Help! I feel Sick. Netlogon and Sysvol shares have gone!

[reggiep]

I have been trying to get my second server sorted out as it was not replicating the sysvol or netlogon folders.

Well I though it was sorted but I was wrong.

instead i now have my primary Server 2008 server without a sysvol or netlogon share so nobody can log on.

 

Argh!!!

 

I have a full backup for a last resort but wondered if anybody can suggest anything before I have to plan for a long day and evening.

 

thanks

[Little-Miss]

Is there no way you can just restore those folders from the backup? That what i had to do when i got a bit click happy one day!

[reggiep]

Not sure if the restore would bring back the shares too?

[PeterH]

The shares are missing because either the File Replication Service and/or Netlogon service isn't running. Check in services to see and try starting them. If they don't start, you need to have a look in the event log. I would suggest checking the File Replication Service log first as I think this is where the problem is likely to be. I'm pretty sure if the File Replication Service doesn't start, then you won't see those shares.

[Willott]

Info below is a basis for further research - I did this research myself but based it on my system, so there may be things which affect your system which I don't know of!

 

I had this issue a while ago, I'm fairly sure I resolved by doing the following (see link below), though I didn't record it at time - netlogon service wouldn't start for me on the DC either, may be worth checking for this.

 

How to rebuild the SYSVOL tree and its content in a domain

 

It's a bit of a brown pant moment... the data should still exist on the DC (I took a copy of the windows\sysvol folder as a just incase).

[glennda]

The shares are missing because either the File Replication Service and/or Netlogon service isn't running. Check in services to see and try starting them. If they don't start, you need to have a look in the event log. I would suggest checking the File Replication Service log first as I think this is where the problem is likely to be. I'm pretty sure if the File Replication Service doesn't start, then you won't see those shares.

 

Yes it's the service which shares the folder - everytime the server restarts the shares are taken away until the DC loads and if there are other dc's then it needs to be able to contact them at the time.

[nicholab]

The share are stored as registry key I think they come back if you put the folder back.

[Willott]

and if there are other dc's then it needs to be able to contact them at the time.

 

Does this still apply if the DC is the primary/role holder?

Edited January 10, 2011 by Willott
edit quote

[glennda]

Does this still apply if the DC is the primary/role holder?

 

Yes - but only if the other domain controller is actually on (and has not been off). If its the first in the pair (or more) to come online for example, then no as it then the FRS shares the folder as normal. Thats why you should always boot the pdc and then allow it to boot before booting and secondary dc's.

[reggiep]

We're still not having any luck, but we've noticed that in the NTDS settings, under properties on DC1, that it's both replicating from and replicating to DC2? Does that make sense? Surely the main DC, DC1, should not replicate from a secondary DC?

[Willott]

Replication is 2 way, otherwise if you changed a GPO or other change on second DC it wouldn't occur on first. Maybe you could list what you've tried so far and we can give further guidance.

[ZeroHour]

We're still not having any luck, but we've noticed that in the NTDS settings, under properties on DC1, that it's both replicating from and replicating to DC2? Does that make sense? Surely the main DC, DC1, should not replicate from a secondary DC?

 

Are the real folders still in the windows dir but just not shared?

No event log entries for use to take a gander at?

[reggiep]

Yes folders are there, I tried to reset the BURFLAGS registry entry to D4 as the KB315457 article on MS suggests but the FRS service just keeps failing. the result is that we do not have the netlogon or sysvol shares

[Willott]

Any event logs from the FRS service?

[reggiep]

Sorry, I have not been posting much as been rather busy!

We have our Local Authority Support here helping now.

When we dcdiag the server it says it can't find the pdc even though it is the pdc?

[Willott]

Is DNS running OK on your PDC? Is DNS pointed to the right place in NIC settings?

[reggiep]

I tried doing a systemstate restore from backups last night. 3 hours later it finished but I still had the same problem. I am in the middle of a full restore of the server.

[Jaack]

Using the BurFlags registry key to reinitialize File Replication Service replica sets

 

I followed that when I didn't have the sysvol shares and NETLOGON. Seemed to help me!

 

Best of luck with it