Hi, we have a server win 2000 server primary domain controler and exchange server 5.5 with active directory.The dns is resolved by the internet provider.We want to promote another windows 2000 server to domain controler and join the existing active directory domain but he cannot find the primary domain controler(pinging to the same server is succesfull).Any help would be very good. May thanks

This is a DNS problem. Just because you can ping the DC doesn't mean it can find the proper services you need. You do not want your ISP to provide DNS for your Active Directory. That is the last thing you want. You need to have a Windows 2000 DNS server providing DNS services for your Windows domain. Your ISP has no knowledge of the computers in your domain, nor should they. The server trying to join the domain can not find the proper records it needs to join the domain even if it can ping that server. Create a Windows 2000 as a DNS server. Point your Windows 2000 clients to it and then enable Forwarding from that server to your ISP to resolve Internet requests. Good luck. Glen

Thanks for your reply. Can you please help me what steps to follow in order to setup a local dns server in the primary domain controler in order to add another domain controler to the network(promote a win 2000 server to domain controler)?I still need to have the dns settings of the internet provider in the ip settings of the network card for the exchange 5.5 server to work ok? Many thanks

Just make sure you also have an ntfs partition for active dir tends to be a bit stickkkkky if you don't. Use Partition magic to create one. Just a bit of advice....