Unjoin windows xp machines from dead win2k3 server

[cmilioti]

Hi,

I recently inherited an environment that used to be comprised of one Win2k3 AD/DC server and 5 XP Pro machines.

The server died awhile back (before my time), and the end-users still use the familiar ctrl-alt-del mechanism to log into their system (cached credentials?), even though there is no server per se.

They are simply accessing network mappings someone else setup on another XP machine in the network. So they are somewhere between a domain and a workgrouop setup.

Since the win2k3 server no longer exists, I want to unjoin these 5 XP machines. I know the steps of unjoining client machines from a win2k3/win2k8 server, but I have not encountered a scenario quite like this, and I'd appreciate feedback and sanity-checking from the more skilled so I don't booger these XP clients.

My goal is to avoid reinstalling apps, or wiping the XP boxes clean and reinstalling everything. I just want them to be workgroup machines in a P2P setup (one of the more powerful desktops will be the p2p 'server' henceforth).

I have no idea what the win2k3 server's administrator password was (not sure why that would matter since the box is physically not there anymore), so I'm not quite sure what to specify as admin right when asked to unjoin the domain.

I can make sure the local administrator's password is changed on each XP machine before unjoining, but will that be sufficient?

Will it prevent exiting apps -- Office, QuickBooks, etc. -- from executing once the XP machines are in a workgroup?

What other pitfalls should I watch?

Thanks very much for your input.

- Clark

 

[Emerald]

log in as local Administrator, right click on My Computer, choose Properties, under the tab Computer Name click on Change button, and switch it to a workgroup.

make sure to back up all the users files since they will not be accessible once you unjoin the Domain.

create new user accounts and copy the file back into the profile

 

[cmilioti]

Thanks very much, Emerald.

Is it ok to just use Windows Explorer to copy the previous domain user profile files to the new local user accounts, or must I use something smarter -- I'm thinking registry keys etc., here -- , such as the user profile management facility under My Computer, Advanced...?

Thanks again for your quick response.

 

[Emerald]

usually I login under the user account and copy the files flash drive or external drive

 

[cmilioti]

Many thanks again.

I will try this and post my experiences.