DCDiag Tutorial Examples. Check your Windows Active Directory (+ Free Download)

DCDiag is one of those command line utilities that you should turn to when you have a Windows Server 2003 problem. As a source of Active Directory clues, DCDiag comes second only to the Event Logs. You may have guessed that the DC in DCDiag means domain controller.

Even if your Active Directory appears to be running smoothly, it is still worth running DCDiag, if only to learn about the components of a healthy operating system. For example DCDiag shows the existence of the knowledge consistency checker (kccevent).

Tutorial Topics for DCDiag

Examples of Running DCDiag

Installing Microsoft's DCDiag

With DCDiag it's not so much installing, as getting a copy from the Window Server 2003 Support tools. I could not help noticing that after I installed Windows Server 2003 SP1, there was a new DCDiag with twice the file size. It reported to be version 5.2.3790.1830. Intrigued, I checked the old version and found it was 5.2.3790.0 (no 1830). Further research revealed that indeed, the new version has more tests; as DNS is always a worry whenever there is an Active Directory problem, I was pleased to see Microsoft added extra DNS health checks in the latest version of DCDiag. (See bottom of this page for a free copy of DCDiag.)

TrainSignal - Recommended Training Videos

More Information. As an MCT trainer, I can thoroughly endorse TrainSignal because they deliver practical hands on training. In particular, I like the way that TrainSignal cover all learning methods, instructor lead, video and of course text material. You can either take one module, for example File Server or go for a combination of modules. See more about Windows 2003 training here

DCDiag switches

/v I have to admit that at first I had no idea that DCDiag had switches. Whilst I should have known that Microsoft would provide switches, I had no idea that there were so many. I will let you into another secret, I have never before know the /v (verbose) to be of any use. My point is that many utilities have this switch and normally I avoid it, but in the case of DCDiag the /v is a little gem, which I use at every opportunity.

/q From the sublime /v you could go to the ridiculous /q which only report errors.

/f:logfile.txt Slightly confusing given that there is also a /fix switch. It works like the re-direct pipe (> filename.txt). Personally, I copy and paste from the command prompt, but if you are more organized, then use /f:filename to output to a file.

/test: Confession time. I gave up with the /test, I just could not get it to filter the dns tests as advertised. I consoled my self that you can always get the information by running the full test and just reading the parts that are of interest. However, I got the /test switch working perfectly with NetDiag, therefore, is it me or have Microsoft made a documentation error?

DCDiag Example using my favourite /v

***Searching...
ldap_search_s(ld, "DC=cp,DC=com", 2, "(cn=a*)", attrList, 0, &msg)
Result <0>: (null)
Matched DNs:
Getting 24 entries:
>> Dn: CN=a86fe12a-0f62-4e2a-b271-d27f601f8182,CN=Operations,CN=DomainUpdates,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com
2> objectClass: top; container;
1> cn: a86fe12a-0f62-4e2a-b271-d27f601f8182;
1> distinguishedName: CN=a86fe12a-0f62-4e2a-b271-d27f601f8182,CN=Operations,CN=DomainUpdates,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com;
1> name: a86fe12a-0f62-4e2a-b271-d27f601f8182;
1> canonicalName: cp.com/System/DomainUpdates/Operations/a86fe12a-0f62-4e2a-b271-d27f601f8182;
>> Dn: CN=ab402345-d3c3-455d-9ff7-40268a1099b6,CN=Operations,CN=DomainUpdates,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com
2> objectClass: top; container;
1> cn: ab402345-d3c3-455d-9ff7-40268a1099b6;
1> distinguishedName: CN=ab402345-d3c3-455d-9ff7-40268a1099b6,CN=Operations,CN=DomainUpdates,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com;
1> name: ab402345-d3c3-455d-9ff7-40268a1099b6;
1> canonicalName: cp.com/System/DomainUpdates/Operations/ab402345-d3c3-455d-9ff7-40268a1099b6;
>> Dn: CN=ab9b6f9e-7ef4-4e9a-902d-ae9a3881bce9,CN=Packages,CN=Class Store,CN=Machine,CN={4627307D-103B-4A81-99D0-B5B06B8AD999},CN=Policies,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com
2> objectClass: top; packageRegistration;
1> cn: ab9b6f9e-7ef4-4e9a-902d-ae9a3881bce9;
1> distinguishedName: CN=ab9b6f9e-7ef4-4e9a-902d-ae9a3881bce9,CN=Packages,CN=Class Store,CN=Machine,CN={4627307D-103B-4A81-99D0-B5B06B8AD999},CN=Policies,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com;
1> name: ab9b6f9e-7ef4-4e9a-902d-ae9a3881bce9;
1> canonicalName: cp.com/System/Policies/{4627307D-103B-4A81-99D0-B5B06B8AD999}/Machine/Class Store/Packages/ab9b6f9e-7ef4-4e9a-902d-ae9a3881bce9;
>> Dn: CN=abab2104-5729-4bed-ac94-a65c89516e84,CN=AppCategories,CN=Default Domain Policy,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com
3> objectClass: top; leaf; categoryRegistration;
1> cn: abab2104-5729-4bed-ac94-a65c89516e84;
1> distinguishedName: CN=abab2104-5729-4bed-ac94-a65c89516e84,CN=AppCategories,CN=Default Domain Policy,CN=System,DC=cp,DC=com;
1> name: abab2104-5729-4bed-ac94-a65c89516e84;
1> canonicalName: cp.com/System/Default Domain Policy/AppCategories/abab2104-5729-4bed-ac94-a65c89516e84;
>> Dn: CN=Account Operators,CN=Builtin,DC=cp,DC=com
2> objectClass: top; group;
1> cn: Account Operators;
1> description: Members can administer domain user and group accounts;
1> distinguishedName: CN=Account Operators,CN=Builtin,DC=cp,DC=com;
1> name: Account Operators;
1> canonicalName: cp.com/Builtin/Account Operators;
>> Dn: CN=Administrator,CN=Users,DC=cp,DC=com
4> objectClass: top; person; organizationalPerson; user;
1> cn: Administrator;
1> description: Built-in account for administering the computer/domain;
1> distinguishedName: CN=Administrator,CN=Users,DC=cp,DC=com;
1> name: Administrator;
1> canonicalName: cp.com/Users/Administrator;
>> Dn: CN=Administrators,CN=Builtin,DC=cp,DC=com
2> objectClass: top; group;
1> cn: Administrators;
1> description: Administrators have complete and unrestricted access to the computer/domain;
1> distinguishedName: CN=Administrators,CN=Builtin,DC=cp,DC=com;
1> name: Administrators;
1> canonicalName: cp.com/Builtin/Administrators;

Tutorial Leaning Points

1) DCDiag has several useful switches. Actually the switches are an example of horses for courses, for example, if you only want to report on errors, then enter /q. However if you want chapter and verse then /v is your best bet.

2) Use the output as an opportunity to investigate services, for example 'The File Replication Service SYSVOL'. any problem with the frssysvol could alert you to Group Policy problems.

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Windows Server 2003 - DCDiag Tutorial

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