Everytime I try to run a forset prep I receive this error(an error has occured connecting to the active directory.. unable to connect to schema master) Have run a dcdiag..these are the results= DC Diagnosis Performing initial setup: Done gathering initial info. Doing initial non skippeable tests Testing server: Default-First-Site\I-DPKX62ZPFD59H(this is not my server name) Starting test: Connectivity ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H passed test Connectivity Doing primary tests Testing server: Default-First-Site\I-DPKX62ZPFD59H Starting test: Replications ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H passed test Replications Starting test: NCSecDesc ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H passed test NCSecDesc Starting test: NetLogons [I-DPKX62ZPFD59H] An net use or LsaPolicy operation failed with error 53, The network path was not found.. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test NetLogons Starting test: Advertising Fatal Error:DsGetDcName (I-DPKX62ZPFD59H) call failed, error 1722 The Locator could not find the server. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test Advertising Starting test: KnowsOfRoleHolders ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H passed test KnowsOfRoleHolders Starting test: RidManager Failed with 8481: The search failed to retrieve attributes from the database. Could not get Rid set Reference :failed with 8481: The search failed to retrieve attributes from the database. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test RidManager Starting test: MachineAccount ***Error: The server I-DPKX62ZPFD59H(this is not my server name) is missing its machine account. Try running with the /repairmachineaccount option. * The current DC is not in the domain controller's OU * I-DPKX62ZPFD59H does not have computer as its objectClass Failed with 8481: The search failed to retrieve attributes from the database. Could not open pipe with [I-DPKX62ZPFD59H]:failed with 53: The network path was not found. Could not get NetBIOSDomainName Failed can not test for HOST SPN Failed can not test for HOST SPN Failed with 8481: The search failed to retrieve attributes from the database. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test MachineAccount Starting test: Services Could not open Remote ipc to [I-DPKX62ZPFD59H]:failed with 53: The network path was not found. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test Services Starting test: ObjectsReplicated ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H passed test ObjectsReplicated Starting test: frssysvol [I-DPKX62ZPFD59H] An net use or LsaPolicy operation failed with error 53, The network path was not found.. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test frssysvol Starting test: kccevent Failed to enumerate event log records, error The network path was not found. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test kccevent Starting test: systemlog Failed to enumerate event log records, error The network path was not found. ......................... I-DPKX62ZPFD59H failed test systemlog Running enterprise tests on : IS.systems.co.uk Starting test: Intersite ......................... IS.systems.co.uk passed test Intersite Starting test: FsmoCheck Warning: DcGetDcName(GC_SERVER_REQUIRED) call failed, error 1722 A Global Catalog Server could not be located - All GC's are down. Warning: DcGetDcName(PDC_REQUIRED) call failed, error 1722 A Primary Domain Controller could not be located. The server holding the PDC role is down. Warning: DcGetDcName(TIME_SERVER) call failed, error 1722 A Time Server could not be located. The server holding the PDC role is down. Warning: DcGetDcName(GOOD_TIME_SERVER_PREFERRED) call failed, error 1722 A Good Time Server could not be located. Warning: DcGetDcName(KDC_REQUIRED) call failed, error 1722 A KDC could not be located - All the KDCs are down. ......................... IS.systems.co.uk failed test FsmoCheck This is the first DC so the GC is on there and the schema master is running... any Ideas?

have u installed NNTP BEFORE installing exchange? we had a similar problem but after installing NNTP and rebooting the probelm got resolved. here are the steps we took. ii, nntp, ldap..forestprep...domainprep..do dcdiag and netdiag..install exchange 2000 manager tools...then create admin groups.then finally install exchange..if u download the evaluation version of exchange 2003 the setup process will guide u thru all this.. hope this helps. take care hope this helps..thanks.

I have resloved the issue..it was the sites and services server name was wrong. however now I have another forestprep propblem, where half way through the forestprep it got corrupted and failed and now I do not have full exchange administrator permissions....any help?