Server 2012 – SYSVOL and NETLOGON not created (shared)

I had a problem adding the second domain controller into an existing domain. It was strange, because it was a small environment with only one DC. However, after a year, the customer decided to add a second DC. Until here, I followed a normal procedure: I installed the second server and promote it to DC. Everything was OK, without any error and from security reasons I just run Active Directory Replication Status Tool. There were no errors, but in dcdiag I saw some strange errors like there is no SYSVOL share. When I opened Explorer and typed in the address \\localhost, I realized that all shares were really missing.
What causes this situation? How to find the solution? After a couple of solutions I tried and after looking into Event viewer, I realized that I had a problem with DFS replication. In Microsoft KB article, I find how to test DFS replication for all DC’s:
For /f %i IN (‘dsquery server -o rdn’) do @echo %i && @wmic /node:”%i” /namespace:\\root\microsoftdfs path dfsrreplicatedfolderinfo WHERE replicatedfoldername=’SYSVOL share’ get replicationgroupname,replicatedfoldername,state
The returned state values has to be:
0 = Uninitialized
1 = Initialized
2 = Initial Sync
3 = Auto Recovery
4 = Normal
5 = In Error
But my first DC returns a strange value: “No Instance(s) Available.” and the same value was reported locally form that DC.

Output

At this point I realized that I have some problems on the old DC and I have to review the Event viewer of DFS Replication on that computer. It was not difficult to find the event 2212 (Dirty shutdown) and form here it was easy to solve the problem.

Event 2212

You have just to reactivate the replication with the command (run from administrative shell):
wmic /namespace:\\root\microsoftdfs path dfsrVolumeConfig where volumeGuid=”GUID-NUMBER” call ResumeReplication
Where GUID-NUMBER is the GUID reported in Error (red boxed on picture 2). The Output should be something like this screen:

wmic output

The last thing you have to do is to search in the Event viewer the event 2214. This will confirm that the replication is active.

Event 2214

At this point, you can go to the second controller and you will see that all shares are present and replicated..

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Comments Icon4 comments found on “Server 2012 – SYSVOL and NETLOGON not created (shared)

  1. Elvis,

    We ran into this exact problem, and this was the solution for us as well. Thank you for taking the time to document.

  2. Had this same issue as well . Did as explained and it worked . Thank you .

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