Hi all, We had two servers - a PDC and a BDC - and have since bought another to replace the older machine (which was the BDC) I'm trying to setup the ex-BDC as a test machine on an independant network (the server and one PC) but Server Manager won't let me promote BDC to PDC. It says it can't find the PDC for the domain. Obviously as the server isn't in that network anymore. Any ideas how I can change the PDC to BDC and if possible change the machine name? TIA

I'm confused. But let me give you some info, then you can go from there. In order to promote a BDC to a PDC, the BDC is going to try to sync with the PDC to update the data base. If the PDC is unavailable then you will receive the following error: Server Manager cannot find the Primary Domain Controller for domain_name. . You may administer the domain, but certain domain-wide operations will be disabled. However the promotion should still work. What I'm confused about is that you say "Any ideas how I can change the PDC to BDC and if possible change the machine name" Which machine do you want to make a BDC? Once a computer is installed as a domain controller of a domain, it can not become a domain controller, PDC or BDC, of another domain without reinstalling the OS. If you are trying to make the 'old' BDC a PDC of another test domain, you will have to reinstall the OS.