How To: Install Active Directory on Windows Server 2008 - Step:2

Now lets continue with Active Directory Domain Services installation. To start the installation wizard click on "Start" Menu then click on "Run" and type in "dcpromo" as per the screen shot below and then click "Ok"



Type in "DCPROMO" and Click "OK"



Select "Advanced mode installation" to explore all options and Click "Next"



Wizard shows information about improved security settings in Windows Server 2008 compare to earlier versions - Read if you have time and click "Next".




Select "Create new domain in a new forest" for our new Active Directory Environment and Click "Next".




Type in a Fully Qualified Domain Name for example "Microsoft.com or corp.contoso.com" I love Microsoft so I would use Microsoft.com as an example ;) now click "Next"



Type in your Domain NetBIOS name for eg: If FQDN of your organization is contoso.com then you would give NetBIOS name as "Contoso" - Give a name and click "Next"

TheWizard is prompting you to select Forest Functional level, for eg: If you select Windows Server 2008 then all domain controllers in your forest must be installed on Windows Server 2008 or above versions - you will not be able to go for a lower version. Select the version as per the availability in your organization and click "Next"

Here we have selected Functional level as Windows Server 2008 so the wizard is giving us warning that we will not able to add any domain controller which is running on lower versions of Windows Server - Click "Next"



In order to have AD DS environment we need a DNS server and it is recommended to install DNS Server on the first domain controller of your forest so here I will check option DNS Server as we need this service on our first domain controller - now click "Next".



Wizard is prompting us to select the destination store database and log files of Active Directory - I would keep the defaults and click "Next"

Here it requires a new and a strong password to be able to login in Directory Services Restore Mode. NOTE: Administrator account and Directory Services Restore Mode Passwords should be different - Give a strong password and Click "Next"

This is the list of our selections we made so far, If you have made any wrong selection you can go back and correct it - Everything seems OK now so I would click "Next"

Now we are installing all the services we have selected and also I have checked "reboot on completion" so the server will get rebooted as soon as it finish the installation.

Server will Reboot Itself after successful installation :)

Logon to the Server using Administrator Account

Click on Start then Click on "Administrative Tools" you will find the list of Services successfully installed.

Start -> Adminstrative Tools -> "Active Directory Users and Computers" - Here you will manage User Accounts and Services.

Start -> Administrative Tools -> Active Directory Sites and Services - Here you will manage Active Directory Sites and Services.

Start -> Administrative Tools -> Group Policy Management - Here you will create and manage Group policies.

Start -> Adminstrative Tools -> DNS Server - Here is your DNS Server and we are ready to go!