OU got deleted with all our users!

[cpals]

In the midst of changing group policies somehow our main OU for users got deleted and we're in deep trouble. I'm new to this stuff so have never experienced this before and have no clue where to start.

It's a Server 2003 SP1 running AD. We have a system state backup from a month ago.

I'm on the phone with Microsoft right now, but figured someone may know where to start.

Thanks!!!

 

[cpals]

The guy I'm talking to gave me this link as asked which method I want to go with:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/840001/en-us

He doesn't sound like he knows what he's doing. I was hoping he would know which method was the best way.

 

[Brazen]

Do you have a redundant domain controller? Yank whatever domain controller you made the change on from the network, before it replicates to the other DC.

Alternatively, off the top of my head, I'm thinking something like that happened to me once, and I found a way to recover Active Directory accounts using some command line tool. This also had a time limit on it, as the account info was only cached for so long. That's all I can remember off the top of my head though.

 

[cpals]

It already replicated.

A new Microsoft rep has started a livemeeting and is checking some things.

*crosses fingers*

 

[stash]

Got tape?

That article has the correct procedure, but your backup is pretty old. Do you know if it is a good backup?

Restoring the backup (assuming it's good) should be easy. But you're going to have to recreate a month's worth of changes, which may be little, or it may be a lot (think about group memberships for those users that were deleted...has anyone been added or deleted from groups in the last month?).

 

[stash]

You might want to think about using the procedure in that article for restoring when you don't have a valid system state backup. That would allow you to restore the most current data.

 

[gaidin123]

Can't he use something like Sysinternals AdRestore and use the same KB?
Link

Gaidin

 

[stash]

Yeah that's the section I was referring to 🙂 That is specifically mentioned in the KB article.