How to reinstate clients PCs in a domain after reinstall

[Robert]

I'm a newbie in Windows Server 2003.
Following some corruption of files, I had to reinstall my domain controller
server Win Server 2003 SP2 with AD.
How can I reinstate the clients PCs in this new domain (which has exactly
the same name that the previous domain) without losing any data and without
losing the users profiles?
Thanks for your help.

[Anthony [MVP]]

Each domain has a unique ID, so the old one that the PC's currently belong
to is lost. They need to change to Workgroup, then rejoin the domain.
Getting the profiles back is similar. Each profile has a unique ID in the
domain, so the account that owns the profile is lost. You can do something
like:
- export the settings to a file using Files and Settings Transfer Wizard
- explicitly copy My Documents and Favorites out of the existing profile and
then copy them in to the new profile
Hoe that helps,

[Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]]

If the DC is installed new, you have to join the clients machine again to
the NEW domain. Even with using the same name it is complete new with new
SID for the domain.

You have to recreate all user accounts, groups, etc.

When the users login again with the new useraccount even it is the same name
as before, a new profile will be created on the users workstation looking
like "test.domain" and you will have a profile from before "test", if the
machine was not reinstalled. You can now login to the user machine with an
account that has local admin permissions, like domain admins or the local
administrator, and copy the old needed profile content to the new created
profile.

[Robert]

Thanks both Anthony and Meinolf,

I will do that, it will not be too difficult because I have only 5 client
PCs.
But what if I had 1000 clients PCs ?
Thanks again

[Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]]

You should always have a minimum of 2 DC's in your domain, so you have still
one AD database available and everything is still working. Also the second
DC should be DNS server(use AD integrated zones) and Global catalog server.
Client machines should then use both DC/DNS server ip addresses on the NIC
as preferred and secondary DNS.

So in case of a crash of one DC you have maybe to seize the 5 FSMO roles
to another DC, cleanup the AD database from the crashed one and can install
a new DC in the domain for redundancy

[Rich Wonneberger]

Wouldn't proper backups be able to restore the PC and user accounts?
(If they were made)

[Robert]

Thanks a lot Meinolf!

[Dave Patrick]

After you logon once to the new domain then run regedit.exe and navigate to;

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

locate the new profile SID and edit the Reg_Expand_Sz 'ProfileImagePath' to
point back to the old domain profile.

[Robert]

Great !
Thanks Dave !
Robert

[Dave Patrick]

You're welcome.

[agubaira]

Dave, thanks for the tip. I have been looking for that solution for years ! Why don't techies nor Microsoft mention this?