Byron, Its easy to misread Microsoft. But if you look close you'll see it says, After the changes from adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep completely replicate, you can upgrade the Windows 2000 domain controllers (implies the existing DC)to Windows Server 2003 by running Winnt32.exe from the \I386 folder of the Windows Server 2003 media. The next part I belive implies that you have already upgraded the existing DC. Also, you can add new Windows Server 2003 domain controllers to the domain by using Dcpromo.exe Hope it works for you. Luke Beamer I. S. Manager San Diego Pleasant Holidays 4025 Camino Del Rio South Suite 200 San Diego, CA. 92108 PH: 619-521-2710 FAX: 619-521-2760 Cell: 619-454-7302 From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Byron (Yahoo) Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 1:15 PM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange 2003 server in windows 200 domain thanks lunke. that was what i originally thought as well, but a read from the following leads me to think otherwise and am not 100% sure: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=325379 see section below, from articke, last paragraph (green font) ..... perhaps i misinterpreted the meaning? <snip> Overview: Upgrading Windows 2000 domain controllers to Windows Server 2003 The Windows Server 2003 adprep command that you run from the \I386 folder of the Windows Server 2003 media prepares a Windows 2000 forest and its domains for the addition of Windows Server 2003 domain controllers. The Windows Server 2003 adprep /forestprep command adds the following features: . Improved default security descriptors for object classes . New user and group attributes . New Schema objects and attributes like inetOrgPerson The adprep utility supports two command-line arguments: adprep /forestprep: Runs forest upgrade operations. adprep /domainprep: Runs domain upgrade operations. The adprep /forestprep command is a one-time operation performed on the schema operation master (FSMO) of the forest. The forestprep operation must complete and replicate to the infrastructure master of each domain before you can run adprep /domainprep in that domain. The adprep /domainprep command is a one-time operation that you run on the infrastructure operations master domain controller of each domain in the forest that will host new or upgraded Windows Server 2003 domain controllers. The adprep /domainprep command verifies that the changes from forestprep have replicated in the domain partition and then makes its own changes to the domain partition and group policies in the Sysvol share. You cannot perform either of the following actions unless the /forestprep and the /domainprep operations have completed and replicated to all the domain controllers in that domain: . Upgrade the Windows 2000 domain controllers to Windows Server 2003 domain controllers by using Winnt32.exe. Note: You can upgrade the Windows 2000 member servers and computers to Windows Server 2003 member computers whenever you want. . Promote new Windows Server 2003 domain controllers into the domain by using Dcpromo.exe. The domain that hosts the schema operations master is the only domain where you must run both adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep. In all other domains, you only have to run adprep /domainprep. The adprep /forestprep and the adprep /domainprep commands do not add attributes to the global catalog partial attribute set or cause a full synchronization of the global catalog. The RTM version of adprep /domainprep does cause a full sync of the \Policies folder in the Sysvol tree. Even if you run forestprep and domainprep several times, completed operations are performed only one time. After the changes from adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep completely replicate, you can upgrade the Windows 2000 domain controllers to Windows Server 2003 by running Winnt32.exe from the \I386 folder of the Windows Server 2003 media. Also, you can add new Windows Server 2003 domain controllers to the domain by using Dcpromo.exe. ----- Original Message ----- From: Luke Beamer <mailto:luke.beamer@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 11:45 AM Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange 2003 server in windows 200 domain Byron, I belive you still need to upgrade your DC (2000) to 2003 first then You can promote your New boxes to DC and transfer the Roles From the Old DCs to the New ones. After you complete this you Can decommission the old boxes. Luke Beamer I. S. Manager San Diego Pleasant Holidays 4025 Camino Del Rio South Suite 200 San Diego, CA. 92108 PH: 619-521-2710 FAX: 619-521-2760 Cell: 619-454-7302 From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Byron (Yahoo) Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 11:38 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Exchange 2003 server in windows 200 domain Background: Exchange 2003 (member server) in windows 2000 domain. 2 windows 200 DCs. Running for about 1 year with exchange 2003. now we want to upgrade the domain to windows 2003 and add a new windows 2003 DC (but not upgrade the older windows 200o DC OSs to windows 2003 - we want to retire them). We've run the follwing on the 2000 DC housing the Schema master and infrastructure. both completed successfully - adprep /forestprep - adprep /domainprep - allowed Replication (it's been two days) Still getting this error when running dcpromo on our new windows 2003 server , when tryign to add it as a DC to the oriignal 2000 AD. Any thoughts on why we're still gettign this? Error: "The operation failed because: The active directory installation wizard cannot continue because the frst is not prepared for installing windows 2003 ..... "The version of active directory schema of the source forest is not compatible with the version of AD on this computer" thanks for any pointers. byron