Adding a new Tree Domain to Your AD Stalls on Preparing AD Schema

Had a fun one today.
Wanted to add a tree domain to an existing AD Forest.
Installed 2012 R2, AD DS, put in all the details...
and the install stalled for hours...nothing happened, just

error 1908 Could not find domain controller for this domain

 

 

Made sure we followed this KB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2737935/en-gb

 

 

- but it turns out we did all of this in the first place. Some sites even mentioned putting stuff in the hosts file which was worth a shot, but did not help. Still could not find the domain controller.

 

To fix the problem, reboot.

Log on. Remove the machine from the tree domain you just tried to create and add to a workgroup.

Remove AD DS. Reboot. Remove the computer from AD Sites and Services on your Forest.

 

Now when the machine is back up, add the server to your existing forest. Install AD DS. Run through the set up again. It works. You now have a Tree in a Forest!!!

 

FYI - Part of the setup removes the server from the forest domain (!!!!!!!!!)