Active Directory installation stalls at the “Creating the NTDS settings object” stage

Recently at work, I was adding a new Domain Controller to an existing forest and I just could not get past “Creating the NTDS Settings” I have done this many times in the past and never had this issue. After trying a few times and a lot of waiting, I thought I should have a little dig around in the event logs to see what was wrong.

In the Directory Services event logs I found the events like the ones below:

Event 1

Log Name: Directory Service
Source: Microsoft-Windows-ActiveDirectory_DomainService
Date: 23/11/2016 9:24:15 PM
Event ID: 1963
Task Category: DS RPC Client
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: ANONYMOUS LOGON
Computer: TESTPIXELS-DC02
Description:
Internal event: The following local directory service received an exception from a remote procedure call (RPC) connection. Extensive RPC information was requested. This is intermediate information and might not contain a possible cause.

Process ID:
556

Reported error information:
Error value:
Could not find the domain controller for this domain. (1908)
directory service:
TESTPIXELS-DC01.TESTPIXELS.CO.UK 

Extensive error information:
Error value:
A security package specific error occurred. 1825
directory service:
TESTPIXELS-DC02

Additional Data
Internal ID:
5000dfc

Event 2

Log Name: Directory Service
Source: Microsoft-Windows-ActiveDirectory_DomainService
Date: 23/11/2016 9:24:15 PM
Event ID: 1962
Task Category: DS RPC Client
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: ANONYMOUS LOGON
Computer: TESTPIXELS-DC02
Description:
Internal event: The local directory service received an exception from a remote procedure call (RPC) connection. Extended error information is not available.

directory service:
TESTPIXELS-DC01.TESTPIXELS.CO.UK 

Additional Data
Error value:
Could not find the domain controller for this domain. (1908)

Event 3

Log Name: Directory Service
Source: Microsoft-Windows-ActiveDirectory_DomainService
Date: 23/11/2016 9:24:15 PM
Event ID: 1125
Task Category: Setup
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: ANONYMOUS LOGON
Computer: TESTPIXELS-DC02
Description:
The Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (Dcpromo) was unable to establish connection with the following domain controller.

Domain controller:
TESTPIXELS-DC01.TESTPIXELS.CO.UK 

Additional Data
Error value:
1908 Could not find the domain controller for this domain.

The Issue

In my case, this issue happened because the servers built-in Administrator account had the same password as the built-in Domain Administrator account, and I only supplied the username Administrator when prompted.

The Fix

The fix was rather simple in the end. Just follow the steps below making sure you do not miss one.

1. Restart the server on which Active Directory could not be installed.

1. Use Active Directory Users and Computers on an existing domain controller to delete the failed server’s computer account. (The domain controller will not yet be a domain controller object but only a member server.) Then, let Active Directory replication converge.

1. On the failed server, forcibly remove the server from the domain by using the System Properties Control Panel item.

1. On the failed server, remove the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) role by using Server Manager.

1. Restart the failed server.

1. Install the AD DS role, and then try the promotion again. When you do this, make sure that you provide promotion credentials in the form “domain\user” or “user@domain.tld.”

It’s that simple! You now have your Domain Controller all working!

Let me know if you want some pictures…

[AdSense-A]