Network location cannot be reached.

Network connectivity problems.

Verify network connectivity.

Active Directory Installation Failed: The operation failed with the following error: The system cannot find the file specified.

This error message can be caused by one or more of the following conditions:

• The default Ntds.dit file is missing or not correctly located in the %SystemRoot%\System 32 folder.
  
• Incorrect permission on the default Ntds.dit file.
  
• Incorrect permissions on an existing NTDS folder structure.
  

See Access Denied Error for more information.

The wizard cannot gain access to the list of domains in the forest. The error is: The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted.

This problem can occur if a domain controller in the domain has not registered an "A" record for itself in DNS.

Add the A record for the domain controller with the ipconfig /registerdns command. Flush the DNS cache on the computer running the Active Directory Installation Wizard by using the ipconfig /flushdns command. For more information, see Troubleshooting Active Directory-Related DNS Problems.

DCPromo fails with an "invalid parameter" error.

In the Active Directory Installation Wizard, the administrator entered either a single-label or multilabel Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS) name (such as CORP or CORP.COM) that is identical to the Active Directory domain name, or entered a name that is already in use on the network.

Use a NetBIOS name that does not conflict with other computers or domains on the network.

Error Message: The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted.

DNS problems might be preventing name resolution for the source domain controller. This issue can occur because the SYSVOL directory is not shared out on the domain controller that will be used to source Active Directory.

See Troubleshooting Active Directory-Related DNS Problems to resolve DNS issues. Share out the SYSVOL directory. To verify that the SYSVOL directory is shared out, use the net share command to see if the SYSVOL share is showing. By default, the SYSVOL share is located in the following folder: %SystemRoot%\Sysvol\Sysvol.

The operation failed because: Failed to modify the necessary properties for the machine account %computername%$ "Access Denied".

Source domain controller is not trusted for delegation.

Use the methods for troubleshooting the "access denied" error messages in the Active Directory Installation Wizard. You will learn more about this in the later topic.

The operation failed because: To perform the requested operation, the directory service needs to contact the Domain Naming Master (server <servername>). The attempt to contact it failed. The specified server cannot perform the requested operation.

Servers that are being promoted to domain controllers might generate this error message when they are unable to contact the domain naming master role holder during promotion. This happens while creating the first domain controller in a new tree in an existing forest.

See Domain Naming Master Errors in Active Directory Installation Wizard.

Active Directory Installation Failed. The operation failed because: The Directory Service failed to create the object CN=<servername>,CN=Partitions, CN=Configuration,DC=<domain controller>.

Servers that are being promoted to domain controllers might generate this error message when they are unable to contact the domain naming master role holder during promotion.

See Domain Naming Master Errors in Active Directory Installation Wizard.

The replication system encountered an internal error.

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See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: Internal Error Running Dcpromo.exe.

Missing SYSVOL and NETLOGON shares.

Missing NETLOGON and SYSVOL shares typically occur on additional domain controllers in an existing domain but can also occur on the first domain controller in a new domain.

Verify that the Net Logon service is running. Also see Monitoring and Troubleshooting the File Replication Service.

An LDAP read of operational attributes failed.

The domain naming master for the forest is offline or cannot be contacted.

Make the current domain naming master accessible. If necessary, see Seize operations master roles.