A way to package up all your settings and roles in Windows Server 2003?

[latrosicarius]

Hi, is there a way to export all your settings in Windows Server 2003, including all your configured roles, group policies, network settings, and Active Directory users?

This would be so that if the master hard drive crashes, I can just slap a new one in, install Windows, and import all my settings back.

I'm not really interested in imaging or ghosting software b/c what if the motherboard crashes too and I have to replace it... then all the drivers on the image would be incompatable. I just want all my settings.

Thanks

[mark19632]

A full sysmtem backup would be fine if your just replcaing the HDD.

[Moby-Dick]

System State Backup....

or have a second DC

[latrosicarius]

Ok ty. So what I did was go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup...

(not wizard mode).

Then I went to the backup tab and only ticked "System State". Then I performed the backup. Is that good, or is it more complicated than that to save things like your DHCP, DNS, GPO, and DC/AD configurations?

Thanks

[mark19632]

When you backup the System State on a Domain Controller, the following is backed up:

Active Directory (NTDS)
The boot files
The COM+ class registration database
The registry
The system volume (SYSVOL)
The metabase.

If you DNS zone is active directory integrated then that will be backed up with the AD
The DHCP database is backed up to %SystemRoot%\System32\Dhcp\Backup every 30 mins and this file should also be backed up.

I think you need to backup the DHCP configuration to by runing "netsh dhcp server dump > dhcpconfig.dmp" and backing up the dhcpconfig.dmp file.

Oh and get another DC is a lot less risky