This article shows how you can browse the NTDS.DIT (Active Directory database file) offline by using the DSAMIN command in Windows Server 2008.
In Windows Server 2008, you can mount the backup image and then load it using the DSAMIN command line utility to browse the data offline. This is how you do to browse the Active Directory data offline:
Steps:
Type the following commands in a sequence
- Ntdsutil snapshot at command prompt
- List All
- Mount 1
- Open another command prompt, type:
dsamin -dbpath C:\$SNAP__VOLUMEC$\Windows\NTDS\ntds.dit -ldapport 5000
- Launch LDP.exe
- Click Connection > Connect
- Change the Port to 5000 and Click Ok
- Click View > Tree
About Nirmal Sharma
Nirmal is a Microsoft MVP in Directory Services and working as a Technical Architect/Consultant. He has been involved in Microsoft Technologies since 1994 and followed the progression of Microsoft Operating Systems and software. He is specialized in Directory Services, Microsoft Clustering, SQL, MOM, Exchange and Citrix. In his spare time, he likes to help others and write "internal" technical articles, white papers and tips on various Microsoft technologies. You can contact him at nirmal_sharma@mvps.org.
Article not looking right or info is missing? Let us know so that we can fix it: .
